| Abstract [eng] |
This thesis examines the collaboration between municipalities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in the integration policy of third-country nationals (TCNs) in Lithuania. It pursues two objectives: 1) to determine whether such collaboration contributes to strengthening the institutional capacities of municipalities; and 2) to analyse what factors drive this change. Applying a two-phase mixed research design, the analysis showed that collaboration improves municipalities' understanding of TCN needs, broadens the accessibility of services, and provides access to a wider network of external resources and knowledge. However, a stronger impact was observed only in those municipalities that had already assumed institutional responsibility for TCN integration. It was also found that each of the four mechanisms analysed (structural arrangements, boundary-spanning leadership, knowledge exchange, and resource mobilisation) strengthens municipal capacities only when: a) collaboration goes beyond project administration and includes ongoing joint planning; b) NGO leadership is institutionally recognised rather than dependent solely on individual initiative; c) knowledge reaches organisational decision-making processes rather than remaining at the level of individual staff members; and d) the resources mobilised are integrated into the municipality's ongoing operations. Where these conditions were absent, collaboration helped ensure service delivery but did not strengthen the institutional capacities of the municipalities themselves. In such cases, a "hollow state" dynamic was observed, whereby formal responsibility remains with the municipality, but the practical implementation of services depends on NGOs. The thesis aims to make a meaningful contribution to the literature on collaborative governance and institutional capacity-building by more precisely defining the conditions under which municipal–NGO collaboration in TCN integration policy strengthens municipal institutional capacities, and by incorporating the NGO perspective as an important counterbalance to municipalities' self-assessments. |
