Collaboration with the ‘Third Sector’ - Issues of Accountability: Mapping Israeli Versions of this Problematic

This article explores the possibility, expressed in the literature, that Third Sector Organisations present a solution to what has been called the crisis of accountability. The paper addresses conceptual issues of holding collaborative government to account. Using Israel's Third Sector as a case in point, we illustrate several problems in holding Third Sector Organisations to account. Some of these problems have been well established in the literature on the contract state. Others are unique or particularly salient to Third Sector Organisations. Amongst these is the image of Third Sector Organisations as “do gooders” staffed largely by volunteers and workers highly committed to worthy causes. Are problems of Third Sector accountability equally salient to collaborative as opposed to contracting and grants arrangements? We find examples of accountability problems in all modes of Government - Third Sector undertakings. Our findings suggest that collaborative ventures may stand a better chance at instituting effective controls, depending on the nature and quality of institutional arrangements. More formalised and comprehensive collaborative agreements might reduce the incidence of accountability problems. Comparison with other settings - the United States and the Third World - indicates that our illustration of the problematic of third sector accountability is broadly applicable.