Cross-sectoral partnership or just another instrument of local authorities? ”Hidden” public sector in local action groups in Poland

Abstract

Basing on a sample of 45 randomly selected local action groups (LAGs) a survey of members of decision-making councils (including 668 board members of LAGs) was conducted. It showed that the share of municipal mayors, heads of offices and employees of public entities was higher on average by 19% than that stated in formal documents. In 27 out of the 45 investigated LAGs (60%) the public sector, in fact, had a share of over 50% in the composition of LAGs and was assured a majority in voting for the selection of local projects supported within the framework of the so-called 4th “LEADER” axis of the Rural Development Program. In 30 out of the 45 investigated LAGs (66%) cases of subordination of board members were revealed (usually mayors and officers subordinated to them indicated as representatives of the social sector). Sometimes mayors and their deputies submitted declarations of being the "representatives of the social sector." These phenomena were observable throughout the country and there was no statistically significant difference between various historical and cultural regions in the "hiding" of the public sector. The paper discusses the causes and consequences of the domination of the public sector in the decision-making bodies of LAGs.