What has been lacking in most of this workcis an
examination of the transformation of governance
regimes. Evaluating network transformation is critical
for understanding whether networks are effective in
delivering services or what causes the changes in the governing system. In addition there remain questions
about the conceptual framework of network governance
which has hampered research progress in this field. For
instance, terms such as partnership, network, collaboration,
and cooperation involving public and private participants
have been used synonymously without precise
definitions and further fuelling confusion is the emergence
of diverse sets of non-governmental actors in various
stages of government decision making process. As
Lan and Rosenbloom (1992) state, new governance
models appear to be “more a clusters of ideas and symbols
than a rigorous and tested body of thought.” This
paper seeks to dispel some of these concerns by examining
theoretical aspects of network formations and the
sustainability of these governance forms.