A dynamic theory of collaboration: a structural approach to facilitating intergovernmental use of information technology

This paper explores the dynamics of trust, collaboration, and knowledge sharing in the context of a multi-governmental, interorganizational project to design and implement a new information system. Drawing on research and a case study of a successful project, the authors construct a system dynamics model and simulate a base case scenario. They then explore several scenarios in which trust, knowledge of other agencies´ work, and skill in meeting facilitation are varied, and they theorize about why certain facilitation attributes and objects can effectively build cross-boundary trust and collaboration.