markdownabstractPublic authorities are exploring new ways to collaborate with non-governmental – public and private – actors. Recently, authorities increasingly seem to opt to facilitate the initiatives of these actors. Not much is yet known about what facilitating authorities actually do, what their struggles and successes are, and with what effects they facilitate non-governmental initiatives. This research aims to answer the question: Why, how, and with what effects do governments facilitate the actions of non-governmental actors to create public value? This question is answered by conducting five in-depth studies of cases in which Dutch water authorities facilitate, or aim to facilitate, non-governmental initiatives. The initiatives are taken by private actors and by an NGO.

The difficulties and dilemmas that facilitating authorities face are analysed, just as the way they can deal with these. Different forms of government facilitation are distinguished. Furthermore, the dynamics of governme