While some municipalities have extensive and positive experience in working with NGOs, others do not, and the two sectors have often failed to produce collaborative arrangements. The cities of Ahmedabad and Kolkata (Calcutta) in India provide a useful comparison. In Ahmedabad there is an established NGO sector able and willing to work with the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC) - the AMC recognises the important role played by NGOs in the town and promotes it. In Kolkata, the idea that working collaborations might be developed between NGOs and local government is ambitious: the two have acted independently and maintained mistrust for decades. While political factors have affected this relationship, a lack of skills and organisational capacity has also led to blockages between local government and NGOs.
Broader partnership initiatives that include the civic sectors require a fundamental understanding of all the actors who represent community interests. Even if this understanding is established, organisational factors will also influence the relationship. NGOs need to be treated as equal partners, and they must be given the same access to municipal managers as the private sector. These managers must know about the opportunities and constraints of the NGO sector, must be able to communicate with it effectively and identify potential roles for it within the partnership.