Managing European Union Structural Funds: Using a Multilevel Governance Framework to Examine the Application of the Partnership Principle at the Project Level

Multilevel governance is utilized within the context of European Union Cohesion Policy on the relationship between partnerships at the programme and the project level in the Czech Republic. The main research question is: Does the partnership principle improve the implementation of public policies? The research builds on data from the monitoring system of European Structural Fund (ESF) assistance, a questionnaire survey and structured interviews with ESF beneficiaries. The case examined adds to the understanding of the wider debate on the effectiveness and management of European Union Cohesion Policy by highlighting the key components of partnership and adding value to overall performance.