Third Sector Organizations in Québec and the New Public Action in Community Development

This article presents the context for and particular relations between the state and third-sector organizations in the province of Quebec. A typology inspired by Coston and developed by Proulx, Bourque, and Savard is used to describe interactions between these actors. The article documents how an agreement that the private Fondation Lucie et Andre Chagnon signed with the Government of Quebec had an impact on community organizations that respond to the social needs of vulnerable groups. A major repercussion has been the relegation of third-sector organizations to a model between subcontracting and coproductive. This is notable, as the sector had managed to establish itself as a central actor during the previous twenty years, particularly in health and social services, participating in the co-construction of public policies. RESUME Cet article aborde la question des relations entre les organismes communautaires et l’Etat au Quebec en mettant l’accent sur le contexte particulier et les dimensions qui les distinguent dans cette province. Une typologie adaptee de Coston par Proulx, Bourque et Savard est utilisee pour encadrer cette reflexion. Nous discutons de l’impact de l’arrivee de la Fondation Lucie et Andre Chagnon (FLAC) sur le role des organismes communautaires apres la signature d’une entente entre la FLAC et l’Etat quebecois. Nous observons qu’une des consequences de cette entente a ete de confiner les organismes communautaires a un role allant de la sous-traitance a la coproduction alors que, depuis vingt ans, ces organismes avaient reussi a s’etablir comme partenaires centraux en contribuant, en co-construction avec l’Etat, a l’elaboration de politiques publiques.