The purpose of the paper is to identify factors driving effective inter-organizational collaboration, investigate the impact of these factors on efforts launched in public management and systematize them. To accomplish the aim of the paper, a systematic literature review and a hermeneutic process based on a focus group with scholars were used. The studies conducted enabled recognition of key publications analyzing drivers behind effective inter-organizational collaboration, to formulate the typology of these drivers as well as to divide them into those with strong, medium or weak influence on collaborative public management. It was stated that all drivers identified affect the effectiveness of inter-organizational collaboration in the public sector, though by varying degrees. These factors are mutually complementary, and thus bolstering or mitigating their effects on effective collaboration. They jointly determine the effectiveness of inter-organizational collaboration in public management.