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JOINED UP PUBLIC SERVICES

What is joined up working?

Joined up working is the governments response to a search for a more efficient way of delivering services. The United Kingdom is not alone in its drive for improved service delivery, nor is it alone in adopting a joined up approach. Public services across the world are facing the similar pressures from a more empowered and consumerist service user.

Joined up working is about improvement, about working differently across organisational and traditional boundaries to re –focus existing resources and free up new resources through synergy. It is about escaping from the deep rooted problems associated with the ‘silo’ mentality. Issues such as communication, duplication, co-ordination and a lack of awareness of the bigger picture.

Joined up working can take on a variety of forms, for example;

Partnership and Crosscutting working. This can be achieved by shared leadership, through pooled budgets, by merging structures and by developing joint teams.
Engaging with and involving the public. This might involve joint consultation activities, a shared focus on the customer not by service provision but by segmentation; it could also involve a shared customer interface.
Different ways of working with technology and people. This means changing and sharing culture and values, making information more accessible to both service providers and the customer.
Accountability and Incentives. This can be achieved through policy design, regulation/deregulation and through performance measures and shared outcomes.

Contents

Introduction
What is joined up working?
Why join up?
Government Strategy
Guidance
Checklist for successful Joined Up Working
General Links
International links

 

 

 

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Last Updated: January 2002