Rethinking the Delivery of Public Services to Citizens

This book examines recent innovations in service delivery in the federal/national governments of Canada, the United Kingdom, New Zealand, and Australia, and in some Canadian provincial governments. The analysis highlights three approaches to improving service delivery: structural change to separate policy and operational functions; implementation of quality management principles; and using performance-oriented measures, including performance targets, service standards, and client assessment. Case studies are included on service quality initiatives and on single-window delivery of public services, the latter often illustrating the benefits of implementing service approaches based on information technologies. The book ends with a section on varieties of service provision arrangements in which governments work in tandem with organizations (both commercial and non-profit) outside the public sector.