ABSTRACT
The preceding chapters in this book paint a picture rich in the variety of activities that have been undertaken globally, in support of delivering a vision of public services which are in some way qualitatively different from those that have gone before. Underpinning all of the contributions there emerges a focus upon the imperative for public services to respond to the economic and social implications of the information society and knowledge economy. Essential to successfully achieving this, would appear to be the requirement to maximise the potential for integration across the many layers and tiers of existing models of service delivery. Indeed, whether discussing people or technology, it is clear that all contributors perceive the integration dynamic as being the area where both the greatest potential for, and the greatest resistance to, the achievement of change, chiefly resides. If this diagnosis is correct, then fundamentally, the public service challenge of the early twentyfirst century, is to work towards the achievement of services which are seamless from the perspective of the end-user. For this to be achieved, the complexities and legacies of silo-based operation, must be nullified by the emergence of new public service priorities and with them, new organisational cultures and attitudes.
