ABSTRACT
Working across boundaries has been argued to be necessary for the effective resolution of wicked problems: intractable problems that are complex and multifaceted. Recognition of the cross-cutting nature of such problems led to the trend toward joined-up working in countries such as Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. The effective enactment of joined-up working requires the ability of public servants to work across boundaries; thus a critical competency is boundary-spanning. This chapter discusses the boundary-spanning roles undertaken by inter-organizational groups in the Australian Public Service (APS) to address Indigenous disadvantage. In doing so, it draws on a case study incorporating two integrated service delivery sites that comprised officials from multiple APS organizations who worked across organizational, jurisdictional, and sectoral boundaries on a daily basis.
