ABSTRACT
‘Joined-up government’ (JUG) has been part of a wider narrative emerging in western countries since late last century. It is a broad umbrella term that emphasises a more integrated and coordinated approach to public service delivery by governments. Reforms have emerged in many governments to facilitate the implementation of JUG or ‘whole-of-government’ approaches. These reforms have generally been directed at combating persistent and complex social issues such as social exclusion, domestic violence, alcohol and drug abuse and crime prevention. Latterly, JUG initiatives have been implemented to take advantage of opportunities presented by digital transformation and the internet to create more accessible and personalised public services. In contrast to the New Public Management (NPM) reforms of the 1980s and early 1990s, which emphasised increased vertical and horizontal specialisation, JUG emphasises a strong central core of government. This central core employs both top-down and bottom-up approaches, and develops supportive architectures to promote horizontal coordination across government as well as local mechanisms. This chapter provides some historical context to the evolution of JUG both as narrative and concept. It does this by exploring the Australian and New Zealand (NZ) experience of this phenomenon via, an albeit brief, examination of the policy frameworks established in these two countries since the 1970s that have aimed to increase the opportunity for JUG.
