Conceptual and Practical Considerations in Alternative Service Delivery

Abstract

Alternative service delivery (ASD) is a Canadian phenomenon that spread, surfaced important issues and made a wider impact. ASD refers to the many and varied organizational forms and delivery mechanisms governments use to achieve their objectives. It is anchored in a spectrum of options that mirrors the diversity of the nation, its governments and its public institutions. Innovations sustain the capacity to serve the public interest and to leverage efficiency, accountability and renewal. They embrace a strategy of collaboration across sectors and boundaries to overcome impediments to change and to transform service delivery. Countless spin-offs cascade throughout the Canadian public sector. Many governments benchmark the international scene and adapt innovations to their settings. Respect for situation and reciprocal learning facilitate the transfer of good practice. Lessons learned from ASD experiences across Canada and in countries like Tanzania, Latvia and New Zealand improve the prospects of `getting service delivery right'.