Observations on Effective Accountability in Collaborative Working Arrangements

While some changes have been made to the public sector’s management, finance and accountability systems to enable collaborative working, public organisations continue to find effective collaboration challenging. Many of the things that are important for developing and sustaining effective collaboration are also elements of effective accountability, including understanding roles and responsibilities, being clear about goals and performance, and developing the right incentives for everyone to act in the best interests of the collaboration. Getting collaborative working right – and being collectively accountable for it – is increasingly important for achieving positive outcomes for all New Zealanders.