Collaboration of public sector agencies: reporting and accountability challenges

There is increasing pressure being placed on government agencies both in Australia and internationally to act in a more collaborative, integrated manner. Community and welfare programs are being conducted in new “shared” or “whole‐of‐government” ways, which pose a challenge to traditional models of public sector reporting. Existing accountability mechanisms are designed for vertical accountability relationships, and these are inadequate for horizontal or “networked” accountability across government agencies. This paper uses the case of the Community Renewal Program based in the Queensland state government department to illustrate the problems which arise when reporting on “shared” programs. The paper offers a different approach to improve reporting and accountability for shared programs.