Challenges Facing Multi-Agency in Delivering Public Services

A multi-agency is a cooperation between several organizations purposed to work together and achieve a combined goal especially in crime prevention, research as well as social welfare programs (Thompson 2012, p.190). Drawing on Mintzberg theory, multi-agency working is so difficult to accomplish in delivering public services. Mintzbergs concept is used in organizations to exercise proper management by using the managerial skills. According to Mintzberg, in any corporation, there must be a strategic apex which is the top of the organization and comprises of the CEOs as well as government agencies among others. This is a challenge faced by multi-agency in delivering public services since in partnership organizations identification of the strategic apex is a problem which causes difficulties in following the companys mission.

Below the apex is the middle line which comprises of managers concerned with translating the objectives of the strategic top to operational plans. In multi-agency, this is seen as a challenge due to lack of cooperation within the managers since each of them wants to delegate duties (Bovis 2010, p.14). As the middle line fails, it reflects failure to the identification of a competence technostructure. Technostructure is the people related to the best way of doing a task. Thus, with poor technostructure, it poses a threat to the functioning of the multi-agency in delivering public services. For instance, in healthcare, with an adverse technostructure, it will result in a constraint in providing services causing danger to the patients.

The other groups of people involve the support staff as well as the operating core. In every organization, it must comprise of the support staff, and working kernel whereby in multi-agency identifying the correct channel of these groups is a problem (Wills & Ellison 2007, p.547). This is because every organization in the multi-agency believes in the getting the best support staff as well as the operating core which results in a conflict posing a challenge in delivering public services. Therefore, considering the work of Mintzberg, it is difficult for multi-agency to achieve its working in providing public services.

References

Bovis, C. (2010). Editorial - Public Private Partnerships: The Challenges and Opportunities for Delivering Public Services in the 21st Century. European Procurement & Public Private Partnership Law Review, 5(1), p.14.

Thompson, K. (2012). Multi-agency information practices in children's services: the metaphorical jigsaw and professionals quest for a full picture. Child & Family Social Work, 18(2), pp.189-197.

Wills, J. and Ellison, G. (2007). Integrating services for public health: Challenges facing multidisciplinary partnership working. Public Health, 121(7), pp.546-548.