Shared Services
The reform of public services is high on the political agenda in every EU country and reflects the constant challenge for local and national governments in meeting local service needs at a time of severe financial restraints and declining public resources. With councils increasingly having to demonstrate ‘value-for-money’ and increased efficiencies, the concept of “shared services” has become an integral component in enhancing the operational working and delivery of services within the public sector – and of particular relevance to this report, local government reform on the island of Ireland. The work on shared services conducted by the ICLRD took place primarily under the auspices of the INTERREG funded Cross-Border Spatial Planning and Training Network (CroSPlaN: 2009-2012).
