Given the diversity of players involved in delivering government services, the development of effective IT systems may require new coalitions of partners at all levels of government and between government and the private and nonprofit sectors. The complexity of the resulting organizational and technological relationships is daunting. Different public agencies operate under different, sometimes conflicting, authorizing statutes and appropriate funds through separate, but related processes. Federal, state, and local levels carry out different, but overlapping, constitutional purposes. There are considerable legal, economic, and ethical issues associated with private companies engaged in public programs. The technology architecture and infrastructure associated with networks of interdependent, but separate, organizations is not subject to the same planning, support, or financing methods that characterize more traditional organizational forms. Answers to these and other questions related to integration of functions and technologies are critically needed.

• What are the conceptual and practical dimensions of "virtual agencies?"
• What are the characteristics of effective service delivery networks made up of multiple public organizations or mixtures of public and private organizations?
• How can public agencies leverage private sector innovations to improve services to the public?
• What are the limitations of private sector involvement in the delivery of public services?