SharedServices as a concept has been gaining popularity in OrganizationalDesign exercises. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shared_services for more details of the concept.

It makes sense, particularly so in government settings. There should be generic demand for services that when shared, result in huge savings in operating costs, and increase in knowledge/capabilities of the organization setup to serving common needs (e.g. Payroll, IT).

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'''References'''

''Shared Services trickle down from Canada'' August06 column at http://www.governingbynetwork.com/Management/index.html written by a Harvard lecturer

''CapabilitiesManagement checklist for SharedServices'' at https://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/egov/documents/HR_LoB_Due_Diligence_Checklist_V1.pdf