JOHN ALFORD is Professor of Public Sector Management at the University of Melbourne and at the Australia and New Zealand School of Government. JANINE O'FLYNN is Professor of Public Management at the University of Melbourne, Australia.

Introduction Mapping The Changing Shape of Public Service Delivery Benefits and Costs: What Government Organizations Seek From External Providers Motivations and Mechanisms: What External Providers Seek From Government Organizations Outsourcing and Contracting to Other Organizations Partnering and Collaboration with other organizations Calling on Volunteers Regulatees as Contributors to Social Outcomes Clients as Co-producers Managing in Multi-Party Networks of Providers A Contingency Framework for Decisions about Externalization Organizational Capabilities for Managing External Provision Conclusion