Abstract
The concept of joined up government has been interpreted mainly in terms of the need for horizontal integration between services which traditionally have been delivered through stand-alone departments, specialist professions, and ‘silo’ organizational structures. Two parallel concepts within the Government's modernization programme, namely ‘citizen-centred governance’ and ‘community leadership’, imply the need also for vertical integration between different levels of governance. This article explores multi-level governance in terms of the complex inter-relationships between UK central government, local government, and civil society, drawing on an evaluation of the Cabinet Office-led programme of Better Government for Older People (BGOP). New structures, on their own, are inadequate without the necessary changes in the inter-connections and inter-relationships. A number of suggestions are made on how the Government might bring about the type of cultural changes required to make multi-level networked governance a reality.