Multiteam systems in the public sector

Throughout government organizations, and the public sector more broadly, there are numerous examples of multiteam systems (MTSs). These systems of teamsor a reasonable facsimile thereofexist in numerous organizations, often in the 'middle management' layers where coordination between multiple agencies and organizations is a critical point of failure. Here we attempt to provide an array of examples of governmental and public sector multiteam systems operating in a variety of contextsspecifically, railway management in the Netherlands, public safety in Canada for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and security force assistance and stabilization operations from a U.S. military perspective. Through these descriptions, we hope to provide a sense of the richness and complexity of multiteam systems as they exist in the public sector as well as some of the particular challenges faced in these types of organizations. Following the general structure and key facets of multiteam systems described elsewhere in this volume, we have structured these descriptions in terms of component teams, tasks, goals, nature of interdependence, and other relevant team and multiteam attributes. The description of the component teams within the system addresses the nature of each team and its sourcing organization, the functions to be performed, and temporal aspects of the team. The tasks and goals include those of the multiteam system as a whole (e.g., maintain public safety and security at the Winter Olympics), those of the individual component teams, as well as the relevant goals of the sourcing organizations which may often conflict with those of the multiteam system in important ways. The nature of interdependence is addressed in terms of shared resources, common environmental conditions, interteam and intrasystem interaction requirements, and outcome interdependencies.