It must achieve excellence across the board. People should no longer be forced along narrow, tortuous routes created by the division of responsibilities between departments, agencies, local authorities and other public bodies. People do not expect to have to understand how government is organised, which department or agency does what, or whether a function is carried out by central or local government. They don't care about that. They are right not to.
People increasingly expect to be able to deal with government on their own terms.
To deal with Whitehall or the Town Hall as conveniently as they deal with the bank, their retailers, or the travel agent. Given the far greater complexity and breadth of public services this is an enormous challenge. If the public sector is willing to embrace new ways of thinking, new ways of doing business, new alliances and new technology it can begin to offer people the services they want, when they want them, and with a minimum of bureaucracy. New technology can support the new ways of working and the new information flows needed to cut through traditional boundaries. It will be essential, for example, in meeting our commitment to deliver public services 24 hours a day, seven days a week, where there is a demand.