Change seems to come upon us faster, is more complex in its nature, and is a great deal more uncertain in its effects. Within this constant of change, the demands of government continue to grow, even as appetites for major, longer term investments lessen, especially when returns are unclear or unpredictable. With increased demand for services, constrained budgets, and growing deficits, governments are feeling the pressure to do more and better sooner, with less. Complicating matters, President Obama is demanding transparency and accountability across government functions.

Using food safety as a case study, the authors discuss new approaches to public-private partnerships. This use of new approaches to public-private partnerships is applicable to all government organizations, not just food safety agencies. New approaches to public-private partnerships include the following: