Design observations for interagency collaboration

•We take a sociotechnical perspective on interagency system design.•We analyze interview data from 80 public safety networks.•We include 6 in-depth cases of criminal justice and emergency response collaboration.•We present 14 design observations for public sector inter-organizational systems.•We highlight organizational and technological insights for each design observation.

We present 14 design observations for public safety networks (PSNs) and describe how they may apply more broadly to a wider range of inter-organizational systems within the public sector. A PSN is an interagency collaboration focused on developing and using information systems in support of information sharing and functional interoperability among public safety organizations engaged in law enforcement, criminal justice, and emergency response. We base our design observations upon an analysis of an extensive survey of 80 PSNs plus 6 in-depth case studies. The design observations identify commonalities that can guide agencies participating in interagency collaborations in addressing the interlocking issues they face. Our goal in presenting this set of design observations is to: (1) encourage improved PSN systems design and (2) draw attention to the importance of jointly addressing governance and technological considerations when designing PSNs.