Shared services occur when multiple governments or organizations collaborate to deliver services, sharing costs, responsibility, or delivery capacity. Provincial-municipal shared services might involve the province setting policy and providing funding while municipalities deliver programs. Intermunicipal shared services allow neighbouring communities to jointly operate facilities or services—sharing a recreation centre, fire department, or water system. Shared services can achieve economies of scale, improve service quality, and reduce costs for individual participants. Successful sharing requires clear agreements about governance, cost allocation, service standards, and dispute resolution. Shared services are increasingly common as municipalities seek efficiencies.