In South Africa, the functioning of the different spheres of government is stipulated in the 1996 Constitution and consolidated through the notion of intergovernmental relations (IGR). More importantly, inter-governmental relations is aimed at promoting good and co-operative governance across national, provincial and local level government, including the smooth operations between and among existing public departments within the public sector. The purpose of the article is to examine the importance of operationalising inter-governmental relations more particularly in delivering services to poor and marginalised citizens. The challenges and prospects embedded within inter-governmental relations are interrogated by exploring the nature of the Community Development Worker Programme (CDWP) and the role played by community development workers employed by the National Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs and deploye