This thesis employs a multiple case study design to examine the challenges, benefits, and limitations associated with the contracting and procurement frameworks used by three Alberta ministries for the purchase of employment services, including services for people with disabilities. Each framework reflects a market emphasis to varying degrees, and one is seemingly at odds with a shared governance legacy and transformational vision. A literature review inventories a host of issues related to new public management era contracting and the more recent trend toward collaborative or horizontal governance. Semi-structured interviews were used to explore the impact of market mechanisms on inter-organizational dynamics and organizational mandate and autonomy, the use of performance contracting for services for disabled populations, and a governance framework that serves as a backdrop for contracting reforms. It is suggested that the market model begins to strain where services are designed for people with more complex needs and where the overarching goals are intended to bring about societal transformation. The province may be reaching the limits of where a market-inspired model can be expected to produce meaningful results.