The Infrastructure and Services department accommodates the widely divergent needs of all city inhabitants.

Johannesburg is characterised by different standards in terms of its services, with a well-developed and maintained service infrastructure in established areas but a comparatively poor quality service infrastructure - and even a complete absence of services - in informal settlements.

The department's functions are more comprehensive than those of the Contract Management Unit from which it originated. Its focus is three-fold, combining a compliance and monitoring mandate with the formulation of a service policy and the subsequent effective delivery of services to all inhabitants through a well-maintained infrastructure.