Page 30 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 30
overviews its interdisciplinary theoretical considerations and expos-
es the deficiencies in their theoretical, terminological and definition-
al consistency. Various rationalities for establishing cross-sectoral
cooperation to address ESL and in general are discussed, includ-
ing solving complex contemporary policy problems and achieving
shared cross-cutting goals. The clear gap between the promotion
of education’s cross-sectoral cooperation with other sectors in EU
policy documents and the serious challenges of putting it into prac-
tice is exposed. The national strategy and the national coordination
body are seen as important cross-sectoral measures for addressing
ESL, but their prescriptive top-down nature is called into question.
Namely, the literature review conducted in the article shows that
cross-sectoral cooperation is a developmental process that needs
long-term changes in organisational culture, building trust and the
acquisition of the right skills on all levels. A set of conceptual tools
making up the overarching conceptual framework is intended to ad-
equately support the process of cross-sectoral implementation. But,
even more importantly, its further development requires solid eval-
uations of the existing practices. Without them, cross-sectoral coop-
eration for dealing with ESL in the EU would remain an extensively
practised yet poorly understood phenomenon.
Key words: Cross-sectoral cooperation, system level, policy, chal-
lenges, EU, ESL
Introduction
Demands for better horizontal management between policy sectors are not
new. Stead and Meijers (2009, p. 318) cites the work of Finer who already in
1933 identified the need for authority capable of not merely planning all ac-
tivities for today, but of coordinating all relevant actors for a considerable
period into the future. Peters (1998, 295) observed that ever since governing
structures began to be broken up into departments and ministries, there
have been complaints that one organisation does not know what the other
is doing, and that their programmes are contradictory, redundant or both.
Pressman and Wildavsky (1984) noted that there is no more common sug-
gestion for reform than »what we need is more coordination«.
More recently, cross-sectoral collaboration is increasingly assumed to
be both necessary and desirable as a strategy for addressing many of glob-
al society’s most intractable problems (including ESL). Knowing how to
30
es the deficiencies in their theoretical, terminological and definition-
al consistency. Various rationalities for establishing cross-sectoral
cooperation to address ESL and in general are discussed, includ-
ing solving complex contemporary policy problems and achieving
shared cross-cutting goals. The clear gap between the promotion
of education’s cross-sectoral cooperation with other sectors in EU
policy documents and the serious challenges of putting it into prac-
tice is exposed. The national strategy and the national coordination
body are seen as important cross-sectoral measures for addressing
ESL, but their prescriptive top-down nature is called into question.
Namely, the literature review conducted in the article shows that
cross-sectoral cooperation is a developmental process that needs
long-term changes in organisational culture, building trust and the
acquisition of the right skills on all levels. A set of conceptual tools
making up the overarching conceptual framework is intended to ad-
equately support the process of cross-sectoral implementation. But,
even more importantly, its further development requires solid eval-
uations of the existing practices. Without them, cross-sectoral coop-
eration for dealing with ESL in the EU would remain an extensively
practised yet poorly understood phenomenon.
Key words: Cross-sectoral cooperation, system level, policy, chal-
lenges, EU, ESL
Introduction
Demands for better horizontal management between policy sectors are not
new. Stead and Meijers (2009, p. 318) cites the work of Finer who already in
1933 identified the need for authority capable of not merely planning all ac-
tivities for today, but of coordinating all relevant actors for a considerable
period into the future. Peters (1998, 295) observed that ever since governing
structures began to be broken up into departments and ministries, there
have been complaints that one organisation does not know what the other
is doing, and that their programmes are contradictory, redundant or both.
Pressman and Wildavsky (1984) noted that there is no more common sug-
gestion for reform than »what we need is more coordination«.
More recently, cross-sectoral collaboration is increasingly assumed to
be both necessary and desirable as a strategy for addressing many of glob-
al society’s most intractable problems (including ESL). Knowing how to
30
