Page 34 - Štremfel, Urška, and Maša Vidmar (eds.). 2018. Early School Leaving: Cooperation Perspectives. Ljubljana: Pedagoški inštitut.
P. 34
egration is hence defined as the management of cross-cutting issues in
policymaking that transcend the boundaries of established policy fields,
which often do not correspond to the institutional responsibilities, rules,
organisations and divisions of authority of individual departments (Meijers
& Stead, 2004, p. 1; Shannon & Schmidt, 2002, pp. 17-18). Integration is the
replacement of specific elements of existing policy ‘mixes’ or ‘regimes’ –
the goals, objectives and calibrations of existing policy tools and goals –
by a new policy mix, in the expectation of avoiding the counterproduc-
tive or sub-optimal policy outcomes that arise from treating interrelated
policy regimes and components in isolation from one another (Rayner &
Howlett, 2009a). It may also be understood as “a process in which autono-
mous actors interact through formal and informal negotiation, jointly cre-
ating rules and structures, governing their relationships and ways to act
or decide on the issues that brought them together; it is a process involv-
ing shared norms and mutually beneficial interactions” (Thomson & Perry,
2006). As seen from the above definitions, achieving a common goal and
problem-solving are recognised as the two most important motives for es-
tablishing cross-sectoral cooperation. Bryson et al. (2006, p. 44) therefore
define cross-sector collaboration as the linking or sharing of information,
resources, activities and capabilities by organisations in two or more sec-
tors to jointly achieve an outcome (goal) that cannot be achieved by organ-
isations in one sector separately.
The rationale for establishing cross-sectoral cooperation
Cross-sectoral partnerships are seen more and more as a solution to the
most pressing social problems facing contemporary society. As the com-
plexity of social problems grows, the need for collaboration between two
or more sectors within and across the traditional domains becomes more
urgent (Hood, Logsdon & Thompson, 1993; Tosun & Lang, 2013). In that
manner, a cross-sectoral partnership can be described as an interorganisa-
tional effort to address problems too complex and too protracted to be re-
solved by a unilateral organisational action (Gray & Wood, 1991, p. 4). An
important factor facilitating cooperation is thus, on the one hand, the ac-
tors’ recognition that contemporary social, economic and political condi-
tions (problems) affect them all and, on the other hand, that in an increas-
ingly pluralistic society, solutions to social problems must satisfy diverse
constituencies (Googins & Rochlin, 2000, p. 130).
34
policymaking that transcend the boundaries of established policy fields,
which often do not correspond to the institutional responsibilities, rules,
organisations and divisions of authority of individual departments (Meijers
& Stead, 2004, p. 1; Shannon & Schmidt, 2002, pp. 17-18). Integration is the
replacement of specific elements of existing policy ‘mixes’ or ‘regimes’ –
the goals, objectives and calibrations of existing policy tools and goals –
by a new policy mix, in the expectation of avoiding the counterproduc-
tive or sub-optimal policy outcomes that arise from treating interrelated
policy regimes and components in isolation from one another (Rayner &
Howlett, 2009a). It may also be understood as “a process in which autono-
mous actors interact through formal and informal negotiation, jointly cre-
ating rules and structures, governing their relationships and ways to act
or decide on the issues that brought them together; it is a process involv-
ing shared norms and mutually beneficial interactions” (Thomson & Perry,
2006). As seen from the above definitions, achieving a common goal and
problem-solving are recognised as the two most important motives for es-
tablishing cross-sectoral cooperation. Bryson et al. (2006, p. 44) therefore
define cross-sector collaboration as the linking or sharing of information,
resources, activities and capabilities by organisations in two or more sec-
tors to jointly achieve an outcome (goal) that cannot be achieved by organ-
isations in one sector separately.
The rationale for establishing cross-sectoral cooperation
Cross-sectoral partnerships are seen more and more as a solution to the
most pressing social problems facing contemporary society. As the com-
plexity of social problems grows, the need for collaboration between two
or more sectors within and across the traditional domains becomes more
urgent (Hood, Logsdon & Thompson, 1993; Tosun & Lang, 2013). In that
manner, a cross-sectoral partnership can be described as an interorganisa-
tional effort to address problems too complex and too protracted to be re-
solved by a unilateral organisational action (Gray & Wood, 1991, p. 4). An
important factor facilitating cooperation is thus, on the one hand, the ac-
tors’ recognition that contemporary social, economic and political condi-
tions (problems) affect them all and, on the other hand, that in an increas-
ingly pluralistic society, solutions to social problems must satisfy diverse
constituencies (Googins & Rochlin, 2000, p. 130).
34
