But joining up is not just about shared approaches to cross-cutting issues. Common reasons for not joining up include incompatible IT systems, differences The overall timescale for development and implementation varies depending on a

3 Joined­up governmentcross­cutting issues

3.10 The need to achieve cross-cutting outcomes presents a major challenge to

policy-makers. Actions of one Northern Ireland department can have a major impact on others. Policy-makers from related policy areas in different departments should keep each other informed and consulted, both formally and informally, about developments of common interest from an early stage, in order to help promote joined-up outcomes for the citizen. Policy-making must be built around shared goals, not around organisational structures or existing functions. This is most likely to be achieved, as recommended in the Review of the NI Civil Service Response to Devolution, by a project approach to promoting joined up policy-making and implementation, with the following characteristics: • involve key departments; • specific terms of reference linked to outcomes; • responsible for the development of policy and implementation; • rigorous implementation dates and a fixed shelf life; • senior responsible owner; • project planning, monitoring and control methods; • ring fenced funding where possible; • clearly identified responsibilities for all staff involved; • only meeting as a group when absolutely necessary and using alternative communication methods; and • regular review of performance.

3.11 But joining up is not just about shared approaches to cross-cutting issues.

Horizontal joining up between organisations needs to be supplemented by better co-ordination among policy staff within departments and by better vertical joining up with service deliverers and those who implement policy. It is not an end in itself but should be undertaken where it adds value. 16

3.12 Common reasons for not joining up include incompatible IT systems, differences

of culture and organisational structure and lack of time. All of these are real barriers to successful joining up that require sustained effort to overcome. The timescale for policy­making

3.13 The overall timescale for development and implementation varies depending on a

range of factors, including the urgency or political priority of the issue, whether legislation is required and the methodology adopted. The diagram at Annex B shows the key stages which need to be completed in a typical policy review and, where possible, gives an indication of required timescales. However, it is important to note that every policy development exercise is likely to have its own distinctive characteristics. For example, in some cases, policy development may have to be taken forward urgently and stages of the process which would normally take weeks have to be taken forward in days usually involving redeployment of staff, or omitted. The timescales set out at Annex B are intended to be typical of planned policy development. It should be noted that the policy development process is considerably longer when legislation is required: the passage of legislation can add up to a further 18 months to the overall process from when the policy is established, although with careful planning and consultation arrangements this can be substantially reduced.

3.14 In general, the principle should also apply that the effort put into the policy-