360 degrees of cross-sectorial cooperation

Aims of the tool

Provides theoretical framework of cross-sectorial cooperation and tools / methods that can be used to initiate or strengthen the cooperation.

Description of the tool

Public policies are successful when the decisions related to rights holders, and various social groups like young people, are made via a democratic process of discussion and the development of common proposals. Moreover, the decisions have to be taken at the level (for example, local, regional, national or international) where they are most efficient. Participation in decision-making and co-creation are the innovative trends in public management, which in the near future should become a daily practice.

Cross-sectorial cooperation is one of the practices that demonstrates how to consult rights holders in the decision-making process. The practices of cross-sectorial cooperation are well defined and developed in the youth policy and youth work fields. Youth policy and youth issues are important for a variety of agencies and public policy fields such as education, social security, labour, health care, and the economy. Therefore, the youth field practices are good examples of how to involve not only public sector but also rights holders (young people) and the business sector.

The European countries are committed to strengthening youth involvement in all areas of public life since they signed the “Revised European Charter on the Participation of Young People in Local and Regional Life”. This commitment not only
results in efficient youth policy and cooperation with youth organizations and youth, it is contributing to the sustainable and cohesive development of state and regional policies, and the development of core competencies for effective democracy and civic education. The European practice of Structured Dialogue is one of the best examples at European level showing how cross-sectorial cooperation should be implemented involving various stakeholders.

Cross-sectorial cooperation is one of the most crucial principles of youth policy and youth work implementation, however, actual implementation of this principle is not self-explanatory. So what does cross-sectorial cooperation mean: a complimentary cooperation, which includes representatives from different sectors such as government, government institutions (healthcare, education, environment,
culture, sports and etc.,), public, NGO, business and the media. The cooperation has the following characteristics: (1) activities are coordinated between partners; (2) aims are reached in a more efficient, coherent and systematic way, than one
institution would reach; (3) the cooperation is well defined and synergic between sectors or departments.

Youth work, youth information and counselling, and youth research, are areas using the cross-sectorial cooperation principles aiming to shape the political priorities and context.

The Cross-sectorial cooperation handbook is primarily dedicated to representatives of public bodies, institutions, and organisations, who shape and implement public policy aimed at youth, and who aim to improve the conditions for young people. Furthermore, youth representatives and youth workers will also
benefit from this guide as it will help plan joint programmes and activities more
effectively; understand the reasons why cooperation can be challenging and also find advice on how to overcome these challenges.

This guide will introduce the reader to the theory of cooperation, methods, new structures; it will also propose new forms of interaction and ideas for development of joint activities between institutions and organizations.