Integrated working in the public sector to achieve greater efficiencies and effectiveness in policy implementation is now a clear political objective. In practice integration of policy and institutional action requires vertical and horizontal synergies to realise its full potential. The question then arises as to how to secure these ambitions. Drawing on the experience of community planning in Scotland the paper explores the case for adopting a more formal and contractualised approach to integrated working based on devising operational agreements within the public sector.
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