ABSTRACT
The Dutch central government, like many other western governments, has been experimenting with new organizational approaches to deal with complex public-policy problems. In this chapter we describe four recent attempts by the Dutch central government to cross functional boundaries in the public policy fields of education and employment. All four cases reflect a specific approach to crossing boundaries: by changing a ministry's organizational structure; by synchronizing several ministries' policy instruments; by using policy content as a driver to cross boundaries; and by harmonizing educational legislation. Although the four cases are different in nature and scope, they show that there are certain common enablers and barriers for working across boundaries. We conclude this chapter with lessons learned.
