ABSTRACT

Ideational influences vary widely at different levels and in different policy areas—they gain traction and popularity at particular times—through narratives, stories and policy paradigms. The clear message for policy makers and practitioners is to ensure that collaboration is the most appropriate response to the particular policy problems and issues being addressed. Policy makers and practitioners engaged in collaborative working ignore resource issues at their peril. Craftmanship can often require people to stretch outside of formal structures or boundaries in order to facilitate joined-up working. The sites of cross-boundary practice—collaborations, integrated arrangements, strategic alliances or more modest forms of cooperative working—involve people, groups, organisations coming together to achieve some form of collective purpose. The boundaries are vertical, horizontal, stakeholder, demographic and geographic, and the leadership practices are buffering, reflecting, connecting, mobilising, weaving and transforming. Evidence over many years suggests that professional boundaries constitute a major hurdle to negotiate and overcome in the search for common purpose and practice.