Intergovernmental Relations: Ensuring Informed Cooperation in Strategic Policy Development

Abstract

Policy Manager, Inter-Governmental Relations Unit, NSW Cabinet Office COAG was formed out of a concern by commonwealth, state a d territory governments to improve intergovernmental cooperation. In particular, COAG allowed leaders and central agencies to discuss and coordinate policy frameworks from a whole-of-government perspective. It also has increased the prospects of further reform to Australia's political system in the areas of financial arrangements, international treaties and constitutional refom.The views expressed are personal and do not necessarily reflect those of the NSW Cabinet Office.

Whole‐of‐government and joined‐up government: A systematic literature review

“…In the United Kingdom, a 1994 report presented to the Parliament by the UK Treasury was titled “Whole of Government Resource Account” (HM Treasury, 1994, p. 11); four years later, the same agency released another paper “Whole of Government Accounts” (HM Treasury, 1998). In Australia, in 1992, the Council of Australian Governments (COAG) was constituted to allow “leaders and central agencies to discuss and coordinate policy frameworks from a whole‐of‐government perspective” (Hendy, 1996, p. 111), and the record of the COAG mentions WG (COAG, 1992). At the sub‐national level, a review of WG activities was conducted in 1998 for the Premier's Department of New South Wales and was published with the official title “Whole of Government Strategy Project” (Premier's Department of New South Wales, 1998).…”