The Horizontal Challenge: Line Departments, Central Agencies and Leadership

The Horizontal Challenge: Line Departments, Central Agencies and Leadership

For the fall issue of 2004, we would like to feature a book by Herman Bakvis and Luc Juillet, published in 2004 by the Canada School of Public Service.

The authors examine the factors driving the call for managers to be more horizontally aware, the costs and benefits of maintaining vertical accountability when working horizontally, and the perceptions of the players responsible for advancing horizontal initiatives in both line departments and central agencies. They present four case studies: The Innovation Strategy, The Urban Aboriginal Strategy, The Climate Change Issue, and The Vancouver Agreement.

The table of contents of the book is presented below.

Table of Contents

• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• Scope
• Horizontality: A New Reality?
• The "What" of Horizontal Management
• The "Why" and "When" of Horizontal Management
• The "How" of Horizontal Management
• Case Studies of Horizontal Initiatives
• The Areas of Study
• Catalysts and Champions
• Costs and Benefits
• Tools and Resources
• The Role of Central Agencies
• Accountability
• Case 1: The Innovation Strategy
• Case 2: The Urban Aboriginal Strategy
• Case 3: The Climate Change Secretariat
• Case 4: The Vancouver Agreement
• Analysis: Up to the Task?
• Catalysts and Champions
• Costs and Benefits
• Tools and Resources
• The Role of Central Agencies
• Central Agencies as Catalysts of Horizontal Initiatives
• The Centre's Capacity to Coordinate
• Accountability
• Lessons and Recommendations
• Lessons
• General
• Central Agencies
• Recommendations
• Central Agencies
• Line Departments
• Overall
• Conclusion
• Bibliography
• Appendix l: Methodology
• Appendix 2: Practical Resources for Working Horizontally