The vertical dimension of a joined-up administration : A report on horizontal collaboration and performance management

This report is primarily addressed to leaders and decision-makers within Sweden’s public administration. It has been commissioned by the Swedish Agency for Public Management and forms part of a government commission (N2006/1661/RUT). It focuses on the intersection between horizontal collaboration and performance management. The major activity surrounding horizontal collaboration at the beginning of the 21st century was described as a countermovement to the accentuation of the vertical dimension which an increased level of interest in Performance Management (PM) has entailed for both Swedish and overseas administrations. In Sweden’s fragmented administration, there is an increasing need to reflect upon the relationship between governance and collaboration across organizational boundaries. The contribution made by this report is a platform for discussion based on a review of international research literature and interviews with leading researchers and practitioners in a number of different countries. The countries visited and studied were Australia, the UK, Finland, the Netherlands, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA