Centres of Government (CoGs) are taking a more active role in aligning multi-department workplans to government actions. This trend is driven by the rise of multidimensional issues (e.g. environmental sustainability, competitiveness, inequality, trust) which require whole of government responses, and by growing demands from people for better results in service delivery and better co-ordination in policy formulation and implementation (i.e. minimise duplication and contradiction). This more active role for the centre of government throughout the policy cycle suggests the need for adequate co-ordination and monitoring tools.
Ten out of 12 LAC countries with available information reported that the number of cross-ministerial initiatives has increased over the past years, in line with trends in OECD countries where the CoG is taking on more direct leadership over substantive policy and reform areas (OECD, 2018). Colombia is the only LAC country that reported that the number of such initiatives decreased while in Brazil they have remained stable. In LAC countries, the CoG plays primarily a role to facilitate and support coordination while in OECD countries the CoG often plays a leadership role. In turn, it is more common in OECD countries than in LAC countries that the CoG to participate in discussions about the substance or content of the policy issues at stake.
The most common instruments used by the CoG in LAC countries to promote coordination are the establishment of task forces (12 out of 14 countries) and ad hoc meetings of senior officials (11 out of 14 countries). In Chile, coordination takes place exclusively at regular cabinet meetings and ad hoc cabinet discussions. Regular Cabinet meetings are the main coordination channel in OECD countries with available information (29 out of 33), but less common in LAC (8 out of 14 countries). A similar proportion of LAC and OECD countries (about a quarter) indicated that the CoG uses performance management systems to promote co-ordination across government (co-ordination is set as an objective and staff are evaluated on it).
The degree of influence of CoGs have over line ministries to promote coordination is heterogeneous across LAC countries. Nine out of the 14 surveyed countries reported a high influence; which implies that the CoG can impose sanctions. Four countries reported moderate levels of influence. In Peru while the CoG can trigger cooperation, it is less successful in ensuring that it is maintained over time in cross governmental projects. The trend is somewhat different in OECD countries where about three quarters of countries consider they only have “moderate” influence, indicating that while the “proximity to power” authority of the centre, is important, it may not be sufficient to exert influence over other parts of the administration (OECD, 2018)
The Bahamas is the only country that, at the time of the survey, reported that the CoG has no influence over other government entities to coordinate policies meaning that it can only express its views. However, this is expected to change as a delivery unit was established in the Prime Ministers’ office to coordinate policies in eight key priority areas (e.g. education, safety and security, infrastructure, modernisation, etc.).
