Beleidveld

Beleidveld is a term used in Dutch public administration and political science to describe a specific area of public policy or a policy domain. It denotes the field in which government actors pursue objectives, choose instruments, allocate resources, and assess outcomes. The word is a compound of beleid (policy) and veld (field).

Beleidsvelden organize responsibilities across ministries, agencies, provinces, and municipalities. They guide the structure of policy documents, evaluation reports, and multi-year budgets. By defining boundaries, beleidsvelden facilitate coordination but can also create silos. In policy analysis, the concept helps to clarify the scope of interventions, accountability, and the allocation of resources.

Common beleidsvelden include economy and business, health and welfare, education, housing and spatial planning, environment and nature, safety and justice, and foreign and defense policy. Many policy challenges, however, are cross-cutting and affect multiple beleidsvelden simultaneously. Climate policy, digital governance, social inequality, and mobility often require cross-field coordination, leading to cross-cutting initiatives or interdepartmental committees.

In Dutch governance and comparable systems, beleidsvelden are used to structure budgetary processes, performance reporting, and policy evaluation. The concept supports organized governance and targeted reform, while also inviting consideration of integration and collaboration across fields to address complex societal issues.