Interagências

Interagências, or interagency collaboration, is a process by which two or more government agencies or organizational units coordinate their activities to address shared objectives. It is used across public administration, law enforcement, health, environment, disaster management, and social services to handle problems that cross jurisdictional boundaries.

The aim is to improve efficiency, reduce duplication, and ensure a comprehensive response. Core principles include clear governance, defined roles and responsibilities, shared objectives, legal or administrative basis for cooperation, and respect for data protection and privacy.

Mechanisms include joint task forces or working groups, formal agreements such as memoranda of understanding, interoperable information systems, standardized procedures and protocols, joint training, and after-action reviews.

Applications span public safety for crime control and border operations; health for surveillance and outbreak response; environmental management; disaster response and reconstruction; and transportation and regulatory enforcement.

Challenges include differences in organizational culture and procedures, legal and jurisdictional boundaries, data sharing and privacy concerns, resource imbalances, and accountability. Success depends on formalized governance, leadership, and sustained funding.

History and variants show that interagency collaboration is a common feature of modern governance; many governments have created interagency networks, task forces, and MOUs to coordinate across ministries and levels of government.