Intercommittee

An intercommittee is a collaborative body formed by members from two or more standing committees within a legislative, governmental, or organizational setting to address issues that cross committee jurisdictions. Its purpose is to facilitate coordination, share information, reduce duplication of effort, and develop integrated policy recommendations that reflect a broader range of expertise.

Composition typically includes representatives from each participating committee, with equal or proportional seating. A chair is usually selected by agreement among the participating committees, and staff support is provided by clerks or policy staff from the involved committees.

Intercommittees can be temporary task forces created for a specific issue or standing bodies with ongoing roles. They arrange joint hearings, briefings, or roundtables, compile joint reports or policy briefs, and coordinate with executive or agency officials to gather information and shape policy alternatives.

Advantages of intercommittees include improved cross-cutting analysis, avoidance of duplicative work, and a more unified policy position across related issues. Challenges can include governance complexity, divergent priorities among committees, scheduling difficulties, and potential dilution of committee autonomy.

Examples of intercommittee mechanisms appear in some legislative systems, where cross-committee task forces or working groups address matters such as budget oversight, regulatory reform, or international affairs, as well as in international organizations and large corporations where cross-functional oversight bodies bring together expertise from multiple commissions or committees.