Multi-Level Issues in Intersectoral Governance of Public Action: Insights from the Field of Early Childhood in Montreal (Canada)

Abstract

Putting societal issues on the agenda of public action calls for advanced forms of collaboration between sectors and levels of governance. However, action systems have multiple silos, both horizontal and vertical, that impede collaboration. Therefore, clarifying the challenges of intersectoral and multi-level governance becomes highly relevant. Based on the three-I approach, a study of early childhood programs in Montreal highlights these issues. The study identifies various sectoral mechanisms and rules at the provincial level that hinder innovation in regional and local intersectoral action systems. Compartmentalized accountability by program appears to be the most constraining rule in favour of the status quo. The study illustrates how the local level can be both the place for reproducing sectorization and the ideal place for intersectoral coordination. JEL Codes: I18