Coordinating government silos: challenges and opportunities

The literature on silos in government often focuses their failure to engage effectively horizontal coordination. While this is true, silos-dominant administrative systems may still find ways overcome or prevent incoherence government. problem not so much with the structure of but lack effective coordination mechanisms between them. Therefore, it important identify what enable work successfully each other and under conditions, that there will be no need pursue a total breakdown silos, which can politically administratively costly. Using Hong Kong examples, we distinguish three different types examine effects silos: informal semi-formal where elites professionals use quid pro quos problems; formal political expectations, directions monitoring mitigate remedial policy-making addressed. case reveals changes made by strengthening existing coordinating extending them implementation level system. Radical reforms improve they run risk instability service disruption.