Tool 5: Consistency and Coordination

This quick reference tool helps guide analysis on (re)integration policy consistency and coordination. Consistency refers to the degree of logical matching between different levels of social policy intervention. When consistency is ensured, contradictions and duplications can be avoided and synergies arise between the different policy components. Coordination is also the capacity of stakeholders and sectors to jointly carry out tasks aimed at achieving the same objective, in a coordinated manner, whilst promoting efficiency.

When should this tool be used?

This tool must be used during the public policy design phase. Supplements Tool 3: (Re) integration Frameworks and Tool 4: Stakeholder Analysis.

How should this tool be used?

This tool has a table of questions to guide public policy consistency analysis and a table of questions on the necessary elements for implementing coordination mechanisms. If the answer to any of the questions is ‘no’, it will be necessary to explore whether it could be changed. For a more in-depth analysis, see Chapter III: Mecanismos de coherencia y coordinación de las políticas sociales (Public policy consistency and coordination mechanisms) ECLAC (2021), Gestión e institucionalidad de las políticas sociales para la igualdad en América Latina y el Caribe (Social policy management and institutions for equality in Latin America and the Caribbean).

Consistency levels
External consistency	External consistency Is there consistency between the migrant (re)integration policy or programme and the country’s migration and human rights frameworks? Are migrant (re)integration policies aligned with the objectives and priorities established in national plans (short or long-term), sectoral or sub-sectoral plans?
Internal consistency	Coherencia Interna Are the (re)integration policy objectives in line with the definition of the problems they seek to solve? Do the instruments proposed in the (re)integration policies effectively aim at achieving the proposed objectives? Is there a logical connection and a causal coordination between the definition of the problem, the objectives, strategies, lines of action and instruments of the (re)integration policies and the solution or expected outcomes?
Policy consistency	Policy consistency Are the (re)integration policies of different subsectors (education, health, employment, housing, social protection, among others) consistent with each other in terms of objectives, instruments and target population? Are the (re)integration policies implemented at the sub-national level consistent with those implemented at the national level?

Elements to achieve the coordination of participating stakeholders and sectors

Have coordination mechanisms or strategies been established among the institutional stakeholders of (re)integration policies? For instance, working groups led by different government levels. See Section 4.1.3 Establishing coordination mechanisms in the 2020 IOM document Reintegration Handbook.

Do international and civil society organizations participate in government coordination mechanisms? See: Tool 4: Stakeholder Analysis

Does international cooperation support (re)integration policy implementation? See Section 4.2 Effective international cooperation in the 2020 IOM document Reintegration Handbook.

Have participation and coordination strategies with non-state actors been proposed? See Chapter IV. Coordinación con actores no estatales y participación ciudadana (Coordination with non-state actors and citizen participation) ECLAC (2021), Gestión e institucionalidad de las políticas sociales para la igualdad en América Latina y el Caribe (Social policy management and institutions for equality in Latin America and the Caribbean).

Are there standard operating procedures, joint instructions, or protocols for policy implementation? Do they involve non-state actors?

Tool 4: Stakeholder analysis

Tool 6: Overcoming Obstacles