Clarity of roles and responsibilities in interagency information sharing (IIS) projects: determinants and impact on success

摘要

Interagency information sharing (IIS) is a complex endeavour in which various participants must cross the boundaries of their respective agencies and work collaboratively. Achieving success in such an undertaking can benefit from clarity of roles and responsibilities within the collaboration. Based on a national survey distributed to public managers and other actors involved in IIS in public health and criminal justice in the USA, this study aims to evaluate the influence of six determinants of clarity of roles and responsibilities on the success of an IIS project. Our findings indicate the significant roles of (a) the use of boundary objects, (b) communication skills, (c) the diversity of participating organisations, (d) respect for autonomy, and (e) the exercise of formal authority to the development of clarity of roles and responsibilities and the likelihood of attaining IIS project success. However, the influence of these predictors on the achievement of success depends largely on how success is defined and measured.