More and more often we’re faced with a dilemma – what can we do when the traditional approach to problem solving is no longer relevant - when big issues just don’t fit neatly into departmental remits?

The world we are living in is changing – and fast. The major challenges we are grappling with every day, such as rising levels of obesity, climate change and the economic recovery cannot be solved by a few individuals or even by one government department working alone - and what’s more the public wouldn’t expect them to be. They want services that work together and keep improving.

So, if the challenges are new, shouldn’t our approach to solving them be different too? Like all good organisations, the Civil Service is in a constant state of change and improvement. We have, and we will continue to adapt to the needs of the world around us. But, if those needs demand even more collaboration, perhaps it is time to explore whether new ways of allocating budgets – aligning our money more closely to cross-cutting objectives - could help us achieve our goals.

We’re not talking about additional money. What we’re talking about is removing barriers to cross-departmental and cross-agency working and using budgets to drive collaboration; cut duplication; target funding and resources more appropriately and ultimately achieve better results for everyone.

Cross-cutting budgets would not be a magic solution – but as public expectations continue to rise while finances are getting tighter - they could be an important tool to help make sure resources are in the right place at the right time. More than ever before, it is clear that the complex challenges ahead cannot be solved quickly, or by departments working in isolation – and that collaboration will need to be at the heart of our response.