Parkin, AndrewHealy, Judith2026-01-022026-01-020313-6647https://hdl.handle.net/1885/733802830Coordination is one of the perennial concerns of public administration, and has been a particular problem of State-level policy-making in Australia. This paper describes a policy initiative under the Dunstan government in South Australia which was necessarily an exercise in State administrative coordination. The story illustrates the complexity of a multi-Departmental program aimed at producing an innovative, flexible and decentralized policy. While it shows the awkwardness of conventional administrative and policy-making procedures in such a situation, it also provides examples of constructive cooperation among and readjustment within departments. The general policy “parameters” inspired by the Dunstan government are regarded as a significant influence on the outcome of the program.en198210.1111/j.1467-8500.1982.tb00921.x84977288165