Building policy synergies: A case of community resilience, climate change and community empowerment policies in Scotland

To tackle complex societal challenges, such as climate change and social justice, there is a need to understand how to work with existing policy interconnections to build policy synergies across policy domains. Policy synergy is understood from a process-perspective as combined effects of interactions between different policy elements that shape outcomes and impact that could not otherwise be achieved from policy working in isolation. This shifts the focus beyond a complementary approach to synergy (e.g. alignment) to also encompass an embedded approach (interaction and co-construction shaped by policy practice). Drawing on interviews with senior government actors and formal policy documents across three policy areas (community resilience, climate change and community empowerment) in Scotland, three broad entry points identified in this study for building policy synergies are: 1) building on existing policy architecture supporting integrated approaches; 2) capitalising on decision-making and collective action spaces; and 3) strengthening integrative capacity of policy actors. Each entry point involves opportunities that relate to existing interconnections across policy domains (e.g. shared ideas and frameworks, social relationships and a focus on skills development) and potential challenges that relate to less tangible normative dimensions of policy (e.g. assumptions and expectations) that could hinder how policy actors come together to build synergies and what emerges. These findings can inform strategies to help enhance and more centrally embed synergistic practice and outcomes within policy for engaging with complex sustainability challenges within and through policy.