The LIFE SMART Waste project recently published a new report “Barriers to Joint Working: Issues affecting joint working in tackling waste crime”. Waste crime is an issue that affects environmental authorities, law enforcement and industry alike, at a national and international level. Tackling waste crime, therefore, cannot be done effectively in isolation. Partnerships and joint intervention strategies are essential to approaching this issue and achieving a common goal of reducing criminality and environmental harm in the waste sector. In order to achieve meaningful and effective partnerships, it is necessary to overcome the common barriers that have a detrimental effect on such collaborations. Identifying these barriers, between partner types and at national and international levels, is the first stage in overcoming them and is the aim of this report.
 
The findings of this report categories these issues into various themes: People - which explores knowledge, behaviour and skills; Structures – which considers issues with group structures; Processes; Resources – which identifies a number of issues including money, time, staff and information; and finally External Influences – which explores issues with cultural differences, political and organisational priorities. Of the various barriers that emerged, the three most significant common ones were: data exchange and sharing of intelligence; lack of knowledge/understanding of the roles, powers and responsibilities of partner organisations; and organisational priorities and their fluidity.

On the basis of this report, further work will be carried out to identify and implement the best methods of overcoming the issues that affect successful partnerships for tackling waste crime.

The report is available online.

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