Getting Started on Vertical Integration: Linking national and sub-national adaptation planning processes

The document defines vertical integration as the creation of strategic linkages between national and sub-national actors to ensure climate adaptation is coordinated across all levels of government and society. It identifies institutional arrangements, information sharing, and capacity development as the three key enabling factors for this process. The brief emphasizes that while decentralization provides a strong foundation for vertical integration by applying the principle of subsidiarity, countries with less advanced decentralization must find alternative ways to engage local organizations and communities to ensure adaptation benefits reach the most vulnerable groups.

• Vertical integration is an iterative process applied across three dimensions of the National Adaptation Plan (NAP): planning, where the goal is mutually supportive dialogue; implementation, which focuses on providing sub-national actors with resources, capacity, and information; and monitoring and evaluation (M&E), which involves capturing local outcomes and using national learning to inform local action.
• Three primary factors enable the success of vertical integration within the NAP process: capacity development, information sharing, and institutional arrangements.
• Decentralization serves as a critical foundation for vertical integration by transferring responsibilities and resources to sub-national authorities based on the principle of subsidiarity, which argues that decision-making should occur as close to the citizen as possible. This is particularly relevant for managing localized climate risks like floods and droughts.
• Effective vertical integration requires a commitment from the NAP focal point or agency to an inclusive process that recognizes local diversity and the necessity of generating benefits for vulnerable groups and ecosystems.

APA

Dazé, A. (2017). Getting Started on Vertical Integration: Linking national and sub-national adaptation planning processes. NAP Global Network. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/napgn-en-2017-snapshot-getting-started-on-vertical-integration-linking-national-and-sub-national-adaptation-planning-processes.pdf

Chicago

Dazé, Angie. Getting Started on Vertical Integration: Linking national and sub-national adaptation planning processes. NAP Global Network, 2017. https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/napgn-en-2017-snapshot-getting-started-on-vertical-integration-linking-national-and-sub-national-adaptation-planning-processes.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dazé |first1=Angie |title=Getting Started on Vertical Integration: Linking national and sub-national adaptation planning processes |publisher=NAP Global Network |date=February 2017 |url=https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/napgn-en-2017-snapshot-getting-started-on-vertical-integration-linking-national-and-sub-national-adaptation-planning-processes.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{daz2017getting, author = {Dazé, Angie}, title = {{Getting Started on Vertical Integration: Linking national and sub-national adaptation planning processes}}, institution = {NAP Global Network}, year = {2017}, month = feb, url = {https://napglobalnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/napgn-en-2017-snapshot-getting-started-on-vertical-integration-linking-national-and-sub-national-adaptation-planning-processes.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }