In this respect, there are indeed practical problems associated with Early Childhood Development programming. Systems are not always in place to keep an integrated cross-sectoral. Loral programme running. As a result. governments' responsibilities to children, families and communities frequently slip behind the lines that divide sectoral ministries and department. The responsibility for Early Childhood Development encompasses many sectors and. therefore, the actual delivery of Early Childhood Development services and programmes becomes the responsibility of no one. It is thus vital to attend to institutional aspects of Early Childhood Development to ensure that convergence becomes a reality. Experiences with decentralization demonstrate that i t is an effective strategy to enable and support local service providers to work together as an alternative to programmes reliant on entrenched bureaucracies in national capitals. Local actors are more likely to know and trust eachother and to work well in partnerships. Frequently, however, they lack the authority and the initiative to do so effectively.