What is the different between Horizontal and Vertical Policy Making?

Vertical versus horizontal policy-making is a product of
the nature of the organization involved in the process. Horizontal policy-making exists
when departments or individuals within an organization of similar rank within the
organizational hierarchy work collaboratively towards a common outcome. It is a more
democratic process, in that many parties can be involved in formulating policy. It can
also involve a considerably more protracted policy-making process, as there might be a
requirement for a consensus to agree on the final decision. Getting all parties to the
process to agree can require many hours of arduous negotiations or discussions with the
final product representing, potentially, the optimal policy choice of none of the
affected parties. The inevitable consequence of a democratic process such as is involved
in horizontal policy-making is that the final decision reflects so many perspectives
that it constitutes a watered-down agreement. That, however, is the nature of a
democratic process in which no one party dictates policy to the
others.

In contrast to a horizontal policy-making process,
a vertical process is more of a "top-down" arrangement, in which policy is dictated from
above and compliance is expected at lower levels of the organizational hierarchy. A
vertical policy-making process may involve input or recommendations from the lower rungs
of the organizational ladder, and research and analysis provided by those lower rungs
may be instrumental in the upper level's decision-making process, but it is the upper
ranks that ultimately make the decision and dictate the terms of that decision down the
ladder. As such, vertical processes may be far less deliberative than horizontal ones,
but decisions or policies can be made much faster, as the head of the organization is
empowered to dictate policy. If speed is an issue, then a vertical policy-making
structure is far more efficient. If compromise is desired and/or required, than a
horizontal process may be more appropriate.