Short-term considerations and vested interests can result in action that is potentially counterproductive. The prospects of success are greater when the timeframe for one policy aligns with activities in another policy. In theory, time scales are relatively easy to co-ordinate. For instance, regulatory and budget cycles can be synchronised over time (e.g. multi-annual budgeting) so that decisions that require coherence can be taken independently of political calendars and agendas, which vary from one ministry to another. In addition, strategic planning is more difficult to design if policies, legislation and institutions on the water environment are questioned from one government to another.