at the local and, where appropriate, regional levels. This is because most residents will experience direct social interaction at the local level, including through their contacts with the authorities. Actors and roles 23. Implementing integration policies is a process requiring the active engagement of multiple stakeholders from the public and private sectors. Policy planning and documents should take the various actors and their respective responsibilities into account. Integration policies affect all sectors of society and thus require the engagement of a wide variety of actors: institutions at all levels, private actors and civil society in the broadest sense, including non-governmental organizations (hereinafter: “NGOs”), special-interest groups and academia. Obstacles to implementing policies and legislation, which can include social factors, insufficient political will, a lack of administrative capacity and inadequate funding, should be identified and addressed. Effective implementation normally begins with inclusive decision-making, as described in the previous section. In fact, a participatory, open and transparent process of elaboration normally ensures that those who are in charge of implementing policies and legislation are committed to the goals and well informed about the objectives. When developing integration policies, governments should pay due attention to guaranteeing participatory implementation, especially in key areas for inclusion such as healthcare, access to the labour market and housing, as well as the cultural sector. Procedures should be established that enable co-operation and shared responsibility by members of all relevant groups, including majorities and minorities. Effective dialogue with all stakeholders should be maintained at all stages of the processes. 32 Guidelines on Integration of Diverse Societies