The skills and behaviours underpinning interoperability within the JESIP Joint Doctrine

In 2012, the Joint Emergency Services Interoperability Programme (JESIP) was established to set a national standard for joint working across emergency services. The JESIP Joint Doctrine is the programme's central policy document, setting out the principles and expectations for effective multi-agency working. However, research has identified a gap between these principles and their application in practice. This study sought to identify the skills and behaviours underpinning interoperability within the JESIP Joint Doctrine and consider how its content might be refined to better support multi-agency working. A qualitative document analysis of the Joint Doctrine (Version 3.1) was conducted using Braun and Clarke's six-phase approach to thematic analysis. Three overarching themes were identified: (1) Core Processes Underpinning Interoperability; (2) Key Activities Across the Incident Lifecycle; and (3) Organisational Structures Shaping the Response. Drawing on these findings, six recommendations were formulated for potential revisions to the doctrine to better support multi-agency operations. These include giving greater prominence to communication and decision-making, clarifying the incident lifecycle, recognising the psychological challenges associated with implementing the doctrine, and strengthening opportunities for continuous joint learning. Overall, the findings provide a clearer understanding of how interoperability is represented within the JESIP Joint Doctrine and how its guidance might be refined to better support its application in practice.