In some cases, horizontal inter-departmental bodies enjoy a legal status in equality acts or regulation, but such co-ordination mechanisms can still suffer from ambiguous mandates (Johan, 2010). Focal points within sectoral/line ministries charged with integrating and co-ordinating gender mainstreaming initiatives, for example, may face institutional marginalisation, a lack of authority and insufficient technical expertise (Ibid). To support the implementation of this “whole-of-government” process, the law created an Inter-departmental Co-ordination Group for the federal government. This group’s members are representatives of administrations and ministers’ offices and its secretariat is the Institute for the Equality of Women and Men.