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The proliferation of policies and instruments described as “transversal”, “intersectoral”, “mainstreaming”, etc. seems to challenge the historical sectoral organisation of public policies. Policy studies often see them as a response to the “complexification” of public problems. Anchored in a constructivist perspective, instead this issue apprehends the boundaries of public intervention as objects and products of a competitive process of organizational designing. Bringing together policy studies and the sociology of professions, the articles gathered together in this issue examine different forms of boundary work – whether it be dominated by tinkering or institutionalization – and the ways in which they affect professional and institutional relations, and sometimes the very content of public policies.