This document discusses policy implementation. It defines implementation as converting policy intentions into actions and outcomes. It describes top-down and bottom-up approaches to implementation and categories for identifying problems. Challenges to implementation include lack of support, capacity issues, and barriers like weak political support, poor design, and limited funding. Strategies for managers include designing policies with implementation in mind, mobilizing resources quickly while building capacity, and managing the change process. Understanding context is also important to successful implementation.

1. Policy
Implementation
Chapter 5
Public Policy and Governance
(950701)

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Introduction
• Definition
• Approaches in policy
implementation
• The importance of
understanding context
• Challenges in policy
implementation
• Strategies for public managers in
policy implementation
• conclusion
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Definition
Implementation is the activity in
the policy process in which
actors attempt to convert policy
intentions and resources into
actions resulting in specific
policy outputs and ultimately in
the achievement (or not) of
intended policy outcomes.
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4. Approaches in policy implementation
“Top-down” “Bottom-up”
Theorist adopting this
perspective look for
deficiencies in the way
policies are communicated,
and at standards and
practices of implementation
enforcement, from
policymakers to field level
implementers (Ellig et al.
1995)
 Begin with the assumption that
“street level” bureaucrats often
face an impossible task in
attempting to faithfully
reproduce superior’s aims into
changes on the ground and
instead “make do” as best they
can, altering components of
policies “on the fly” in order to
achieve some goals and
objective (Lipsky 1980).

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Categories that help to identify implementation
problems
1. Policy Design.
2. Inter-organizationalCommunication and
Enforcement activities.
3. Characteristics of the implementing
agencies/deposition of implementers.
4. Implementation outputs and outcomes/impacts.
5. Policy Learning.
6. Action environment.
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Integratingtop-downandbottom-upperspectiveimplementation
Sources:Van Meter andVan Horn, 1975; Hill and Hupe, 2006:186; Fritzen, 2000:1

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The importance of understanding context
i. Degree of political and policy stability
present in the policy system.
ii. Degree of environmental turbulence, or the
extent to which the external political and
economic environment in which
policymakers are working is changing
slowly or more rapidly.
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Atypologyof institutionalchangeenvironmentsastheymayaffectimplementation
Source: Fritzen, 2007

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iii.The openness of the policy process
iv.The degree of public sector decentralization is
another contextual element that will almost
always be relevant to consider in policy
implementation

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Center-local relations as they impact on implementation
10Source: Adapted fromTurner and Hulme, 1997

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Challenges in policy implementation
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3broad
categories of
analysis and
action
emphasized
Mission-related
The lack of adequate
bureaucratic and political
support for
implementation
A range of capacity-related
difficulties may have
negative repercussions on
implementation

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Typical implementation barriers
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1. Political (support and authorization) barriers
Problem
Slow
authorization
Weak
political
support
Bureaucratic
opposition
Poor
implementer
incentives

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2. Analytical competence barriers
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Problem
Changing
priorities
Vague or
multiple
missions
Poor
design
Uneven
feasibility

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3. Operational capacity barriers
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Problem
Fund limitations
Lack of clarity in
operational plans
Weak management
structure or
network
coordination
capacity

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Strategies for public managers in policy implementation
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1. Design
policies with
implementation
in mind
2. Get
operational fast
while mobilizing
resources
creatively
3. Invest early
and heavily in
building capacity
within
implementation
networks
4. Manage
the dynamic
process of
change

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Conclusion
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• This chapter has underlined some of the ways in
which coordinators of such reforms can improve
their chances of implementation success.
• Once a policy or program has been put into place,
of course , conditions and personnel change and
with them the nature of the outputs and outcomes
the program or policy can deliver.

17. Thank You