Implementation of Public Policy
One of the important lessons developing countries are painfully learning is that well-formulated plans are necessary, but not sufficient and that plans, however good on paper, mean little unless they are implemented in the right spirit and with devotion. A well-drafted plan is no guarantee that it will succeed and the more crucial phase is now seen to be the implementation of it. The record of planning of most countries that have won freedom recently is full of good plans drawn up by a team of able experts, both native and foreign, but, in the process of implementation, they all seem to founder.
This growing dichotomy between planning ( on paper) and implementation ( in the field ) has evoked a considerable amount of interest in the scholars of public administration and has motivated them to analyse this much-neglected part of the policy process i.e., implementation. Implementation can be defined as “the process of carrying out authoritative public policy directives”. It is a process of discovering what works and what does not. During the implementation phase, the policy organisation is always concerned with finding out how best the goals of the policy could be achieved. The function of implementation is the largest part of government whether measured by the number of people employed and engaged or by the funds spent on it. The government’s efforts at administering or implementing policy possess staggering problems or resolving conflicts and soliciting cooperation. Many diverse agencies of implementation constantly collide with each other or discover overlapping responsibilities. These problems can be better understand on an analysis of the process of implementation.
The Process Of Implementation
The process of implementation involves several steps which are explained below: Division of the adopted policy into manageable units: To implement the adopted policy the ultimate goal must be broken down into manageable sub-goals. This is necessary because control has to be exercised and the programme should be kept within manageable limits.
Fixing administrative responsibility: The next step in the policy implementation process is the fixing of administrative responsibility. One has to decide which agency would be responsible for the implementation of each of these programmes and projects. Sometimes it might be necessary to create an entirely new organization. O Ensuring availability of finance: All undertakings depend on finance, hence proper finances must be made available to the implementing agency at the right point of time. Apart from budget allocation, it is also necessary to create the necessary accounting mechanism to ensure that the funds are utilized for the purpose for which they have been allocated.
Garnering political support: The success of any programme depends on the support that it receives from the political system. Hence, proper support from the political system must be garnered at the right point in time.
Participation of beneficiaries: ‘Mere adoption of a policy, allocation of finances and adequate political support will not by themselves ensure the successful implementation of a policy. Any programme can be successful only if the beneficiaries towards whom it is directed also participate in the implementation process. Thus adequate efforts must be made to ensure the participation of the ‘beneficiaries’. This gives a sense of involvement to the beneficiary and inculcates a feeling of responsibility in him. Involvement of other interests: Though programmes may be directed towards a specific target audience yet some many other individuals and bodies are affected by the programmes. If the implementation process has to be successful it is necessary that the other interests affected should also be made a part of the process. Failure to do so is detrimental as any of these interests can block the implementation of a programme.
Factors Influencing The Implementation Process
A variety of organisation factors can influence the implementation process. Important among them are:
Internal procedures
For efficient implementation of public policy, the internal procedures should be simple and clearly defined. They should define the roles at different levels. These procedures should also take into account the speed and the responsiveness; avoid unnecessary delays and incorporate the insights of intermediaries. Simple internal procedures, wherein roles at specific levels are defined clearly, resulting in an efficient implementation.
Availability of resources:
Resources-money, time, staff and power can have a direct impact on the implementation process. Money is certainly the key resource for implementing policies. It can be used to procure goods and services; as an incentive to move intermediary actors and to provide cash benefits to policy consumers. Adequacy and competence of staff is also an equally important resource, and this may not be solely dependent on the availability of money. Efficient and effective utilization of available human resources with adequate psychological motivation leads to better implementation and achievement of policy goals. In this context, the work styles and self-interests of the employees and other implementers of the policy assume crucial importance. Mutual consultation and adjustments are likely to reward. O
The motivation of personnel:
The motivation levels of personnel in the organisation exert a profound influence on the effectiveness of the implementation process. The organization has to rely heavily on persuasion, negotiation and compromise,
Communication network:
Since the implementation process consists of so many different actors and institutions, linkages are very necessary to hold it together. These linkages consist of crisscrossing communication networks between various actors. A critical component in these networks consists of compliance mechanisms that may be employed to move various actors to carry out policy instructions. A well-defined communication network goes a long way in the successful implementation of a policy,
Here are the notes for Problems In Implementation Of Public Policy.