Policy Implementation: A Review of Selected Literature
Successful policy implementation advances sustainable development. However, doubt remains about the importance of the policy implementation concept. Meanwhile, the world over, many policies fail to achieve their intended objectives. Efforts of the theoretical perspectives to develop a compressive theory to guide policy implementation are so far futile. This chapter uses select literature to examine the theoretical underpinning and practice of policy implementation concept. Interest in policy implementation should be strengthened and should focus on the realization of the Global Sustainable Development Agenda. Global trends have presented governance and collaboration with issues that require policy implementation attention. We conclude that the adoption of dynamic system modelling will address the complexity and dynamism of policy implementation and benefit policy implementation success.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Subscribe and save
Springer+ Basic
€32.70 /Month
- Get 10 units per month
- Download Article/Chapter or eBook
- 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
- Cancel anytime
Buy Now
Price includes VAT (France)
eBook EUR 85.59 Price includes VAT (France)
Softcover Book EUR 105.49 Price includes VAT (France)
Hardcover Book EUR 105.49 Price includes VAT (France)
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Similar content being viewed by others
Where to begin? Defining national strategies for implementing the 2030 Agenda: the case of Switzerland
Article Open access 26 August 2020
Moving Forward: Visions on the Future of Sustainable Development
Chapter © 2023
Learning from the Sikh Gurus: Improved Decision Making for More Sustainable Futures
Article 21 January 2016
References
- Abdullah, N. (2016). The public bureaucracy’s role in policy implementation in Malaysia. In J. Quah (Ed.), The role of the public bureaucracy in policy implementation in five ASEAN countries (Integration through law: The role of law and the rule of law in ASEAN integration) (pp. 171–232). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Google Scholar
- Agustinata, D. (2008). Specification of system-of-systems for policymaking in the energy sector. The Integrated Assessment Journal, 8(2), 1–24. Google Scholar
- Aliyu, A. K., Modu, B., & Tan, C. W. (2017). A review of renewable energy development in Africa: A focus in South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 81(2), 2502–2518. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.06.055ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Alverbratt, C. (2015). Implementation of a new working method in psychiatric care (PhD). University of Gothenburg, Sweden. Google Scholar
- Begun, J. W., Zimmerman, B., & Dooley, K. (2003). Health care organizations as complex adaptive systems. Advances in Health Care Organization Theory, 33(3), 253–288. Google Scholar
- Berman, P. (1980). Thinking about programmed and adaptive implementation: Matching strategies to situations. In H. M. Ingram & D. E. Mann (Eds.), Why policies succeed or fail. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage. Google Scholar
- Blanco-Mancilla, G. (2011). Implementation of Health Policies in Mexico City: What factors contribute to more effective service delivery? (PhD). The London School of Economics and Political Science. Google Scholar
- Bondarouk, E., & Mastenbroek, E. (2018). Reconsidering EU Compliance: Implementation performance in the field of environmental policy. Environmental Policy and Governance, 28, 15–27. https://doi.org/10.1002/eet.1761. In Wiley Online Library. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Boulton, J. (2010). Complexity and philosophy: Complexity theory and implications for policy development (Vol. 12, pp. 31–34). Cranfield: School of Management, Cranfield University. Google Scholar
- Checkel, J. T. (2005). International institutions and socialization in Europe: Introduction and framework. International Organization, 59(4), 801–826. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Currie, D. J., Smith, C., & Jagals, P. (2018). The application of system dynamics modelling to environmental health decision-making and policy—A scoping review. BMC Public Health, 18, 402. BMC series—Open, inclusive and trusted. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- deLeon, P., & deLeon, L. (2002). What ever happened to policy implementation? An alternative approach. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 12(4), 467–492. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Emerson, K. (2018). Collaborative governance of public health in low- and middle-income countries: Lessons from research in public administration. BMJ Global Health, 3(Suppl 4), e000381. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2017-000381ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Finch, T., Rapley, T., Girling, M., May, C., Mair, F., Murray, E., ⋯ Dickinson, C. (2016). NoMAD, implementation measure based on normalisation process theory, measurement instrument. Centre for Health Innovation, Leadership & Learning: University of Nottingham. Google Scholar
- Ghaffarzadegan, N., Lyneis, J., & Richardson, G. P. (2010). How small system dynamics models can help the public policy process. System Dynamics Review, 27(1), 22–44. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Giovannini, E., Niestroy, I., Nilsson, M., Roure, F., & Spanos, M. (2015). The role of science, technology and innovation policies to foster the implementation of the sustainable development goals. Report of the Expert Group “Follow-up to Rio+20, notably the SDGs” European Union. Luxembourg: Directorate-General for Research and Innovation: Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials. Google Scholar
- Godfrey, P. (2010). Using systems thinking to learn to deliver sustainable built environments. Civil Engineering and Environmental Systems, 27(3), 219–230. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Goggin, M. L. (1986). The too few cases/too many variables’ problem in implementation research. Western Political Quarterly, 39(2), 328–347. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Goggin, M. L., Bowman, A. O. M., Lester, J. P., & O’Toole, L. J., Jr. (1990). Implementation theory and practice. Toward a third generation. New York: Harper Collins. Google Scholar
- Hargrove, E. (1975). The missing-link: The study of the implementation of social policy. Washington: The Urban Institute. Google Scholar
- Harring, N., & Rönnerstrand, B. (2016). Government effectiveness, regulatory compliance and public preference for marine policy instruments. An experimental approach. Marine Policy, 71, 106–110. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Hill, M. J., & Hupe, P. L. (2002). Implementing public policy: Governance in theory and practice. London: Sage. Google Scholar
- Hill, M., & Hupe, P. (2009). Implementing public policy (2nd ed.). London: Sage. Google Scholar
- Hjern, B. (1982). Implementation research-the link gone missing. Journal of Public Policy, 2(3), 301–308. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Hjern, B., & Hull, C. (1983). Implementation research as empirical constitutionalism. European Journal of Political Research, 10(2), 105–115. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Howlett, M. (2018). Moving policy implementation theory forward: A multiple streams/critical juncture approach. Public Policy and Administration, 0(0), 1–26. Google Scholar
- Howlett, M., McConnell, A., & Perl, A. (2015). Streams and stages: Reconciling Kingdon and policy process theory. European Journal of Political Research, 54(3), 419–434. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Hudson, B., Hunter, D., & Peckham, S. (2019). Policy failure and the policy-implementation gap: Can policy support programs help? Policy Design and Practice, 2(1), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/25741292.2018.1540378ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Hupe, P., & Sætren, H. (2015). Comparative implementation research: Directions and dualities. Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis: Research and Practice, 17(2), 93–102. https://doi.org/10.1080/13876988.2015.1015360ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Im, T. (2014). Bureaucracy in three different worlds: The assumptions of failed public sector reforms in Korea. Public Organization Review, 14(4), 577–596. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Im, T. (2017). Public organizations in Asia/Tobin (1st ed.). New York: Routledge. Google Scholar
- Imamura, Y. (2015). Policy implementation studies: The case of eliminating day-care waiting lists in Japan. WINPEC Working Paper Series No. E1501. Tokyo: Waseda Institute of Political Economy, Waseda University. Google Scholar
- Indiahono, D., Purwanto, E. A., & Pramusinto, A. (2018, May). Compliance and conflict of value in public policy implementation: Comparison between the new order and the reformation era. Policy & Governance Review, 2(2), 99–114. Google Scholar
- Kauffman, S. (1996). At home in the universe: The search for Laws of self-organization and complexity. London: Penguin Books. Google Scholar
- Kingdon, J. W. (1984). Agendas, alternatives, and public policies. Boston: Little Brown and Company. Google Scholar
- Klijn, E. H. (2008). Governance and governance networks in Europe: An assessment of 10 years of research on the theme. Public Management Review, 10(4), 505–525. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Koelble, T. A., & Siddle, A. (2013). Why decentralization in South Africa has failed. Governance: An International Journal of Policy, Administration, and Institutions, 26(3), 343–346. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Lascomes, P., & LeGales, P. (2007). Introduction: Understanding public policy through its instruments—From the nature of instruments to the sociology of public policy instrumentation. Governance, 20(1), 1–21. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Linder, S. H., & Peters, B. G. (1991). The logic of public policy design: Linking policy actors and plausible instruments. Knowledge in Society, 4, 125–151. Google Scholar
- Linn, J. (2017). Recent threats to multilateralism. Global Journal of Emerging Market Economies, 9(1–3), 86–113. Emerging Markets Forum. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Lipsky, M. (1980). Street-level bureaucracy: Dilemmas of the individual in public services. New York: Russell Sage Foundation. Google Scholar
- Maguire, B., McKelvey, B., Mirabeau, L., & Öztas, N. (2006). Complexity science and organization studies. In C. H. S. R. Clegg, T. Lawrence, & W. R. Nord (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of organization studies (pp. 165–214). London: Sage. ChapterGoogle Scholar
- Marume, S. B. M., Mutongi, C., & Madziyire, N. C. (2016). An analysis of public policy implementation. IOSR Journal of Business and Management, 18(4), Ver. I, 86–93. Google Scholar
- Matland, R. E. (1995). Synthesizing the implementation literature: The ambiguity-conflict model of policy implementation. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 5(2), 145–174. Google Scholar
- May, C. R., Cummings, A., Girling, M., Bracher, M., Mair, F. S., May, C. M., … Finch, T. (2018). Using Normalization Process Theory in feasibility studies and process evaluations of complex healthcare interventions: A systematic review. Implementation Science, 13(1), 80. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13012-018-0758-1ArticleGoogle Scholar
- May, C., & Finch, T. (2009). Implementing, embedding and integrating practices: An outline of normalization process theory. Sociology, 43(3), 535–554. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Mazmanian, D. A., & Sabatier, P. A. (1989). Implementation and Public policy; with a new postscript. Lanham, MD: University Press of America. Google Scholar
- McKay, J., Armengol, M., & Pineau, G. (2005). Regional economic integration in a global framework. Frankfurt am Main: European Central Bank. Google Scholar
- Meyers, M., & Nielsen, V. (2012). Street-level bureaucrats and the implementation of public policy. In The SAGE handbook of public administration (pp. 305–318). 1 Oliver’s Yard, 55 City Road, London EC1Y 1SP United Kingdom: Sage. Retrieved from http://knowledge.sagepub.com/view/the-sage-handbook-of-public-administration-2e/n20.xml
- Moulton, S., & Sandfort, J. (2016). The strategic action field framework for policy implementation research. Policy Studies Journal, 45(1), 144–169. https://doi.org/10.1111/psj.12147ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Mthethwa, R. M. (2012). Critical dimensions for policy implementation. African Journal of Public Affairs, 5(2), 36–47. Google Scholar
- Mugambwa, J., Nabeta, I. N., Kaberuka, W., Munene, J. C., & Rudaheranwa, N. (2017). Theorizing policy implementation: Making sense of the fish stock restoration story. International Journal of Policy Studies, 8(2), 45–65. Google Scholar
- Murray, E., Burns, J., May, C., Finch, T., O’Donnell, C., Wallace, P., & Mair, F. (2011). Why is it difficult to implement e-health initiatives? A qualitative study. Implementation Science [online], 6(6). Retrieved from https://implementationscience.biomedcentral.com/
- Najam, A. (1995). Learning from the literature on policy implementation: A synthesis perspective. IIASA Working Paper—1A-2361. Laxenburg: International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis. Google Scholar
- Nidhi, V. (2016). Role of information technology in policy implementation of maternal health benefits in India (PhD). Nidhi VijSyracuse University. Google Scholar
- Nilsen, P. (2015). Making sense of implementation theories, models and frameworks. Implementation Science, 10(1), 53. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Njiru, M., Kazungu, J., Kazungu, J., Gichuki, J., & Muhoozi, L. (2018). An overview of the current status of Lake Victoria fishery: Opportunities, challenges and management strategies. Lakes & Reservoirs Research & Management, 13(1), 1–12. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- O’Toole, L. J. (1986). Policy recommendations for multi-actor implementation: An assessment of the field. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 6(2), 181–210. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- O’Toole, L. J. (2000). Research on policy implementation: Assessment and prospects. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 10(2), 263–288. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- O’Brien, E., & Gowan, R. (2012). What makes international agreements work: Defining factors for success. Center on International Cooperation, New York University. Google Scholar
- O’Toole Laurence. J.Jr. (2015). Networks and Networking: The Public Administrative Agendas. Public Administration Review. 75(3), 361-371. Google Scholar
- Onyekwelu, R. U., Okpalibekwe, U. N., & Dike, E. E. (2015). The bureaucracy and the challenges of policy-formulation and implementation: The Nigerian experience. Arabian Journal of Business and Management Review (OMAN Chapter), 4(10), 12–38. Google Scholar
- Park, S., & Kim, G. M. (2016). Applications of system dynamics modelling for management policy implementation of a water supply system. In Proceedings of the 3rd International Conference on Design, Construction, Maintenance, Monitoring and Control of Urban Water Systems. Google Scholar
- Parra, A. (2016). The influence of leadership on policy implementation: A comparative analysis between Pakistan and South Korea. MSC Public Administration, University of Leiden, Netherlands. Google Scholar
- Paudel, N. R. (2009). A critical account of policy implementation theories: Status and reconsideration. Nepalese Journal of Public Policy and Governance, xxv(2),36–53 Google Scholar
- Pradhan, N. S., Su, Y., Fu, Y., Zhang, L., & Yang, Y. (2017). Analyzing the effectiveness of policy implementation at the local level: A case study of management of the 2009–2010 drought in Yunnan Province, China. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science, 8(1), 64–77. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Sabatier, P. (1986). Top-down and bottom-up approaches to implementation research. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 6(1), 21–48. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Sabatier, P. (1987). Knowledge, policy-oriented learning, and policy change. Knowledge: Creation, Diffusion, Utilization, 8(4), 649–692. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Saetren, H. (2014). Implementing the third generation research paradigm in policy implementation research: An empirical assessment. Public Policy and Administration, 29(2), 84–105. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Schiff, J. S. (2016). Masquerading as compliance: Tracing Canada’s policy implementation of the human right to water. Journal of Human Rights Practice, 8(2), 264–283. https://doi.org/10.1093/jhuman/huw006ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Schneider, A. I., & Ingram, H. (1990). The behavioral assumptions of policy tools. The Journal of Politics, 52(02), 510–529. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Scholz, J. T. (1991). Cooperative regulatory enforcement and the politics of administrative effectiveness. American Political Science Review, 85(1), 115–136. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Schot, J., & Steinmueller, W. E. (2018). Three frames for innovation policy: R&D, systems of innovation and transformative change. Research Policy, 47(9), 1554–1567. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Schroeder, A. D. (2001). Building Implementation networks: Building multiorganisational, multi-sector structures for policy implementation (PhD). State University. Google Scholar
- Sherraden, M., & Barr, M. (2005). Institutions and inclusion in saving policy. In Building assets, building credit: Bridges and barriers to financial services in low-income communities. Washington: Brookings Institution Press. Google Scholar
- Signé, L. (2017). Policy implementation—A synthesis of the study of policy implementation and the causes of policy failure. Policy paper, OCP Policy Center, Rabat, Morocco. Google Scholar
- Sterman, J. D. (2000). System dynamics: Systems thinking and modeling for a complex world. Massachusetts Institute of Technology Engineering Systems Division. Working Paper Series, ESD-WP-2003-01.13-ESD Internal Symposium, Massachusetts. Google Scholar
- Syafruddin, Nur, H. S., Alwi, & Baharuddin, H. (2015). Behavior of bureaucracy in good program policy implementation in district Bombana. International Journal of Scientific & Technology Research, 4(4), 70–76. Google Scholar
- Taylor, V. (2015). Advancing regionalism and a social policy agenda for positive change: From rhetoric to action. Global Social Policy, 15(3), 329–335. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Tummers, L. G., & Bekkers, V. J. J. M. (2014). Policy implementation, street-level bureaucracy and the importance of discretion. Public Management Review, 16(4), 527–547. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- UN. (2018). World Economic and Social Survey 2018: Frontier technologies for sustainable development. New York: United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs. Google Scholar
- UNDP. (2016). Global programme for sustainable development & peace, YOUTH-GPS 2016-2020, UNDP. Google Scholar
- Van Meter, D., & Van Horn, C. (1975). The policy implementation process: A conceptual framework. Administration and Society, 6(4), 445–488. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Vogler, J. P. (2019). The entanglement of public bureaucratic institutions: Their interactions with society, culture, politics, and the economy. In D. J. Boudreaux, C. J. Coyne, & B. Herzberg (Eds.), Interdisciplinary studies of the political order: New applications of public choice theory. New York: Rowman & Littlefield International. Google Scholar
- Weaver, R. K. (2015). Getting people to behave: Research lessons for policymakers. Public Administration Review, 75(6), 806–816. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Wheat, I. D. (2010). What can system dynamics learn from the public policy implementation literature? Systems Research and Behavioral Science, 27(4), 425. ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Wheat, I. D. (2015). Model-based policy design that takes implementation seriously. In E. Johnston (Ed.), Governance in the information era. New York: Routledge. Google Scholar
- Wheat, I. D., & Bardach, E. (2017). Disappointing outcomes: Can implementation modeling help? In E. Borgonovi, E. A. Pessina, & C. Bianchi (Eds.), Outcome-based performance management in the public sector. New York: Springer. Google Scholar
- Winter, S. C. (2012). Implementation perspectives: Status and reconsideration. In B. G. Peters & J. Pierre (Eds.), Handbook of public administration. London: Sage. Google Scholar
- World Bank. (2019). Pakistan@100: Shaping the future. Washington, DC: World Bank. BookGoogle Scholar
- Yanguas, P., & Bukenya, B. (2016). ‘New’ approaches confront ‘old’ challenges in African public sector reform. Third World Quarterly, 37(1), 136–152. https://doi.org/10.1080/01436597.2015.1086635ArticleGoogle Scholar
- Yin, R. K. (2009). Case study research: Design and methods. London: Sage. Google Scholar
- Zhan, X., Lo, C. W.-H., & Tang, S.-Y. (2014). Contextual changes and environmental policy implementation: A longitudinal study of street-level bureaucrats in Guangzhou, China. Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, 24(4), 1005–1035. https://doi.org/10.1093/jopart/mut004ArticleGoogle Scholar
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
- Makerere University Business School, Kampala, Uganda Joshua Mugambwa, Isaac Nkote Nabeta, Mohamed Ngoma, Nichodemus Rudaheranwa, Will Kaberuka & John C. Munene
- Joshua Mugambwa