NCJ Number
51653
Date Published
1978
Length
15 pages
Annotation
TWO PREVALENT MODELS DESCRIBING IMPLEMENTATION ARE CRITICIZED AND AN ALTERNATIVE MODEL THAT DESCRIBES IMPLEMENTATION AS BEING AFFECTED BY AND AFFECTING POLICY IN A UNIFIED EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS IS PROPOSED.
Abstract
TWO MODELS THAT DESCRIBE IMPLEMENTATION ARE BRIEFLY CRITICIZED: THE PLANNING-AND-CONTROL MODEL, WHICH SEES IMPLEMENTATION AS THE REASONABLY PRECISE CARRYING OUT OF PREDETERMINED GOALS AND OBJECTIVES BASED ON AN ANALYSIS OF A SITUATION; AND THE INTERACTION MODEL WHICH DEMEANS POLICYSETTING BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION AS BEING LITTLE MORE THAN AN OFFICIAL GO-AHEAD TO SET IN MOTION AN IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS THAT DEVISES ITS OWN CONSENSUS GOALS ON THE BASIS OF THE ACTORS' SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE IN MANAGEMENT. AN EVOLUTIONARY MODEL FOR IMPLEMENTATION IS PROPOSED. IT IS A SYNTHESIS OF THE TWO MODELS CRITICIZED, IN THAT POLICY CAREFULLY DEVISED BEFORE IMPLEMENTATION PROCEDURES ARE ACTIVATED IS CONSIDERED TO SET THE BASIC THRUST OF THE ACTIVITIES THAT ARE TO FOLLOW; HOWEVER, PROBLEMS AND INSIGHTS GROWING OUT OF IMPLEMENTATION EFFORTS WILL INEVITABLY SHATTER, REFORM, OR REJECT ELEMENTS OF ORIGINAL POLICY, SUCH THAT WITH THE PASSAGE OF TIME THE DYNAMICS OF IMPLEMENTATION WILL REQUIRE POLICY CHANGES DESIGNED TO REFLECT THE LIMITATIONS EXPERIENCED AND KNOWLEDGE GAINED THROUGH THE IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS. UNDER THIS MODEL, THE 'SUCCESS' OR 'FAILURE' OF A SOCIAL ACTION ENTERPRISE WILL NOT BE BE SO MUCH DETERMINED BY WHETHER OR NOT A PREDETERMINED POLICY WAS CARRIED OUT TO THE LETTER, BUT BY THE DETERMINATION OF WHAT HAS BEEN ACCOMPLISHED IN A PARTICULAR SOCIAL AREA AS THE RESULT OF A RATIONAL, EVOLUTIONARY USE OF RESOURCES AS A PART OF THE DYNAMIC AFFECTING THE TARGET AREA. (RCB)