TU, CDPA, Public Administration Campus, Balkhu
MPA, Third Semester, 2082 (2025)
Faculty Member: Prakash Ghimire
Unit -3: Public Policy Implementation
The outlines of our discussion:
1. Background (approach, perspective, policy action);
2. Concept of public policy implementation;
3. Importance of public policy implementation;
4. Process/stages of public policy implementation;
5. Key stakeholders in public policy implementation;
6. Challenges (barriers) in public policy implementation;
7. Dimensions that influence public policy implementations;
8. Factors that affect public policy implementation;
9. Strategies for effective public policy implementation;
10. Approaches of public policy implementation; and
11. Conclusion.
1. Background (approach, perspective, policy action):
a) Perspective:
It is a view point, mindset, lens to interpret the situation, theoretical thoughts to perceive the
challenges or situations.
b) Approach:
It is a method, strategy to tackle or respond a problem or a situation. So, it is action oriented.
The both are important in problem-solving and decision-making but they have some differences as
stated bellows:
SN Base of difference Perspective Approach
1 Concept/definition View point to interpret the situation or A way of dealing with a situation or
problem problem
2 Focus Mindset, lens, beliefs, thoughts Action, technique, method, strategy
3 Application Used in analysing and interpretation Used in problem-solving and
decision-making
4 Interpretation Can be more subjective Can be more objective
5 Flexibility More adaptable More rigid
6 Related to Perceiving the situation or problems Responding the
situations/challenges
7 Attributes Subjective Methodological
Shaped by the beliefs and experiences Strategic
Influences understanding and Action-oriented
reactions Efficient
Lead to open-mindedness Effective
Adaptable
8 Influenced by Person’s belief Past experiences
Values Knowledge
Culture Personal skills
Experiences Personality
Beliefs
Relation between Perspective and Approach:
Person with positive or optimistic perspective may approach challenges with can-do attitudes, and there
remains a willingness to try new things. But a person with negative or pessimistic perspective may
approach challenges with fear and resistance.
Prakash Ghimire
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TU, CDPA, Public Administration Campus, Balkhu
MPA, Third Semester, 2082 (2025)
Faculty Member: Prakash Ghimire
Unit -3: Public Policy Implementation
Approach can also shape their perspective. Method and strategies that someone uses to tackle a problem
can affect how they perceive the outcome. A successful approach may lead to a more positive perspective,
while a failed approach may lead to a more negative perspective.
It is a must to balance the perspective and approach. The bellows are the reasons for balancing:
• Achieving success
• Growth
• Creative solutions
• Better decision-making
• Stronger relationships
• Open to new ideas
• See the things from different angles
• Being aware of ones biases and limitations
• Greater empathy
• Bette understanding
• Collaboration with others
• To navigate challenges more effectively and achieve their goals more effectively
• Both are interconnected and can influence each other.
c) Policy Action:
It is an intentional and conscious steps taken to implement, influence or change policies. For some
reasons, the policy actions are important in policy cycle which can be summarized as:
• Advocacy:
It is to engage policy stakeholders in reviewing, assessing existing and old policies. It
ensures their participation and promotes their ownerships.
• Implementation:
It the course of action to put the policies into practice. In other words it is an execution or
enforcement of public policies.
• Evaluation:
It is the assessment of the effectiveness of the implemented policies so as to take necessary
decisions based on outcomes of the same policies.
2. Concept of public policy implementation:
As students of public administration, we need to analyse policies critically and understand their impact on
society. Success of a policy is not just about formulation but about execution to address the societal problems.
• It is the process of formulated and duly approved policies into action.
• It is translating goals into concrete actions with detail implementation plan.
• It is action to ensure that intended outcomes are achieved with monitoring, evaluation and
feedbacks which may be followed by the adjustments in need.
• It is a crucial and critical phase in policy cycle.
• It is the phase between decision and operations.
• It seeks to determine whether an organization is able to carry out and achieve its stated objectives.
• It involves developing and pursuing a strategy of organization and management to ensure that the
policy is completed with the minimum of delays, costs and problems.
Prakash Ghimire
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TU, CDPA, Public Administration Campus, Balkhu
MPA, Third Semester, 2082 (2025)
Faculty Member: Prakash Ghimire
Unit -3: Public Policy Implementation
• It is to form a bridge that allows the objectives of public policies to be achieved as outcomes of
government.
• Bride to reach to a particular end.
• Causal link to or chain so as to obtain desired results.
• Logical steps in formulating intentions to put policy into an action.
• Managing various elements required to achieve the desired goals.
• Its “an inquiry about implementation capacity that seeks to determine whether an organization can
bring together men and material in a cohesive organization’s stated objectives”. (According to
Walter Willimans)
• The sequence of events tiggered off by a policy decision, involving the translation of policy into
operational tasks to be caried out by a variety of factors and agencies, and substantial coordinating
activity to ensure that resources are available and that things happen intended”. (According to
Baret and Fudge)
To conclude, public policy implementation is the process of executing and enforcing governmental
policies into real-world outcomes after they have been formulated and approved. It involves various
stakeholders, including government agencies, non-governmental organizations, private entities, and the
public. This phase ensures that the intended goals of a policy are realized through concrete actions.
3. Importance of public policy implementation:
• Measure the success (administrative capability) of government
• Address the societal needs, issues and challenges
• Efficient and effective resource mobilization
• Optimum utilization of available resources
• Communication of government wants to the public (let them know what the government want to
do)
• Ensures the involvement/participation of stakeholders (policy actors)
• Evaluate the outcomes i.e. impact on society, individual, and groups
• Evaluate the change its acceptance in the society
• Monitor the programs whether they are delivered as designed?
• Evaluate whether the policy goals are achieved?
4. Processes/Stages of policy implementation can be summarized with the bellows major steps:
a) Design and planning:
It is translation of policy into actionable steps by defining clear objectives and expected
outcomes.
Development of a clear blueprint, defining objectives, responsibilities, funding, and
timelines. Collaboration among policy makers, bureaucrats, and stakeholders.
For instance: In an education policy, proper planning includes teacher training, curriculum
updates, and infrastructure development.
b) Resource allocation:
Ensure the participation of the policy stakeholders in policy review and accessing existing
and old policies.
Allocation of adequate funding, human resources, system, equipment, and other resources.
c) Execution:
It is the translating policies into action through the development and execution of detail
implementation plan with details action which among others include advocacy,
Prakash Ghimire
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TU, CDPA, Public Administration Campus, Balkhu
MPA, Third Semester, 2082 (2025)
Faculty Member: Prakash Ghimire
Unit -3: Public Policy Implementation
communication strategy, and training for policy rollout. It seeks the alignment with
government objectives.
d) Monitoring and Evaluation:
Resources’ inputs and process monitoring, and results (outcomes and impact) data driven
evaluation to check whether they meet the policy objectives,
e) Adjustments:
It is an integration of the lesson learning, feedbacks and findings of the monitoring and
evaluation.
5. Key stakeholders in public policy implementation: (see unit one)
Successful policy implementation involves multiple stakeholders, each playing a unique role:
a) Government Agencies: Responsible for enforcing policies.
b) Legislative Bodies: Ensure laws and regulations align with policy goals.
c) Judiciary: Acts as a watchdog to prevent policy violations.
d) Private Sector: Businesses and industries also contribute by complying with and supporting policies.
e) Political parties- powerful control over policy, raise policy issues, presents policy options
f) Interest groups (collective bargaining)
g) Civic societies (citizens groups)
h) NGOs: assist in policy outreach and execution.
i) Mass media: plays a role in transparency and public awareness
j) Individual citizens- as voters, being involved in political parties and interest groups: are the
ultimate beneficiaries and participants in policy implementation.
k) Social movements
l) Community organizations
m) Epistemic communities (experts, think tank): Academia and Research Institutions provide expert
advice, data analysis, and policy evaluation reports.
6. Challenges (barriers) in public policy implementation:
Structure of program or content of policy, administrative system or delivery system, environmental situation,
socio-economic-political weight of the target groups are the major independent variables to be considered
for the successful implementation of the public policies.
Despite well-designed policies, implementation can often fail due to various challenges among other the
challenges may include the followings:
a) Lack of Resources
• Insufficient funding and inadequate human resources hinder execution.
• Example: Healthcare policies failing due to a lack of medical infrastructure.
• Governments often struggle to balance budget allocations among different sectors.
b) Bureaucratic Delays
• Red tape and excessive regulations slow down implementation.
• Example: Infrastructure projects delayed due to lengthy approval processes.
• Bureaucracy, while necessary for governance, sometimes leads to inefficiencies.
c) Political Interference
• Politicians may manipulate policies for personal or party interests.
• Example: Policy shifts due to regime changes.
• Political instability often results in policy discontinuity, affecting long-term projects.
d) Corruption and Mismanagement
• Bribery, fraud, and misallocation of funds weaken policy execution.
• Example: Development funds diverted to personal accounts.
• Corruption increases distrust in government policies and reduces public cooperation.
5. Public Resistance and Lack of Awareness
• Policies can fail if citizens do not understand or accept them.
Prakash Ghimire
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TU, CDPA, Public Administration Campus, Balkhu
MPA, Third Semester, 2082 (2025)
Faculty Member: Prakash Ghimire
Unit -3: Public Policy Implementation
• Example: Resistance to vaccination policies due to misinformation.
• Public awareness campaigns play a crucial role in policy success.
7. Dimensions that influence public policy implementations are:
a) The policy, its formulations and dissemination;
b) Social, political and economic context;
c) Leadership of policy implementation;
d) Stakeholders involved in policy implementation;
e) Implementation, planning and resource mobilization;
f) Operations and services; and
g) Feedbacks on progress and results.
8. Factors that affect success of public policy implementation:
As we discussed earlier, the structure of program or content of policy, administrative system or delivery
system, environmental situation, socio-economic-political weight of the target groups are the conditions
that affect the success of policy implementation. These conditions can be grouped as influencing factors
as bellows:
a) Rational Factors;
b) Management Factors;
c) Organizational Factors;
d) Bureaucratic Factors;
e) Political Factors; and
f) Environmental Factors.
9. Strategies for effective public policy implementation:
a) Action plan with logical reasoning/sequence (hierarchy or chain of results, design of monitoring
and evaluation system to assess the policy results, efficiency, effectiveness, adequacy, equity,
responsiveness, appropriateness and impact)
b) Involvement of the stakeholders and/or policy actors
c) Capacity of leader and the implementor (capacity enhancement programs)
d) Good governance (control the bureaucratic delays, ted-tapes, bureau pathologies, corruption, fraud
….and other elements of good governance)
e) Advocacy/awareness (communication system)
f) Resource mobilization
g) Consideration of the influencing factors and dimensions of public policy implementations
h) Adoption of the most suitable approach of policy implementation (enforcement models)
i) Aligned/linked with the national priority and program
j) Taking correction actions based on reviews (OR and system analysis and alike analytical tools and
techniques)
k) System of performance measures linked with incentives and acknowledgements of the successful
implantations.
10. Approaches of public policy implementation:
a) Top-down approach (Forward mapping): decisions are made by the central
government/authority;
b) Bottom-up approach (Backward mapping): Can not separate form policy formulations;
c) Hybrid approach (Synthesis model);
d) The policy-action relationship approach: outside environment affects the activities of
policy implementation;
Prakash Ghimire
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TU, CDPA, Public Administration Campus, Balkhu
MPA, Third Semester, 2082 (2025)
Faculty Member: Prakash Ghimire
Unit -3: Public Policy Implementation
e) The Inter-organizational approach: power dependency and organizational exchange
approaches; and
f) The Rational choice approach (assessment of policy options/analysing available
alternatives, clarifying goals, missions, objectives, strategies, outcomes with detail planning,
designed to maximize net value achievement, most efficient, ).
11. Conclusion:
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