The Importance of Being A Policy Implementer

Abstract

Public policy is used to tackle market imbalances, failures and also restore societal requirements of equity and justice. Research on policy implementation has been substantial and there is enough literature to support its importance. There is no guarantee however, that selected policy prescriptions will be implemented efficiently. This study has attempted to understand the factors affecting implementation of the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act 2005 (MGNREGA) synthesizing variables and constructs from policy implementation literature and analyzing survey responses data obtained from mid-level implementers in the south Indian state of TamilNadu. This paper focuses on the implementing stakeholders and investigates their role in policy implementation and endeavours to achieve a deeper understanding of the factors governing implementation of a welfare oriented public policy scheme over ‘networks and processes'. The results pointed to ‘administration factors’ defined by accountability, process clarity and power devolution to the implementer, as important to implementation. Resources were also significant to implementation. Surprisingly governance and planning were not found to be significant. And perhaps therein lies the disconnect between implementers and implementation - the central idea of this paper.