Critical dimensions for policy implementation

Abstract

Implementing any policy or making an intervention faces a range of challenges, especially for those endeavouring to benefit the poorest social groups. Policies are influenced by the contexts in which they are developed such as the content of the policy, the nature of the policy process, the actors involved in the formulation process and implementation. The purpose of this article is to describe and explain the dimensions of policy implementation through which the dynamic components of policy development and implementation can be explained and analysed. Therefore, a comprehensive literature review was conducted to arrive at an understanding of the theoretical approaches to policy implementation and the factors that act as barriers to effective implementation. For the implementation process to be improved, policy implementers must consider a number of factors associated with policy implementation. The article locates the dimensions of policy implementation within the wider policy literature and describes why each component of the dimension is important for effective policy implementation. The article concludes by arguing that a supportive policy environment can be regarded as one of the cornerstones of improved and effective policy implementation.