Abstract
Policies are not implemented in vacuums; the implementation process plays out within a dynamic context within which unexpected events occur that have significant impacts on implementation. The extent to which the policy, legislation, and programs are conceptualized and designed without sufficient regard to the dynamic context within which they are to be implemented reduces dramatically the likelihood of successful policy implementation without major adverse side effects. Moreover, policies should be designed in such a way that they may be modified during implementation to accommodate significant environmental change.
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Notes
- 1.
 The fact that they are self-organizing systems in no way implies that the systems will organize into optimal or even desirable system states.
- 2.
 We use the term tightly-coupled systems to describe situations in which there is little slack between interrelated systems that can absorb the consequences of uncertainty. A simple example should suffice. Just-in-time practices in manufacturing became a standard that was intended to reduce the costs of inventorying parts and material used in the manufacturing process. It works well until it doesn’t. Almost-in-time is not really acceptable. Never-in-time is a lot worse. Just-Âin-time replaced warehousing. Warehousing was considered wholly acceptable when most goods moved by rail and when interest rates were exceptionally low. Warehousing provided the slack necessary to absorb shocks in the system. Just-in-time does not.
References
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Alesch, D.J., Arendt, L.A., Petak, W.J. (2012). Dynamic Contexts and Public Policy Implementation. In: Natural Hazard Mitigation Policy. Environmental Hazards. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2235-4_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-2235-4_13
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