Identification of Saints, Wizards, Demons and Systems and their Effect on Public Policy

Implementation

Introduction

The public sector has defining characteristics that distinguishes it from other sectors of the

economy. Ayee (2007) asserts that the public sector has an enormous impact on all citizens

because the public sector provides goods and services (sanitation, water and electricity) that

are important for development; spearheads economic policy making and management;

responsible for the maintenance of law and order. The public sector, therefore, refers to those

institutions charged with providing services for the public, although increasingly their roles

are being transformed from actual production to provision using a variety of public and

private entities (Ayee, 2007). The provision of various amenities for the populace is

undertaken through public policy.

Public policy is a course of action created and/or enacted, typically by a government, in

response to public, real-world problems (Rinfret et al., 2018). Success and failure of public

policy is a major concern for developing countries like Ghana. The survival of the country

and the sustenance of its development are connected to the successful implementation of

policies.

Ayee (2000) identified key players and components of that explain the success and failure of

public policies and programs. The key players and components identified were categorized as

Saints, Wizards, Demons and Systems. The success of public policy and programs lies with

them. Saints, Wizards and Demons are the major players in the policy implementation

process. The systems as explained by Peterson (1994 and 1998) are factors that are within the
bureaucracy itself that contribute to the policy success or failure. Ayee (2000) also explained

the systems similarly to be made up of variables that are present in the public bureaucracy.

Saints, Wizards, Demons and Systems come together to ensure if the success or failure of any

policy designed by the government. This paper would draw from the 2003 implement of Free

Delivery Care in Ghana as a point that elaborates the extent to Saints, Wizards, Demons and

Systems affect the success and failures of policies.

Public policy

During, the early years of the 21st century Ghana experienced high levels of maternal

mortality rates. Thus, the government sought remedy this problem through developing public

policy that would prevent the problem. Consequently in September 2003, the Ministry of

Health of Ghana introduced an exemption policy directed at making delivery care free. The

thrust of these policies have been to improve uptake, quality, financial and geographic access

to delivery care services. The exemption policy covers normal deliveries, assisted deliveries

including caesarean section and management of medical and surgical complications arising

out of deliveries, including the repair of vesico–vaginal and recto–vaginal fistulae within

public, private and faith based health facilities (Ghana Medical Journal, 2007).

Saints

According to Peterson (1998) Saints can be categorized as active reformers in government

who understand the importance of ensuring the policies and programs are implemented

successfully. They understand that the success of public policies and programs are the means

through which a country can develop. Thus, Saints are officials with rare qualities including

being competent, progressive and committed (Ayee, 2000).

Those that fall within the category of Saints are public officers that have power in the policy

circle and can ensure the success of policies and programs. They are Politicians and

Bureaucrats who are concerned about successfully implementing policies and have the will to

push for them to be done. Saints are not afraid of changing the status quo and they are critical

thinkers and highly motivated group of people (Amanor-Larte, 2019). Some of the powers

these Saints wield are the ability to manage staff, delegation of skills, access resources, take

risks and commit to policy goals (Ayee, 2000).

Saints are a group of government (political and bureaucratic) officials who occupy superior

offices within the public administrative system. They are government officials who hold

political office as well as top of bureaucratic officials. In the policy implementation process

they are supervisors. They lead public officials, who carry some attributes such as risk taking,

initiation of innovation, professional commitment, ability to manage staff, skills in

delegation, access to resources and right decision-making abilities (Peterson, 1994; Peterson,

1998; Ayee, 2000).

Success or failure of a policy is at their door step. A situation where the Saints played a role

in the failure of a public policy was the implementation of Free Delivery Care Policies for all

mothers in Ghana. This policy was implemented in Ghana in September, 2003 by the

Ministry of Health of Ghana. The Saints played a role in the failure of the policy. The

contribution of the Saints in the failure of this policy was their failure in designing the policy

properly.

The policy was considered to have had the policy design being ambiguous, inconsistent and

speculative. The policy was designed by Ghana’s Ministry of Health at the time. MOH

(2004) identified that the failure could have been avoided if the policy was carefully designed
and non-speculative it would have considered issues such as system of standardized charging

in the design.

Saints are committed politicians, policy makers and bureaucrats who design and ensure

policy is executed and objectives are attained. Sabatier and Mazmanian’s in their constraints

similarly observe that failure at implementation occurs due to ambiguous and inconsistent

objectives and inadequate causal theory by policy makers which comprises of politicians.

Hogwood and Gunn (1984) in their theory about ideal conditions for implementation

similarly mention that implementation requires sound problem identification and policy

design for a policy solution, absence of these threatens failure (Hogwood and Gunn, 1984).

Policy fails here because the saints are few.

Wizards

Ayee (2000) categorizes Wizards as the appropriate policy analysts with available and

reliable relevant information as well as the required professional integrity. Ayee (2000)

centred on appropriate Wizards but Peterson (1998) opined that there are two classes of

wizard: the appropriate and inappropriate wizards. According to Ayee(2000) Wizards are the

linchpin to public policy; they have the ability to make a policy succeed or fail, turn a

moribund organization into a high-performing one. The roles of Wizards are;

i. Provide a unity of design and implementation.

ii. Help insulate the system in short to medium term.

iii. Provide essential and appropriate resources. Fourth,

iv. Support Saints in management.

v. Improve the short-term productivity organization (Amanor-Larte, 2019).

Wizards can be primarily successful when they have access to reliable information (Ayee,

2000). Peterson (1998) asserts that inappropriate Wizards are those policy analysts lacking

the needed skills and the expertise of the appropriate wizards. The inappropriate wizards have

some skills but their skills are narrow, shallow and inappropriate to the success of public

policies (Amanor-Larte, 2019).

The wizards are the technical agents with the required expertise in the policy making and

implementation process. They have the necessary skills and information to turn the policy

objectives into workable programmes and projects for the achievement of public good. The

roles of the wizards include the provision of support to the saints. The support is provided

through research and analysis of data for effective policy implementation. The wizards being

the experts in their areas, provide concrete strategies to the saints to be able to function

efficiently (Amanor-Larte, 2019).

Some members of the wizardry group are the Departmental Heads, Technical Advisors, and

Special Assistants etc. The wizards have an important attribute of professional integrity. The

wizards, as the technical agents, should be able to professionally advise the saints on the

feasibility of policy objectives based on facts.

In relation to the failure of Free Delivery Care in Ghana the 'wizards' lacked appropriate skills

in policy implementation which is inextricably intertwined with policy design (Hogwood and

Gunn, 1984). In this regard, their poor policy design, low technical knowledge and

managerial skills (Grindle and Thomas, 1991), well as inappropriate policy instruments

negatively impacted the need to have made constant provision for capital injection or

minimal fee charges payable by the poor, to sustain the reform.

Wizards refer to appropriate or supportive policy analysts such as bureaucrats, resources and

available reliable information. These bureaucrats are partially supportive of policy, and lack
capacity to execute policy. Sabatier and Mazmanian also posit that policy fails when

implementation process is unable to win compliance due to inadequate resources,

inappropriate policy instruments, and poor discretion of street-level bureaucrats and

recalcitrance of implementing officials. In similar vein, Hogwood and Gunn intimate that

perfect implementation requires a realistic timeline, enough resources, also staff training,

infrastructure, equipment, technical expertise and information (Grindle and Thomas, 1991).

Thus, policy fails because the wizards are inappropriate.

Demons

Demons are the most difficult o identify in the public policy implementation (Ayee, 2000).

According to Peterson (1998) asserts that Demons in policy cycle are the antagonistic and

lethargic group in the policy cycle. They are usually a small group of public officials that

partake in nefarious activities that could impede the saints and the wizards working to their

optimal levels in the public policy process. The way they operate makes them extremely

dangerous to the implementation of policies as they obstruct the process. Their main object is

to gain through illegal means to the detriment of the success of public policy. Some of their

foul activities are bribery, cronyism, fraud, embezzlement and other corrupt practices. Their

activities undermine the effectiveness and success of public policy implementation (Amanor-

Larte, 2019).

The demons are the hostile and apathetic, yet very destructive group in the policy cycle. They

are not interested in the achievement of the policy goals to the benefit of the general public.

Their interest in the policy process is self-centred. They seek their personal gains to the

detriment of the public good. The demons are simply put, the corrupt public officials at all

levels of the political and bureaucratic hierarchy. They could be high political office holder or
technical staff. All that matter to such, are their personal benefits from public policies and

programmes.

In relation to the failure of Free Delivery Care in Ghana in 2003 the Demons are the health

providers that reverted to collection of fees. The health providers did not show 'perfect

obedience' and 'perfect control' to authority (Hogwood and Gunn, 1984). The policy did not

enjoy support from these groups of health providers who as stakeholders were somewhat

required to be supportive at all stages of the policy process. Unfortunately, these stakeholders

were not supportive resulting in its failure. The health providers became demons as they are

meant to be supportive of programs that save lives but were more interested in their revenue.

Demons are hostile and apathetic groups completely opposed to policy, failure occurs when

these groups cannot be managed. Sabatier and Mazmanian maintain policy fails due to

unsupportive interest groups and government agencies, while Hogwood and Gunn (1984)

indicate that implementation requires total support by all stakeholders, agreement to policy

objectives, well as full compliance to authority or policy makers, absence of these condition

potent failures to policy. Policy fails because the demons are many.

System

The system is the total political, social and economic contexts within which the policy cycle

is situated. According to Amanor-Larte (2019) the system defines how the policy is made,

the influences and the expectations of the recipients or beneficiaries of the public policy. The

system capsules all the factors that ensure policies can be implemented whether successfully

or not (Amanor-Larte, 2019).

Systems evoke a sense of insulation of the policy environment from the vagaries of

implementation according to the SWDS model. Sabatier and Mazmanian refer to systems as
constraints, constitute uncertain socio-economic contexts, which undermine either political

support and/ or the causal theory. Hogwood and Gunn similarly note, that perfect

implementation would require absence of external obstacles in physical or political forms.

Physical obstacles from the environment such as drought or disease affect agricultural

policies. Relatively, political setbacks such as opposition from party activists, interest groups,

civil society, military and other key stakeholders say high income earning individuals like

Jeff Bezos within the larger sphere of society may have the power to veto against policy,

resulting in its failure. Here, policy fail or succeed because the systems are complex and the

implementation organisations are weak.

Conclusion

The right combination of saints, wizards, demons and systems will result in successful policy

implementation. Success and failure of public projects does not happen without the Saints,

Wizards, Demons and Systems taking blame. Although, they play varied roles in the

implementation of public policy and programs their appropriate combination is critical.

Failure of Saints and Wizards to combine appropriately would lead to failure. Even if the

Wizards and Saints work well the Demons are there to impede the success of the project. The

effect of Demons on success and failure of projects are meant to be minimized.

System is the combination of all factors that ensure the success or failure of a project. Even

when the Wizards and Saints work well and Demons are managed the System determines the

final outcome of the project. The system at a particular time may not be favourable.

Unforeseen circumstances play a powerful role in the success or failure of a policy regardless

of how well the policy was developed and planned.

Just like the 2003 free delivery care policy failure. The saints failed to do their best in

supervising, the wizards lacked the expertise and the demons prevailed and poor combination

of factors the policy could not succeed in the system. If the situations were different; the

Saints had supervised the policy design properly taking into consideration all appropriate

information. Wizards had acquired the requisite skills to lead the implementation of the

project. And the effects of Demons undermining the policy detected earlier on the policy

would have had a chance to succeed.

In sum however, policies fail if the saints are few, the wizards are inappropriate, the demons

are many and the systems are complex, while the organizations that initiate policy are weak,

they succeed if the inverse is true (Aryee, 2000).

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