ZAMBIA CAMPUS

WEEK 4 ASSESSMENT POINT 1

NAME: EDWARD MABAY

ID NO: R1811D6738014
DEPARTMENT: PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION
MODULE: UU-MPA-7040-ZM-16435
EMAIL: edwardmabay484@gmail.com
CONTACT NO: +23276315718
TUTOR: KOMBE MERCY KAPATAMOYO

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 MPA – 7040 – ZM – 16435 - GOVERNANCE AND PUBLIC POLICY

WEEK 4 ASSIGMNEMT POINT 1.

TABLE OF CONTENT

PAGES

COVER PAGE…………………………………………………………………………..1

TABLE OF CONTENT………………………………………………………………….2

INTRODUCTION………………………………………………………………………..2

IMPORTANCE OF GOVERNANCE IN THE FORMATION OF PUBLIC POLICY….4

IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS OF PUBLIC POLICY IN SIERRA LEONE……..…..4

FACTORS AFFECTING IMPLEMENTATION PROCESS OF PUBLIC POLICY IN

SIERRA LEONE…………………………………………………………..……………….6

CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………….………....8

REFRENCES…………………………………………………………………..……….…..9

INTRODUCTION

According to Milward and Provan (2000), they state that governance is eventually interested
with inventing the requirements for agreed principle and collective action. Governance points to
the process of developing the style of ruling where dividing lines betwixt and among public and
private organizations have been obscured. Governance meaning is somewhat opposed
vehemently in the scholar environment, but the essential conception of governance is that there is
requirement for certain order of aggregate decision making to guide the course of the society.
This functionalism concept of governance stresses that though the market might be thorough
machinery in creating personal decisions, there is requirement to create some choices for the
community at large. Moreover, the choices might require considering the radius of mannish
esteems, not just pertaining to an economy, and as well try to reconcile the controls from a radius
of players. The concept of governance accordingly is the provision of the means of combined
guiding course of action for the economy and the society. This guiding course of action is
normally connected with governments, and structured organizations of the public. The source of
the term governance, as well as government, came out of a Greek word to steer. Making policy
for the public is an important part of governance. According to Landi (2008) states that the major
power that government has in enforcing the steer functions is making policy and implementing

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them. Dina (2013) in his statement pointed out one major significant differentiating make-up
betwixt governance and other classes of social action like markets, to be the idea of collaborative
objectives and the state of being central to steer. He further went on to say that, the market as an
example of other classes of social action supposes individual’s objectives are enough, or that
objectives come forth by interacting, whereas, governance notion supposes that objectives come
forth by collaborative choices of few type. Anderson (2010) gave the definition of public policy
to be a particular purpose of taking actions in line with player or set of players to deal with an
issue or concerning matters. Furthermore, Stewat, Hedge, & Lester (2008) gave their definitions
of public policy to be a sequence or pattern of governmental operations or choices which are
planned in solving social issues. In public policy, governance is amongst other items which
include participatory, transparency and accountableness. It ensures effectiveness and equitability,
and promotes the rule of law. Governance makes sure that political, social and economic needs
are prioritized on the bases of widespread agreement among members of the community and also
ensures that cry of those in poverty and in defenseless state are considered in decision making
during the distribution of resources for development. Governance itself has three legs which are:
economic, political and administrative. Economic governance takes into consideration decision
making mechanisms which influence a nation’s economic operations and the interactions with
other economies. Economic governance plainly mas major implicating effect for justice, state of
being poor and life’s quality. Political governance looks into the set of procedures of making
decision to form a policy. Administrative governance deals purely with the systems of
implementing policy. Embracing the three together, good governance expresses the set
procedures and formations which control political and socioeconomic interactions. Governance
encircles the state, but it actually surpasses the state through enclosing the private sector and civil
society organizations.

Public policy is a guidepost to action which entails a wider concept to operate a philosophy,
principle, vision or decision, mandate etc. that change programs from one form to another. For
an adopted policy to be successful, the implementation is of great importance. Policy considered
to be the best is of little value if it lacks proper of successful implementation. Lack of prudent
instruction or guiding principles of implementing policy is one of the challenges of
implementing policy successfully. Distinctly, these directions are assumed to be deduced from
the theory that is assumed to go in line with. Notwithstanding, there is widespread agreement
among bookmen that the field of policy implementation undergoes possible, justifiable, and
commonly admitted satisfactory theories. According to Hill & Hupe (2014), it is mentioned that,
the field of policy implementation maybe, there is no full-fledged mental conception as
compared to Durkheim’s Sociological conjecture of social instability or other identical category
of theoretic enlightenment. Goggin, Bowman, Lester, & O’Toole (1990) pointed out one reason
for not having a magnificent mental concept to be the field is yet in it infant stage, and for the
past years, the discipline is neglected in the broader sphere of public administration that restrict
the theoretic development of the field. Furthermore, Stewart et al. (2008) stated that
implementing a specific policy is very much context explicit since it hang on political, social,

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economic, organizational and attitudinal factors which control the way policy is implemented,
and as well differs significantly over time, throughout policies, and from one nation to another.
For example, to implement a policy in any nation with democracy is usually examined by sundry
custodians, on the other hand, in nation with autocracy, it is easier for policy implementation
since custodians are not much considered.

Importance of Governance in the Formation of Public Policy

Bekke, et al. (1995) stated that, the significance of governance, and it almost all burdensome
appearance based on it criticisms is focusing on mechanical means which do not base on seeking
advice to the authorities and sanction of the governments. The essence of public governance is
decisive for determining the outcome of policy. According to Barrett (2002), he stated that in
practicing better public governance, the key is the effectiveness in integrating the major
fundamentals of corporate governance amidst a whole basic conceptual structure that require
effectiveness in communicating across the whole institution and aided by a collective custom of
accountableness, quality of being transparent, obligation and uprightness. In order to address
public sector corporate governance effectively, public sector should comply with six major
elements and these elements may be divided into two which are: ‘Related to personal quality and
Non- personal quality’. Of the six, the three first elements fall under ‘Related to personal quality’
which are leadership, uprightness and obligation. The remaining three are strategies’ product,
structures, policy rackets and procedures that include: accountableness, integration and being
transparent. Effectively reaching public sector corporate governance, every public organization
must assure these six elements.
Formulating and implementing amicably policy will allure and patronize the nationals to involve
in economic and political actions in a free manner amidst the limits of national policy. The even
action of economic and political operations will assure social command. According to Sharma,
Sadana and Kaur (2013), the viewed that good governance institutes the rule of law, strengthens
an agreements among people, upholds law and order, assures safety to individuals, avoiding
wastages in resources, defends governments, and in a proper manner renders utilities to the
nation. Governance also ascertains a best standard of governments and utilizes government’s
resources in an ideal possibility.
The element of good governance is the implementation of guiding road or adoption of
frameworks on an aware policies by the previous government, although it will be done in a
different style by the current administration. Governance entails effort of everyone to be applied.
It requires all means and mechanisms of people and public organizations to handle with skills the
usual issues for the benefit of the public and the nation as a whole.

Implementation of the Process of Public Policies in Sierra Leone

Implementing policy is the number four step in the circle of policy which follow directly after
the laws have been past, or the activity which will be considered in putting the agreed laws to
action gearing towards the solution of the identified problems. Implementation of policy may be
regarded as procedure in effecting the decisions of the government. Although there are practical
interaction, policy implementation is necessary in making mental conception distinct from the
policy implementing process and the positive results of the policy. According to Muhammed

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(2014), he classified in a summary form the implementation of public policy to be collectively
working together (collaborative), acting with each other (interactive) and having the spirit of
entrepreneur (entrepreneurial).

Taking the first category which is collaboration into consideration, jointly executing some goals
as a group, and integrate the endeavors of every participant by facilitating and maintaining a
concentrated mind and combined action is a prerequisite in policy implementation. The idea of
patterning is largely admitted as an implement which combines people, team and institutions
together from various departments for a collective pursuance and attainment of mutual
objectives. Furthermore, according to Muhammed (2014), he affirms that partnership occurs
among governmental institutions, civil society organizations, private sector organizations, etc.
wherein the common goal is to apportion costs, negative outcomes and advantages in the
implementation of public policy that gears towards good public governance.

For instance, the Free Quality Education policy in Sierra Leone as an example of implementation
process is currently on course where various ministries and organizations such as the Ministry of
Education, the Sierra Leone Police Force, the Anti-corruption Commission of Sierra Leone, Civil
Society Organizations etc. are collaboratively working to ensure that the policy past by the
government yields its required purpose. These organizations with a common goal are working
together for the implementation of the public policy adopted by the current government.
Irrespective of the issues arising due to collaboration, as Muhammed (2014) puts it, that problem
solving as a common goal is pivotal point of competence in collaboration which forms the bases
of foundation to effectively collaborate in enhancing public governance and supporting public
leadership to be able to respond and strategize in combating against the intricate issues of policy
implementation.

Another strategy in the implementation process of the Quality Free Education in Sierra Leone is
People relations skills. These organizations have effective, enabled and conducive relationships
among themselves that has greatly enhanced the implementation. With this I mean because of the
effective, enabling and conducive relationships, the capability in communicating with each other
in establishing mutual intelligence and collective endeavor towards the establishment of policy
goals is a necessity in policy implementation. For example the Anti-corruption Commission and
the police together with the Ministry of Education are unanimously monitory that no fees are
paid, monies are not received by school authorities for any service, civil society organizations
engaged in community sensitizations that nobody is to pay for anything to school authorities
without the approval of government.

Another very important personality in the implementation of public policies in Sierra Leone is
the community stakeholders. When stakeholders involve and participate in the policy
implementation, their resources, skills and various knowledge are brought in the process that
may serve as opportunities in mobilizing the necessitated personnel and facilitating the
advantageous usage of the provided resources. As a result, step by step involving stakeholders to

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participate will greatly ensures a nation’s capability in implementing policy. Thus, in the
implementation of the government’s Free Quality Education policy, community stakeholders are
highly engaged putting their own resources to make sure the policy is adhered to. In fact as a
result of this, what was called Parents and Teachers Association (PTA) Meeting is now called
Community and Teachers Association (CTA) Meeting. In this meeting before, parents and
teachers dialog to determine the wellbeing of their children and the school and in most cases,
parents are at the mercies of the teachers, but now, the community stakeholders are in charged
and the chairperson of curse is always a key community stakeholder whose child or ward may
not even be attending in that particular school, and policies are highly observed in such meetings
now.

Factors Affecting the Implementation Process of Public Policies in Sierra Leone.

As it is mentioned earlier on that policy may be adopted, went through all the processes, laws
past, but if it is not implemented, we cannot boast of a policy. There are many factors that affect
the implementation process of public policies in Sierra Leone and below are some of these
factors:

The Sociopolitical Context and Democracy

Political factors occur in every steps of implementing policy process. The choices of those that
implement policy will decide needs to be met, how will they be met, and what result to be
esteemed are ascertained in fraction by social and political factors. Notwithstanding the else
transform processes debated and furnish examiners a clear viewpoint in changing set procedures
in a general form, the way policy implementation analysis is emphasized and understood by the
sociopolitical view also set policy implementation. One of the outcomes of networked
implementing systems is the involvement of greater number of third party institutional players in
the processes of implementation. Taking that every player brings his or her own worth, interests,
and objectives and that of his institution, implementation is more and more being explained by
sociopolitical set procedures of negotiating, compromising, and engagement. As DeGroff and
Cargo (2009) rightly put it that differences in authority are avoidable in implementation
processes, and some players can possess better control than others as a result of divergences in
prestige, achievements, official power, accessibility to information, and skill.

This indeed happened in the policy of unbundling the National Power Authority into two entities,
The Electricity Generation and Transmission Company (EGTC) and the Electricity Distribution
and Supply Authority (EDSA) in Sierra Leone. People with higher status, resources, formal
authority, access to information and expertise influenced those without, which is causing a lot of
discrepancies in the implementation process.

Governance Network

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The connections and interactions that exist between the implementing actors in the
implementation process are getting intricate everyday as more modernized structured approaches
are adopted. The systems of organization which admit policy images in conforming their shapes
like a real world action are of paramount interest. The implementation of policy aspect demands
an examiner to face a multiple world organizational agents whose cooperation and coordination
are required for the success of policy implementation.

The Content of the Policy

To implement a policy is highly determined by the interest that affect the ingredient of the
program to a point at which implementing policies seek to introducing changes in social,
political and economic relationships. Members that think their interests will be disadvantaged by
the adopted policy definitely will undermine it implementation, and on the other hand, members
with favored interests will highly support the implementation. For instance, the Commission of
Inquiry Policy adopted by the current government of Sierra Leone is highly opposed by the
previous government because it does not favor them and has brought some conflicts among the
members of parliament and the citizens as a whole.

Program Implementation

The activeness of the expertise and the staff the implementation agency have determine to a
larger extend the support that high caliber politicians achieved by implementing agency and
larger access to resources it has, the wider the chance for implementing agency to put into
practice policies in a successful way. For example, the implementation of the Sierra Leone Road
Safety Authority (SLRTA) policy has gained popularity in the nation due to the active experts
and personnel they have.

The Context of Policy

Implementing public policy entails divers players at various stages, every player possessing a
specific concern in the policy. As a result, power base and mechanisms of players involving in
implementing the policy may affect the sequence of implementation. The distinguishing features
of divers organizations and management systems including the complying custom of the people
have in an equal proportion control the implementing processes and the responses of the people.

Environmental Factors

These factors can either control or be controlled by the implementation of public policy.
Environmental factors can be imagined of as a kind pressurizing passage where the
implementation or policy should be constrained. Various programs are implemented in various
cultures, social, political and economic conditions. For instance, the policy against Female
Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Sierra Leone is adhered to only in major cities of the nation, and

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minor cities, towns and villages is highly kicked against despite intensive sanitizations due to the
cultural and social environments.

Disposition of Implementers and Bypassing of Channels

Those that implement policies are very key in the successes and failures of the policy. Their
positions are of paramount importance. The corrupted tendencies of these implementers (public
officials and politicians) in a conniving process with private entities and people have climax
results in implementing policy effectively in Sierra Leone. Corrupt practices have escalated
every life and society in the country. Some implementing organizations have got records of
being corrupted and as a result, policy implementation processes are negatively influenced.

Policy Standards, Objectivity and Task

Lots of policies in Sierra Leone need involving various actors and various steps of governments.
Some of the agencies lack clear definition and responsibility and coordination, and as such, there
is always conflict of interest in their operations.

For example, the policy of outsourcing vehicle examination and inspection of licenses from the
Sierra Leone Police to the Sierra Leone Road Transport Authority is often and again facing some
issues of what and who is responsible for such and such task.

Conclusion

Public policy that must be in a continuous reformulation and adoption of experiences, pertinent
researches and modifying incidences, requires the based fundamental realities and cognizance.
Wider experiences of the public administrators and their junior staff that obtain very deep
knowledge in public policy, relying on the authenticity, accomplish and how understandable
their information is, the way it is presented to politicians and lawmakers are important factors
that influence the policy.

Significantly, successful policy implementation should be examined in the setting of specific

issues and extremely important factors that affect policy implementation changes, and policies
that are prone to success are not all the time seen. Consistent and close supervision course of
events on a continuous base will majorly help the achievement of objectives.

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References

Anderson J.A, (2010) Public Versus Private Managers: How Public and Private Managers differ
in Leadership Behavior.

Anisur Rahman Khan (2016) Policy Implementation: Some Aspects and Issues.

Brynard, P.A: Mapping the Factors that Influence Policy Implementation.

Chris Landsberg, Challenges of Policy and Implementation.

Hill & Hupe (2014) Studing Implementation Beyond Deficit Analysis: The Top-down View

Martin Surya Mulyadi (2012) The importance of Corporate Governance in Public Sector.

Milward and Provan (2000): Governing the Hollow State: Challenges and Dilemmas for Public
Sector Cooperation.

Muhammad, F. (2014) Leadership, Governance and Public Policy Implementation Competencies

in the Broader Public Sector.

Peters, B.G (2009) Governance Through the Political System: Making and Implementing Policy.

Sharma, M.P., Sadana, B.L. and Kaur, H. (2013) The Role of Governance Development
Administration in National Development.

Sierra Leone Land Policy.

Tebele, M.M. (2016) Problems and Challenges related to Public Policy Implementation within
the South African Democratic Dispensation.

Unicaf Week 1, 2, 3 and 4 Reading Materials.