Implementation: How Great Expectations in Washington Are Dashed in Oakland; Or, Why It's Amazing that Federal Programs Work at All, This Being a Saga of the Economic Development Administration as Told by Two Sympathetic Observers Who Seek to Build Morals on a FoundationThis book confronts the widespread impression that policy or program implementation should be easy, arguing instead that implementation, even under the best of circumstances, is exceedingly difficult. Using the Oakland Project as a case study, this book discusses each stage of the process of implementation, demonstrating that completion of what might seem to be a simple sequence of events will in fact depend on a complex chain of reciprocal interactions. Each part of the chain must be built with the others in view, so the separation of policy design from implementation is fatal. The first four chapters illustrate the movement from simplicity to complexity. Chapter 5 discusses the number of decision points throughout the process, giving an indication of the magnitude of the task. Chapter 6 examines why project targets may be set even if they are unlikely to be met, considering both the position of those who set targets -- top federal officials who wish large accomplishments from small resources in a short time -- and those who must implement them -- career bureaucrats and local participants characterized by high needs and low cohesion. The last chapter discusses the relationship between the evaluation of programs and the study of their implementation, arguing that tendencies to assimilate the two should be resisted. |
Contents
APPEARANCES | 1 |
FORMULATING POLICY | 7 |
TRIALS OF IMPLEMENTATION | 35 |
BUSINESS LOANS | 70 |
THE COMPLEXITY OF JOINT ACTION | 87 |
LEARNING FROM EXPERIENCE | 125 |
ECONOMIC THEORY AND PROGRAM | 147 |
IMPLEMENTATION AS EVOLUTION 1979 | 163 |
WHAT SHOULD EVALUATION MEAN | 181 |
IMPLEMENTATION AS MUTUAL | 183 |
EDA CHRONOLOGY | 257 |
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Common terms and phrases
Aaron Wildavsky achieve action adaptation administrative affirmative action agreement Alameda County Amory Bradford ANGELA BROWNE approved April behavior bureaucratic business loans causal Charles Luckman clearances construction cost create decision points delay difficult Economic Development EDA Oakland EDA officials EDA program EDA public EDA Washington EDA's effective employment plan evaluation experience facilities financing firm Floyd Hunter Foley funds goals gram hangar project hiring Ibid imple implementation analysis implementation process initial interest involved Karras labor learning marine terminal mayor ment mentation minority National Oakland Health Center Oakland program Oakland Project Oakland Tribune objectives organization organizational outcomes participants Paul Berman percent policy analysis political Port of Oakland port's potential problems proposal Public Policy recipients region revolving restaurant Ross Davis Rube Goldberg social staff tion training program U.S. Senate unemployed urban West Oakland Health Western Area Office World Airways