The DOI matches its Crossref record.
Time for a revival? Public policy implementation: a review of the literature and an agenda for future research
Abstract
This paper argues that there is not a vigorous contemporary literature in the UK which addresses implementation studies as part of the public policy process, whereas this is not the case in the USA. A review of the literature is presented, and a critique of the more traditional thematic groupings used to review the literature is given. A revised thematic review of the literature is presented based on the four themes of: (1) the role of knowledge and learning in policy implementation; (2) the processes of policy implementation; (3) the role of actors and agents in implementation; and (4) the role of bureaucratic discretion. The paper argues for a revival of research into public policy implementation and suggests a research agenda for the future which can use the aforementioned themes from the literature.
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“Rather, there are multiple actors involved, often with different interpretations of central policy objectives and with varying degrees of discretion (Schofield, 2001) which creates scope for an implementation 'gap' or 'deficit' to emerge between policy objectives contained within legislation and practice at street level (Pressman & Wildavsky, 1973;Ham & Hill, 1986).”
From Mind the implementation gap? Police reform and local policing in the Netherlands and Scotland (2015) · cites this paper as Schofield, 2001
Citations
Cited by
What happens on the ground: Persistent issues in implementation research
Hupe, P. (2014) · Public Policy and Administration · doi:10.1177/0952076713518339 · Cited by 146
Mind the implementation gap? Police reform and local policing in the Netherlands and Scotland
Terpstra, J., & Fyfe, N. R. (2015) · Criminology & Criminal Justice · doi:10.1177/1748895815572162 · Cited by 66
Suphanchaimat, R., Pudpong, N., Prakongsai, P., Putthasri, W., Hanefeld, J., & Mills, A. (2019) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph16061016 · Cited by 37
Metadata
- Authors
- Schofield, J.
- Affiliations
- Aston University (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Schofield, Jill
- Venue
- International Journal of Management Reviews
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2001-09
- Volume
- 3
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 245-263
- ISSN
- 1460-8545 (ISSN-L)
- 1468-2370
- OpenAlex
- W2107754042
- Cited by
- 220
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 14 · 2022: 17 · 2021: 16 · 2020: 12 · 2019: 11 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 17 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 12 · 2012: 11
- FWCI
- 3.91
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International Journal of Management Reviews (publishedVersion)
- Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Public Administration › Public Policy and Administration Research
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Policy Transfer and Learning
- Social Sciences › Political Science and International Relations › Public Administration in Developing Nations
- Keywords
- public policy implementation, implementation research, policy implementation process, administrative discretion, research agenda
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- CoChat. (2026). Citation check: Time for a revival? Public policy implementation: a review of the literature and an agenda for future research. https://app.cochat.ai/papers/10.1111/1468-2370.00066
- The paper
- Schofield, J. (2001). Time for a revival? Public policy implementation: a review of the literature and an agenda for future research. International Journal of Management Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1111/1468-2370.00066
