ABSTRACT
This chapter explores some central theories about the organisational processes through which national policy is interpreted and adjusted before it is implemented locally. It reviews the literature on policy implementation. The chapter explores the issues for organisational development (OD) that seem to arise from this literature. In the 1970s, there was a period of intense focus on policy implementation, which began with the famous work of Pressman and Wildavsky. Many take one of two perspectives, representing either a 'top-down' or 'bottom-up' approach to actual and/or desirable policy implementation. The OD interventions must be sufficiently generic that they are likely to work across a range of policy initiatives and organisational settings. If much of the popularity of OD is due to its apparent importance in supporting policy implementation, then it is incumbent upon OD practitioners to have an account of the overall role of OD in this area, regardless of the specific theoretical orientation of particular practitioners.
