ABSTRACT
Parsons’s quote above points a finger at the real problem with policy and its implementation in Western polities today. The problem is that we have been, and remain, focused on the nature of the policy itself, and the evidence for justifying its existence. Yes, this is important, but it is only part of the story. The bigger part of the story, which remains largely ignored, is about ‘rational reasons’ and ‘arguments’ as to how the policy is (a) actually developed, (b) framed in the policy documents and structures so as to maximise its impact and sustainability, (c) implemented, and (d) concurrently evaluated along a number of ‘measures’ of effectiveness. Such a narrow focus on ‘having a policy’ as opposed to the remainder of the policy process does, however, explain why we have to date been more preoccupied with evidence for justification as opposed to evidence for the larger, and arguably, most important part of policy – its enactment.
