The Impact of poor Policy Implementation

INTRODUCTION

A policy is a set of guidelines that a government or organisation uses to achieve rational outcomes. It is a statement of intent and is a basis for making decisions, in politics, economics, or business entity. It is imperative for government to use policies to solve societal problems through effective service delivery, support government institutions and encourage active citizenship.(Hill & Varone ,2017)

Public policy features include:

Which approaches to use to realise them
The goals for their formulation
Contents for the policy
Tools contained in the policy for easy implementation

Policies are therefore intended to achieve goals and purposes intended, which ultimately helps to solve societal challenges. Policy may also be used to correct an undesirable situation (discipline), improve an existing suboptimal situation or motivation of employees. (Almeida & Gomes, 2018).

The Republic of South Africa also uses different public policies which are sarcastically referred to as the best in Africa and better than in most countries world-wide. This sarcasm is a result of poor and many a time non-implementation of these policies. Public policies focus on a specific sphere of society e.g., health, education, safety and security etc. thus, poor implementation of these policies by almost all government departments and institutions are the main stumbling blocks to good service delivery in South Africa. A policy uses tools or instruments in the content to resolve challenges or target certain outcomes in the public sector. Tools normally used are taxes, regulations, services, budgets, information or grants.

The question still hoovering the minds of many South Africans is whether the government can meet the envisaged 2030 Millennium Development Goals within a spate all the challenges it faces as a result of this poor implementation of the very instruments that were meant to realise these goals. Challenges facing South Africa include poverty, crime, unemployment to mention but a few. What happened to the Reconstruction and Development Policy (RDP), Growth Employment and Redistribution, Accelerated and Shared Growth Initiative in South Africa (ASGISA), and New Partnership for Africa’s Development? All these policies had good intentions to resolve the many issues the country faces but, does the lack of visible progress as a result of the construction of these policies? To the contrary, the main issue leading to failure of all these good , well composed policies was caused by only one thing, poor implementation of these policies.

SERVICE DELIVERY PROTRESTS

Since the year 2019, South Africa has experienced many service delivery protests by communities in municipalities. The protests are mainly as a result of lack of water, issues with sanitation, lack of electricity supply, poor maintenance of the road infrastructure and many more community grievances. The Municipal Systems Act (MSA), Municipal Structures Act and the Municipal Finance Management Act (MFMA) are good policies with good intentions that if followed to the letter, could help municipalities to avoid many of the protests they face almost monthly. Municipalities however, annually receive negative audit reports most of which resulting from non-adherence to policy stipulations as demanded by the MFMA. This negatively affect the budget allocation to municipalities. Municipalities fail to follow the policy on supply chain management.

South Africa experienced almost over 900 service delivery protests in just six months according to SA Police minister, Mr. Bheki Cele in response to a parliamentary question from the Freedom Front Plus Member of Parliament (MP) Mr. SF Du Toit. All these, as a result of no implementation of available policies by municipalities. Poor implementation of policies like

the White Paper on Local Government (1998) which emphatically entrust municipalities with the right to have access to adequate sources of revenue so that they may be financially viable. This enables them to undertake responsibilities assigned to them. Failure to do this will undermine their financial viability.

POLICY AND SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

Public expenditure of budgets allocated to municipalities need to prioritise solving of problems experienced by these entities.(Park, Park & Maher, 2018) Since resources are scarce, municipalities need to use financial resources efficiently. This is in order to satisfy as many unlimited needs of society. Municipalities use a mechanism called supply chain management(SCM). A Supply Chain Management policy is a system to manage the procurement and deployment of goods and services for solving of problems experienced within an organisation like a municipality.(Amber,2016). This mechanism is useful in enhancing service delivery in the public sector. However, questions often asked by communities is whether municipal officials follow correct SCM Policy guidelines? Often corruption is the buzz word used to express poor implementation of policies on SCM. SCM policies can actually enhance service delivery capabilities of municipalities.

Although a number of studies have been conducted on the concept of SCM in both the private and public sectors, there does not seem to be any work done on the impact and challenges of implementing an SCM policy in the public sector, much less within the context of law enforcement.

Skills needed by policy makers

As we continue to try improving service delivery within our public sector, it is very imperative that we look at equipping the staff that will be responsible with the implementation of policy for that to become more effective in their roles.

Understanding the goals of the policy will help the implementers understand the expectations and capabilities required so one can align themselves to the objectives. There are various skills that we can teach these individuals which are given below but not limited to the ones suggested:

Data analysis – ability to dissect complex information and interpret it
Critical thinking and creativity – good thinking, questioning of information and being innovative can be used to aid decision making especially in an environment where less supervision is required
Persuasive communication – Learn how to convey information in a clear and engaging manner both written and verbal
Collaboration – have an understanding of working in groups and how best to manage output of each member
Research – ability to conduct independent research through in-depth reading and collection of information

TIPS FOR CREATING AND IMPLEMENTING EFFECTIVE POLICY MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA

The could be more effective and efficient community engagement by involving a wider base of relevant stakeholders who may be, directly or indirectly involved.

A greater level of consultation with stakeholder will create a more inclusive culture tp policy adoption and enabled more buy-in to the policy formulation and implementation processes.

The policies need to be linked to the Integrated Development Plan to ensure that the policy creates the inputs which are correctly transformed into the key deliverable areas to ensure the best possible outcome is attained.

There need to be clearly defined obligations for all the parties involved in the policy development and execution to ensure the effective and efficient policy execution.

The policies need to be realistic linked to the Integrated Development Plan to ensure that the policy creates the inputs which are correctly transformed into the key deliverable areas to ensure the best possible outcome is attained.

More training around policy making could be implemented from a secondary school level to ensure the links and integration of policies to grow the country and terms of delivering the key strategic outcomes.

Key strategies to enhance policy implementation and enforcement include building community members’ and local leaders’ understanding of their responsibilities in implementing community conservation policies and increasing the capacity of government policies.

References
Adler, A. & Seligman, M.E.P., 2016, ‘Using wellbeing for public policy: Theory, measurement, and recommendations’, International Journal of Wellbeing 6(1), 1–35. https://doi.org/10.5502/ijw.v6i1.429

Almeida, L.D.A. & Gomes, R.C., 2018, ‘The process of public policy: Literature review, theoretical reflections and suggestions for future research’, EBAPE.BR 16(3), 444–455. https://doi.org/10.1590/1679-395164108

Ambe, I.M., 2016, ‘Insight into supply chain management in a municipal context’, Public and Municipal Finance 5(2), 20–29. https://doi.org/10.21511/pmf.5(2).2016.02

Ambe, I.M. & Badenhorst-Weiss, J.A., 2011, ‘Managing and controlling public sector supply chains’, viewed 23 December 2018, from IntechOpen.com.

Ambe, I.M. & Badenhorst-Weiss, J.A., 2012, ‘Supply chain management challenges in the South African public sector’, African Journal of Business Management 6(44), 11003–11014. https://doi.org/10.5897/AJBM12.360

Batley, R. & Mcloughlin, C., 2015, ‘Engagement with non-state service providers in fragile states: Reconciling state-building and service delivery’, Development Policy Review 28(2), 131–154. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-7679.2010.00478.x

Beltagui, A., Sigurdsson, K., Candi, M. & Riedel, J.K.C.H., 2017, ‘Articulating the service concept in professional service firms’, Journal of Service Management 28(3), 593–616. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-10-2015-0299

Bizana, N., Naude, M.J. & Ambe, I.M., 2015, ‘Supply chain management as a contributory factor to local government service delivery in South Africa’, Journal of Contemporary Management 12, 664–683.

Blecher, E., Thomas, K., Smith, L., De Villiers, P. & Muradzikwa, S., 2013, Economics, 2nd edn., Oxford University Press Southern Africa, Cape Town.

Bryman, A., Bell, E., Hirschsohn, A., dos Santos, J., du Toit, A. & Masenge, A., 2017, Research Methodology: Business and Management Contexts, Oxford University Press of Southern Africa, Cape Town.

Caddy, I.N. & Helou, M.M., 2007, ‘Supply chains and their management: Application of general systems theory’, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services 14, 319–327. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2006.12.001

Casadesus, M. & De Castro, R., 2005, ‘How improving quality improves supply chain management: Empirical study’, The TQM Magazine 17(4), 345–357. https://doi.org/10.1108/09544780510603189

Chang, C.L. & Lin, T.-C., 2015, ‘The role of organizational culture in the knowledge management process’, Journal of Knowledge Management 19(3), 433–455. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-08-2014-0353

Chen, J.S. & Tsou, H.T., 2015, ‘Service delivery innovation: Antecedents and impact on firm performance’, Journal of Service Research 12(1), 36–55. https://doi.org/10.1177/1094670509338619

Chicksand, D., Watson, G. & Walker, H., 2012, ‘Theoretical perspectives in purchasing and supply chain management: an analysis of the literature’, Supply Chain Management 17(4), 454–472.

Chimusoro, O., Fourie, C.J., Chimusoro, I., Twala, M. & Tshabalala, N.G., 2017, ‘The impact of supply chain management in the operations of a passenger rail transport system: A case analysis of passenger rail transport from 2009 to 2015’, Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences 8(2), 47–56. https://doi.org/10.5901/mjss.2017.v8n2p47

Civilian Secretariat for Police, 2016, White paper on policing, Government Printer, Republic of South Africa, Pretoria.

Considine, M., 2012, ‘Thinking outside the box? Applying design theory to public policy’, Politics and Policy 40(4), 704–724. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-1346.2012.00372.x

Daniels, N. & Hendrickse, R., 2017, ‘The status of quality management in selected community service centres in the Western Cape, South Africa’, Problems and Perspectives in Management 15(2), 424–435. https://doi.org/10.21511/ppm.15(2-2).2017.11

Department of Public Works, 2008, Supply chain management policy, version 5, Republic of South Africa, Pretoria.

De Smedt, D., Clays, E., Doyle, F., Kotseva, K., Prugger, C. & Pająk, A. et al., 2013, ‘Validity and reliability of the three commonly used quality of life measures in a large

European population of coronary heart disease patients’, International Journal of Cardiology 167, 2294–2299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2012.06.025

Droge, C., Vickery, S.K. & Jacobs, M.A., 2012, ‘Does supply chain integration mediate the relationships between product/process strategy and service performance? An empirical study’, International Journal of Production Economics 137(2), 250–262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpe.2012.02.005

Echenique, F., Lee, S., Shum, M. & Yenmez, M.B., 2013, ‘The revealed preference theory of stable and extremal stable matchings’, Econometrica 81(1), 153–171. https://doi.org/10.3982/ECTA10011

Field, A., 2012, Discovering Statistics Using SPSS, 3rd edn., Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Fischer, F., Miller, G.J. & Sidney, M.S., 2017, Handbook of public policy analysis: Theory, politics, and method, CRC Press, New York, NY.

Flothmann, C.H., 2017, ‘Who manages our supply chains? Backgrounds, competencies and contributions of human resources in supply chain management’, PhD thesis, The Doctoral School of Business and Management, Copenhagen Business School, viewed 23 December 2018, from https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christoph_Floethmann/publication/313405211_Who_Manages_Our_Supply_Chains_Backgrounds_Competencies_and_Contributions_of_Human_Resources_in_Supply_Chain_Management/links/5899aed192851c8bb681be50/Who-Manages-Our-Supply-Chains-Backgrounds-Competencies-and-Contributions-of-Human-Resources-in-Supply-Chain-Management.pdf.

Fourie, C.J. & Chimusoro, O., 2018, ‘An examination of the relationship between supply chain management practices and business performance: A case analysis of a passenger rail company’, South African Journal of Industrial Engineering 29(2), 141–152. https://doi.org/10.7166/29-2-1876

Gomez-Cedeno, M., Castan-Farrero, J.M., Guitart-Tarres, L. & Matute-Vallejo, J., 2015, ‘Impact of human resources on supply chain management and performance’, Industrial Management and Data Systems 115(1), 129–157. https://doi.org/10.1108/IMDS-09-2014-0246

Haselswerdt, J. & Bartels, B.L., 2015, ‘Public opinion, policy tools, and the status quo: Evidence from a survey experiment’, Political Research Quarterly 68(3), 607–621. https://doi.org/10.1177/1065912915591217

Head, B.W. & Alford, J., 2015, ‘Wicked problems: Implications for public policy management’, Administration & Society 47(6), 711–739. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399713481601

European population of coronary heart disease patients’, International Journal of Cardiology 167, 2294–2299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijcard.2012.06.025

Field, A., 2012, Discovering Statistics Using SPSS, 3rd edn., Sage Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.

Fischer, F., Miller, G.J. & Sidney, M.S., 2017, Handbook of public policy analysis: Theory, politics, and method, CRC Press, New York, NY.

Head, B.W. & Alford, J., 2015, ‘Wicked problems: Implications for public policy management’, Administration & Society 47(6), 711–739. https://doi.org/10.1177/0095399713481601

An International Journal, viewed 26 November 2019, from https://doi.org/10.1080/15614263.2019.1644176

Mcloughlin, C., 2015, ‘When does service delivery improve the legitimacy of a fragile or conflict-affected state?’, Governance: An International Journal of Policy, Administration, and Institutions 28(3), 341–356. https://doi.org/10.1111/gove.12091

National Treasury, 2004, Supply chain management: A guide for accounting officers/authorities, Republic of South Africa, Pretoria.

National Treasury, 2015, Public sector supply chain management review, Republic of South Africa, Pretoria.

Naude, M.J.A., 2009, ‘Supply chain management problems experienced by South African Automotive components manufactures’, PhD thesis, University of South Africa, Pretoria.

Ngobese, N., Mason, R.B. & Maharaj, M., 2017, ‘The effect of service delivery in “Community Service Centres”: A case of an emerging economy’, Risk Governance & Control: Financial Markets & Institutions 7(3), 44–54. https://doi.org/10.22495/rgcv7i3p5

Olutola, A.A. & Bello, P.O., 2016, ‘An exploration of the factors associated with public trust in the South African Police Service’, International Journal of Economics and Finance Studies 8(2), 219–236.

Park, J.-H., Park, S. & Maher, C.S., 2018, ‘The effects of tax and expenditure limitations (TELs) on municipal fiscal outcomes during a period of fiscal distress’, Public Finance and Management 18(1), 84–110.

Philips, G. & Green, J., 2015, ‘Working for the public health: Politics, localism and epistemologies of practice’, Sociology of Health and Illness 37(4), 491–505. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12214

Ponsignon, F., Smart, P.A. & Maull, R.S., 2011, ‘Service delivery system design: Characteristics and contingencies’, International Journal of Operations & Production Management 31(3), 324–349. https://doi.org/10.1108/01443571111111946

Rahmawati, A., 2017, ‘Effect of competence on organizational citizenship behaviour and performance management: The impact on organizational citizenship’, The International Journal of Engineering and Science 6(11), 74–85.

Rasul, I. & Rogger, D., 2018, ‘Management of bureaucrats and public service delivery: Evidence from the Nigerian civil service’, The Economic Journal 128(608), 413–446. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecoj.12418

Rendahl, P., 2016, ‘Fiscal policy in an unemployment crisis’, Review of Economic Studies 83(3), 1189–1224. https://doi.org/10.1093/restud/rdv058

Rothmann, S., 2006, ‘Expectations of, and satisfaction with, the South African police service in the North West Province’, Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management 29(2), 211–225. https://doi.org/10.1108/13639510610667637

Samuelson, P.A., 1948, ‘Consumption theory in terms of revealed preference’, Economica 15(60), 243–253. https://doi.org/10.2307/2549561

Schoute, M., Budding, T. & Gradus, R., 2018, ‘Municipalities’ choices of service delivery modes: The influence of service, political, governance, and financial characteristics’, International Public Management Journal 21(4), 502–532. https://doi.org/10.1080/10967494.2017.1297337

Simmons, B.A., Wilson, K.A., Marcos-Martinez, R., Bryan, B.A., Holland, O. & Law, E.A., 2018, ‘Effectiveness of regulatory policy in curbing deforestation in a biodiversity hotspot’, Environmental Research Letters 13(12), 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/aae7f9

Smith, K.B. & Larimer, C.W., 2017, The public policy theory primer, 3rd edn., Routledge, New York, NY.

Weible, C.M. & Cairney, P.C., 2018, ‘Practical lessons from policy theories’, Policy & Politics 46(2), 183–197. https://doi.org/10.1332/030557318X15230059147191

Yu, Q., Yen, D.A., Barnes, B.R. & Huang, Y.-A., 2019, ‘Enhancing firm performance through internal market orientation and employee organisational commitment’, The International Journal of Human Resource Management 30(6), 964–987. https://doi.org/10.1080/09585192.2017.1380059

Zhu, Q., Sarkis, J. & Lai, K.-L., 2017, ‘Regulatory policy awareness and environmental supply chain cooperation in China: A regulatory-exchange-theoretic perspective’, IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management 65(1), 46–58. https://doi.org/10.1109/TEM.2017.2734940

Zwick, E. & Mahon, J., 2017, ‘Tax policy and heterogeneous investment behaviour’, American Economic Review 107(1), 217–248. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.20140855