LITERATURE REVIEW
2.2 Concepts of Policy Implementation
2.2.1 Definition of Policy Implementation
During the initial stage of policy implementation, the definition or meaning was mentioned in the studies of Prassman and Wildavsky in 1973. It means the level of prospective results or the procedure of interaction between defined objectives and various implementations that lead to the desired achievements ( Pressman &
Wildavsky, 1 9 8 4 ) . However, it did not differ with the definition of Van Meter and Van Horn. They indicated that policy implementations consist of the performance of population, group or any organizations of public and private sectors that are anticipated to reach the defined objectives based on policy (Van Meter & Van Horn, 1 9 7 5 ). Nevertheless, the concept of Bardach considered that policy implementation
was political process and fighting game. So, it means that policy implementation was the procedure of strategy that associated with interactions between the performances of several beneficial groups to reach their objectives that might be consistent or not consistent with the objectives of policy (Bardach, 1977).
The definition of Barrett and Fudge differentiated from academicians as mentioned above. It is obvious that it cannot focus on pushing for the results only.
This is due to the fact that policy implementation must include occurred performances for seeking the explanation how phenomenon or performance was generated and what was happened. Furthermore, the central attention of policy implementation was being done. Then, the point of view was based on the performances of population that express their behaviors and be a person who defines those behaviors (S. Barrett &
Fudge, 1981). For the study of Alexander, he provided a concise definition that the set of performance was the implementation plan towards beneficiary from policy specially and it was a field practice.
According to the studies of Thai academicians during initial period, Akom Chaikeaw mentioned about the definition of policy implementation from synthesized views of various academicians which are the performance under the policy requirements that population and step/procedure involved and influenced on the achievement or failure (Akom Chaikeaw, 1990). For the definition of Kla Tingkow, policy implementation that was consistent with foreign studies means the operation of individual, group or any organizations of public and private sectors focused on objectives and purposes based on policy successfully (Kla Tongkow, 1991).
Moreover, Tongbai Sudcharee provided the concise definition that the operational procedure leads any policies to reach defined objective (Tongbai Sudcharee, 1992).
Additionally, Kitti Boonnark indicated that the operations of individual, group or any organizations of public and private sectors provide objectives and purposes of policy successfully (Kitti Boonnark, 1993).
At present, there are many academicians are acceptable in Thailand and those provided the definition of policy implementation widely. For example, Prof. Dr.
Ruengwit Ketsuwan provided the definition that the procedure after the law is approved by the council, or the policy gives a permission is the activities of policy implementation in form of law, regulation, order or others to implement. Additionally,
the procedure that involved in the process of creating policy and result can view in top-down or behaviors of implementor, especially in down-level or both of top-down.
For the definition of Prof. Ruengwit Ketsuwan, it was viewed in the operational procedure significantly (Ruengwit Ketsuwan, 2008). In addition, it was consistent with the definition of Prof. Dr. Voradej Chandarasorn that the procedure that organizations are responsible can motivate administrative resources as well as important mechanism towards the implementation in order to reach the purposes of defined policy. However, it can be mentioned that the performance, activity, plan, project or direction of implementation operated by public sectors for addressing the problems in both of short and long term (Voradej Chandarasorn, 2011).
Nevertheless, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mayuree Anumanrajadhon emphasized on the definition in two dimensions. Firstly, it means the activity or performance of the government. Secondly, it means the government’s decisions in various performances to achieve the objectives or purposes of policy (Mayuree Anumanrajadhon, 2013). It was similar to the definition of Prof. Dr. Sombat Thamrongthanyawong that summarized the meaning from synthesizing knowledge of various academicians. This means the activities that the government decides to perform or not perform are considered as the jurisdiction of creating activities for responding the social values, resulting in the outcomes of solving the important social problems and be beneficial to a large number of population (Sombat Thamrongthanyawong, 2017).
When considering policy implementation based on the definitions that are mentioned above, it found that there are many similarities. This is due to that fact that many academicians of the initial generation like Prassman and Wildavsky. Although they provided the definitions widely, but those definitions were concise and utilized by various academicians of the next generations. This would mean that many academicians of the next generations have always considered and analyzed it as a prototype although there are many differences based on main points of each academician. However, most academicians have agreed in three main issues. Firstly, policy implementation that was considered as a process was continuous and each process has always related. Secondly, the operations need to reach the achievement based on objectives of policy. Lastly, it was the behavioral expressions in working, performance or operation of individual, group or any organizations. Therefore, it can
conclude the definitions of policy implementation that appeared in this study mean the driving implementation by working behaviors, operational procedures and the operations of individual, group or any organizations of public and private sectors based on implementation plan and facilitated factors in order to reach the objectives of policy or defined strategic plan that leads the benefits to population of the country.