abstract: This study is a narrative inquiry into teachers' and instructional coaches' experiences of new curriculum policy implementation at the classroom and district levels. This study took place during the initial year of implementation of the third grade Common Core State Standards in Mathematics (CCSSM). Interviews were conducted with individuals directly involved in policy implementation at the classroom level, including several teachers and the school's instructional coach. Observations of the teachers' instruction and professional practice were also conducted. As an embedded researcher, I used this data to create a series of fictionalized narratives of the initial policy implementation experience. My analysis of the narratives suggests that accountability structures shaped individual's sense-making of the original policy. This sense-making process consequently influenced individuals' actions during implementation by directing them towards certain policy actions and ultimately altered how the policy unfolded in this school and district. In particular, accountability structures directed participants' attention to the technical instructional `forms' of the reform, such as the presence of written responses on assessments and how standards were distributed between grade levels, rather than the overall principled shifts in practice intended by the policy's creators. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Educational Administration and Supervision 2015

This thesis seeks to analyse the policy making and policy implementation processes of elite sport in China and the UK, covering the period 1992-2012. Three sports are selected for detailed cases studies: artistic gymnastics, swimming and cycling. They represent a wide range of sports in two countries, based on their varying competiveness, weights and traditions. Key areas including organisational structure, financial support, talent identification and athlete development, coaching, training, competition opportunities, scientific research and others (including international influence and other sport- and country-specific areas) are identified to organise the discussion. The aim is not only to present key characteristics of the development of each sport in China and the UK respectively and to introduce the successful experience and problems but also to form a basis for the discussion of policy making, policy implementation and policy changes.

Submitted by Irene Nascimento (irene.kessia@ufpe.br) on 2016-10-11T19:32:33Z No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) versaoatualizadDISSERTAÇÃO RAFAEL DOS SANTOS FERNANDES SALES.pdf: 1314874 bytes, checksum: b824fd9d65cf508ce139534c32b2e93b (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-10-11T19:32:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 license_rdf: 1232 bytes, checksum: 66e71c371cc565284e70f40736c94386 (MD5) versaoatualizadDISSERTAÇÃO RAFAEL DOS SANTOS FERNANDES SALES.pdf: 1314874 bytes, checksum: b824fd9d65cf508ce139534c32b2e93b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-28 / CAPES / Esse trabalho procurou analisar a capacidade dos atores locais de interferirem na implementação da Política Pública de Mobilidade Urbana da Região Metropolitana do Recife. Para tanto, utilizamos o ferramental teórico-metodológico do Neoinstitucionalismo Sociológico, compatibilizando suas proposições centrais com os argumentos da Teoria da Estruturação, de Anthony Giddens. A análise constituiu-se em uma pesquisa exploratória, delineada em estudo de caso único, de caráter qualitativo. Inicialmente, é apresentada a problematização da pesquisa, com a delimitação de seus objetivos. Em seguida, é exposto o referencial teórico selecionado. Posteriormente, são apresentados os aspectos metodológicos que orientaram a realização do trabalho para, por último, serem apresentada a análise e discussão dos resultados. / This study examined the capacity of local actors to interfere in the implementation of the Public Policy of Urban Mobility, in the Metropolitan Region of Recife. We used the theoretical and methodological tools of Sociological Neo-institutionalism, aligning its central propositions with arguments of the Structuration Theory, by Anthony Giddens. The analysis consisted of exploratory research, outlined in a single case study of a qualitative nature. Initially, we present the problematic of the research, with the delimitation of its goals. It is then exposed the theoretical reference selected. Subsequently, we present the methodological aspects that guided the development this work to, finally, to present the analysis and discussion of results.

Magister Curationis - MCur / Globally, tuberculosis (TB) and AIDS are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality of people, particularly in many developing countries. South Africa is among those countries with a high double burden of TB and HIV infections in the world. Although policy guidelines have been developed to mitigate the problems of TB and HIV coinfection, there are still challenges with their implementation. The aim of this study was to analyse the implementation of the integrated TB and HIV policy in a rural sub-district of the Western Cape. The study applied a descriptive survey method to collect data from 60 respondents selected using an all-inclusive sampling strategy. A self-reporting questionnaire was used, and data were analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program version 23. Descriptive statistics are presented with graphs and percentages. All ethical principles were adhered to. The results showed that 86% of the respondents were female nurses, 59% were registered nurses, and the rest were enrolled and assistant nurses. The general view of participants was that implementation of the integrated TB and HIV policy was poor, as only 25% (11) felt that they have sufficient knowledge and skills to implement it, while 50% (22) did not feel equipped to implement the integrated policy. These perceptions of inadequacy were justified by a lack of sufficient training, with only 32% of the respondents having attended training on integrated TB and HIV management. The nurses’ responses on actual practices ranged from poor to sufficient, and example being the management of HIV-positive TB patients with CD4 count of <100/μl, where 27.9% were unsure when to initiate antiretroviral therapy and 44.7% were unsure when isoniazid prophylaxis could not be given to HIVpositive patients. However, the findings indicated that TB and HIV policy guidelines were 86% and 85.7% accessible respectively. The study concluded that nurses do not implement the integrated TB and HIV policy guidelines sufficiently, mainly due to lack of adequate training which resulted in limited knowledge thus poor practice. It is recommended that a continuous staff capacity development programme, which includes suitable pre-service and in-service training in TB and HIV/AIDS management be developed and implemented as it has the potential to address the current knowledge and skills gaps which impact on implementation of the integrated TB and HIV policy.

The research focused on public policy implementation, unintended consequences of government action and policy mess, using the particular example of West Lothian College's Private Finance Initiative procured Livingstone campus as a case study. A public policy change led to the college becoming financially insecure, undermined the college's business case and the the college's ability to meet its contractual and financial obligations. If left unresolved, the college would have run out of money, defaulted on the contract and threatened the very existence of the institution. The college estate was taken into public ownership as the result of a negotiated settlement with the private sector owners of the campus. The importance of the research lay in adding to the body of knowledge around public policy implementation theory, which is not well researched or understood in the context of further education. The research design led to an in-depth interpretive, instrumental, single case study that explored, described and explained public policy implementation from the perspective of participants in a public policy network. The techniques of semi-structured interviews and documentary analysis were used. Using a policy networks approach, the research identified: how policy gets modified; how unintended consequences arose; how the unintended consequences resulted in policy mess; what policy learning took place as a result of policy mess; what policy change occurred as a result of policy mess; my role as an interested researcher and agent of change in the situation. In the West Lothian College case it was found that an ensemble of public policy had been at play rather than simply one policy. This ensemble of top-down policies comprised the UK-wide private finance initiative and two Scotland-wide further education funding policies. The research was timely as the literature suggests that policy networks are increasingly identified as an important governance mechanism in the areas of public policy implementation and new public management. The findings show that in respect of the West Lothian College case, networks have reconfigured relationship between government and other actors. They have also linked previously separate central, vertical, policy makers with an array of horizontal policy implementation actors.

In its first decade of democracy the South African government embarked on radical reforms to the apartheid education system. One such set of reforms concerned the restructuring of the further education and training (FET) college sector. The implementation plan for the restructuring of the FET college sector, entitled Reform of South Africa’s Technical Colleges (Department of Education, 2001), was released in September 2001. The reorganisation of the FET college sector brought with it the prospect of meeting the objectives of the country’s Human Resource Development Strategy (Department of Education, 2001). Colleges would be transformed so that they offered learners the “high-quality, lifelong learning opportunities that are essential to social development and economic competitiveness in a rapidly changing world” (Department of Education, 2001:5). The study has its origins in a deceptively simple research question: What are the organisational and cultural influences and constraints on policy implementation? Much has been written about why policies fail to be implemented as planned (McLaughlin 1987; Guiacquinta, 1994). Based on the extensive data generated in this research I found explanatory power in a conceptual framework that uses the dual lenses of restructuring, focusing on “changing the use of time, space, roles and relationships to improve learning” (Fink&Stoll, 1998:308); and reculturing, which focuses on “the process of developing new values, beliefs and norms” (Fullan, 1996:420). The new government policy for FET colleges proposed a dramatic re-organisation of the sector through mergers in order to position these institutions so as to meet the socio-economic and human resource needs of a transforming society in line with global trends. Yet, an analysis of the sector revealed system-level problems relating to the structure and culture of the FET colleges that would undermine the implementation of the new policy. The comparative case study method was used to conduct this research on three technical colleges – two state-aided and one state college – as the “cases” under investigation. Data was collected over a one-year period using a wide variety of data collection methods including in-depth interviews (both individual and focus group sessions), document analysis, the review of minutes of meetings and other communiqués, selected photographs and structured questionnaires. The first major finding of this study is that the restructuring of the FET colleges through mergers was constrained by structural or the organisational inefficiencies in the system, that is, the lack or absence of the structures required for effective implementation of policy. The second major finding of this study is that the restructuring process underestimated the depth and resilience of the FET college culture, and that this institutional culture militated against effective implementation. In other words, there was no strategy for reculturing these institutions. This research further demonstrates the consequences of attempted restructuring without reculturing and the implications of not taking into account implementation matters involving institutional culture, values, behaviour and working styles. Successful change has more to do with the professional values, beliefs and assumptions held by implementers than with the voluntary adoption of the reform, irrespective of whether it is mandated at the national or provincial levels. Implementers choose practices and changes that fit best with their pre-existing beliefs and which are consistent with the organisation’s culture. Furthermore, the insights gained from this study that structure and culture are inextricably linked have both practical and theoretical significance. The study not only offers insight into the reorganisation of the FET colleges in South Africa, but also serves to extend our understanding of the importance of culture and structure as two neglected dimensions of systemic reform. In this study I highlighted several issues that could serve as a springboard for future research into this neglected sector (FET colleges) of the education and training system: · longitudinal rather than snapshot studies of institutional cultures and their unfolding effects on college restructuring; · empirical and conceptual accounts of college cultures that examine the impact of micro-political activity on the change trajectory; and · studies on how college systems change or restructure as opposed to individual colleges. In sum this research found that there were several structural (capacity, resource, leadership, support, communication, planning and advocacy) and cultural (beliefs, values, assumptions, understanding and practices) factors that constrained policy implementation. The study further argues that restructuring without reculturing encourages symbolic rather than substantive change. The thesis concludes that the restructuring (mergers) resulted in a fragmented, rather than a coordinated, FET system. / Thesis (PhD (Education Management and Policy Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

This study aims to explain the relationship between FET policy origination and management practices at college level in Gauteng. Empirical evidence shows that there exist a gap between policy and practice. Literature points out that since 1994 South Africa has passed laws that created favorable conditions for policy development. The success or failure of government FET policies can be judged at college level. According to research some managers in former technical colleges lack skills and knowledge to successfully implement government transformation initiatives. Lack of management capacity at college level is cited as the reason for the non-implementation of policy. Policy makers derive policy from political, social and economic imperatives and infuse this with theoretical sources that describe how the policy process works and are often less sensitive to the practical conditions in which the policy is to be implemented. Conversely, policy implementers are primarily guided by contextual and systemic considerations as they implement policy. In this thesis it is argued that understanding the processes of policy development and implementation can assist in explaining the relationship between government policy and management practices at college level. The study interrogates policy intentions by analyzing the original meaning of FET policy from the originators’ perspective and juxtaposes this with the understanding of policy implementation from the implementers’ perspective and describe the relationship between intended and implemented policy. A qualitative research design using semi-structured interviews to gather data from participants was used. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from policy originators and college managers. Six main themes were distilled from the data collected: centralization vis-a vis decentralization; resources; structures; curriculum; governance, and strategic planning. Findings revealed how issues of power and authority affect policy development and implementation. The study establishes that policy implementers need capacity, power and authority to plan and make decisions on policy implementation, but decision-makers at higher levels of the system often subjugate these powers. For policy implementation to match policy intentions policy implementers need capacity and authority to understand, plan and make policy implementation decisions. / Thesis (PhD (Education Management, Law and Policy))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Education Management and Policy Studies / PhD / unrestricted

This study explores the development and implementation of a tuition policy at the ‘single dedicated distance education institution in South Africa,’ which is the University of South Africa. The discussion focuses specifically on ‘how different stakeholders participated in the development and implementation of the Unisa tuition policy’. In this context, the author contends that the development and implementation of an institutional tuition policy is influenced by various factors relating to the determination of the roles to be played by various stakeholders in the process. A broader consideration is whether or not and how tuition policy development and implementation influence teaching and learning in distance education. The perspective taken in this study necessarily includes the different acts and policy documents that focus on the development of the higher education sector in South Africa, which consequently influence the practice and experience of distance education. The main findings of the study concur with the notion that there is contention in terms of Unisa tuition policy development and implementation, which leads to a measure of reluctance to implement the policy. Furthermore, the implementation has not been as effective as it might have been, and this defeats the purpose of the policy, which is to promote effective teaching and learning in distance education. The data derived from the investigation partly support this study’s concern that the development and implementation of this policy depend on participants’ and stakeholders’ mental models. The findings also show that the contention regarding the determination of roles in the development and implementation has negative impacts on the effectiveness of teaching and learning at Unisa, which may not be very obvious to the stakeholders involved. Crucially, it was also found that the stakeholders could not separate their institutional roles and positions from their roles in policy development and implementation. It is in the context of these findings that the author recommends that policy development and implementation for effective teaching and learning should critically define the institutional roles of those engaged in policy development and implementation in a distance education institution such as Unisa. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

This thesis presents a qualitative multiple case study which examines the early implementation of the community matron policy in three primary care trusts in England. The community matron was a new role in nursing, introduced by the Department of Health in 2004, as part of its strategy for the management of long term conditions (DH, 2005e). There was a paucity of research literature underpinning the policy and the implementation of the community matron role in England. A descriptive multiple case study was used as it generates a richness of data using multiple data collection methods, ideally positioned to investigate phenomena in context and contemporaneously. In addition to documentary material, 49 participants were recruited across the three case study sites, from community matrons, active case managers, health and social care colleagues and patients. A total of 30 interviews, 33 observations and one focus group were undertaken between 2006 and 2008. Framework Analysis was used to interpret the data and critical sensemaking was applied as a heuristic to gain insight into the findings.This study explored the early role implementation from the perspective of the community matron. It found that the community matron role had been adopted with regard to the national model but there was variation in its implementation between case study sites, seen in service structures, eligibility criteria and caseload management. Practitioners had exercised professional discretion to flex local service models to fit their ways of practice and professional decision making, although this may not have been conscious behaviour. They also expanded the role to include psychosocial support, beyond the nationally defined functions. Advanced practice was integral to the role; whilst there appeared to be a medical influence on this aspect of role development; practitioners had adopted traditionally medical tasks and incorporated them into nursing practice, making such roles their own. Community matrons described experiencing resistance to the role initially from some district nurses and GPs, outlining how they adopted strategies to address these and promote acceptance of the role. As such, individual community matrons were the key change agents. They experienced dissonance between organisational values and professional values, which they addressed by reinterpreting collective targets such as reducing hospital admissions into individual patient outcomes related to improved quality of life. Critical sensemaking gives a unique perspective on the implementation of national policy, through the lens of the community matron, highlighting the experience of nursing role development at an individual and team level, and the ways in which variation can occur. Further research is needed into nursing policy implementation to better understand the processes at play nationally and organisationally. Critical sensemaking might be used to inform how implementation can be effective and sustainable.

In the wake of diversifying economy through science and technology, the government of Botswana is particularly inclined to Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) and Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS). IPR in its nature of advocating exclusive rights by the creator comes into direct conflict with the practice and understanding of IKS as community property, and a shared resource. To date, there is very little research work that explores policymakers’ knowledge about IPR and IKS in developing countries. Botswana, a developing country is yet to benefit from this type of research. This research investigated policymakers’ knowledge and practices of IPR on IKS in Botswana. The focus was on policymakers’ knowledge and practices, interaction with policy, and how their actions could be understood and explained. The study was conducted in four government departments, and one non-governmental organisation. Semi-structured interviews and document analysis were used to collect data. The findings of the study show that there is general lack of understanding about IPR in the public domain. Policymakers nonetheless know quite substantially about IPR and very little about IKS. This position puts indigenous knowledge on the periphery, and on the brink of being swallowed by other technologies. Moreover, the study uncovered evidence that the IPR and IKS activities are fragmented and policymakers treat each other with a great deal of suspicion and misunderstanding, hence affecting successful implementation of policy and projects particularly between two units in the study- the ministry of Communication, Science and Technology and the ministry of Trade and Industry. The study concludes by arguing that policymakers still require a great deal of assistance to really make sense of their practice. A lot of teaching and learning about policy is necessary to encourage broader participation in science policymaking in the context of a developing country like Botswana. / Dissertation (MEd (Science and Technology Education))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Curriculum Studies / unrestricted