But Will It Work?: Implementation Analysis to Improve Government Performance

Abstract

© Reuters/Kevin Lamarque. roblems that arise in the mplementation p s make it less likely that policy objectives will be achieved in many government programs. Implementation problems may also damage the morale and external reputations of the agencies in charge of implementation. Although many implementation problems occur repeatedly across programs and can be predicted in advance, legislators often pay little attention to them when programs are being enacted or overhauled. This Issue Brief argues that the United States should adopt a program of Implementation Analysis for major legislative proposals in Congress. Implementation Analysis would be administered by the Government Accountability Office, and would draw on the Congressional Budget Office’s experience with budget scoring of legislative proposals. The Brief outlines major elements of an Implementation Analysis and argues that it could lead to major improvements in policy performance. Although Implementation Analysis would encounter both political and administrative obstacles, these obstacles are manageable. Pi roces Recent Issues in Governance Studies