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3. Implementation theory and the rational actorImplementation theory derives from the concept of the Weberian efficient organisation, this section willtherefore examine from an actor approach why policy implementation within an organisation can becomplicated on the basis of an efficient organisation however looking at the actors within the structure.The question if the state can control and steer western democratic societies has been divided in twoperspectives, macro theories or micro theories. The thesis uses micro theory as it is applied on sub nationallevel and claims that the organisation and inter organisational structure is of interest when consideringpolicy implementation. To define the difference one finds state policy that asks the questions in regards tothe macro perspective: What is the state? What should it be? Policy analysis theories ask questions such as“what governments do, why they do it and what difference does it make” (Lundquist 1987: 29). The microtheory that implementation and organisation theory derive from, revise the output of political processesand can be seen as a sub- field of the so-called state theory (Lundquist 1987:29). This section of the thesiswill therefore define the actions of the actor in the process of implementation. It will define the action andinvestigate the issues that the actor faces during the implementation or output of state action.“Organisational theory exists on the level of the state, implementation, and steering. Since steering is anessential relation both within and between organisations, knowledge of organisations constitutes aprecondition for steering analysis”(Lundquist 1987:30). Identifying the issues that the actor faces withinthe defined organisation leaves us therefore with an even more specified definition of the implementationof state control.3.1 What is steering: Actors of steeringSteering within political structures is based on the assumption that “actors attempt to affect otheractors”(Lundquist 1987:35). The political steering therefore happens between state and higherbureaucrats, higher bureaucrats affecting lower bureaucrats and lower ones affecting the society(Lundquist 1987:35). The goals are not to affect actors but to get outcomes of the steering. Steeringmechanism can take place through jurisdiction or through taxes or subsidies as well as throughinformation when it comes to the level between bureaucrats and society. Between bureaucrats the steeringhappens through directives from other actors within the organisations or from other organisations. Steeringis defined more from the attempts of steering then from the actual outcomes of steering. The control thatan implementer has is based on the level of power one has to shape his environment. Steering in thisperspective is therefore an actors attempt to shape its surroundings, based on the limits that theorganisation provides. The basic assumption is that organisations are made of structures but also by theactors, that structure been defined in the previous section and this part will concentrate on the reciprocalrelationship of actors shaping the outcomes of the structure.3.2 Actors of implementation of policy.Changing and reforming organisations to reach SD is one part that is necessary to be able to reach asustainable society as defined above. The relationship between organisations leads to problems with theimplementation in the organisation. Still, other obstacles are also found when the bureaucrat is left withimplementing SD into society, these issues that implementation finds on an actor level will be defined inthis section. Previously the problems with the structure of the organisations have been investigated todefine the problem areas according to organisational theory. This part will define the implementationproblem that occurs during implementation and what obstacles that are defined according to the currentliterature. But first one must define, what implementation is, and why it is of importance to useimplementation theory in regards to the case presented later in this thesis.Governmental steering has been an area where the major theories were developed in the 1960’s,however the debate started in the 1920’s, and was based on the concept that the state could steer thesociety on its right path and that everything was possible to govern. This perspective was later contested18
and a branch within the field of implementations steering and policy analysis claimed that the state facedareas that faced un-governability (Lundquist 1987:28). One can argue that the level of steering can be seenas the construction of the organisation the so called organisation theory, moreover that the organisationaltheory exists on the level of the state and that implementation theory exists on the level of the internalorganisation within the state. One can claim that, understanding the concepts and issues regardingimplementation steering therefore serve and give additional understanding of the organisation and theorganisational theory that is founded upon.3.2.1 Three levels of actor indicators to ensure implementation by the actorsMany organisations find themselves with policy documents claiming that they are working towards a moreSD in the institution or in the organisation. Though the same organisations find themselves in aproblematic situation implementing the policy. The organisation and the way it is structured as well as theway SD is structured as an idea leads to difficulties.1) The structure of the type of policy that is needed to implement SD2) The structure of the organisation makes it difficult to implement the idea of sustainabledevelopment.Two actors can be defined as problem areas, SD includes every section of an organisation and thereforecreates synergies and conflicts between different areas in the organisation. This leads to implementationproblems; at the same time individual actors such as bureaucrats can sometimes according to Lunquiststheories be reluctant to implement the theories that are assigned to them. The actor approach leaves uswith three levels of properties that the implementers need to fulfil to ensure any type of implementation oroutcome of the policy implementation. If any of these three are not satisfied, implementation or outcomecan become compromised. The three levels highlight the issues that one finds in regards to the SDpolicies. The SD policies as mentioned before are non-defined and this leads to problems on an actor level.The earlier defined environmental policies were easy to understand and had set goals, the more ideologicalones that came during the 1990’s and after based on SD leads to implications in regards to Lundquists’ideal implementations variables.The three versions are defined through three flows of socialization, information andlimiting/enabling that are based on structure approaches within the organisation. These are then prescribedto an actor structure, where it is defined where socialisation leads to that the actor must want andunderstand the policy and implementation. Information is therefore a major part in the understanding ofthe policy, information can lead to a change of the individual actor perception, which can change the willof the actor and therefore affect the socialisation of an actor. The information and socialisation aspects canbe contradictory, where one variable such as the social setting of the organisation can contradict theinformation given to the actor, meaning that the actor must break the socialisation within the organisationin order to implement the policy based on new information. Both information and socialisation aredependent on the third version of organisational structure the limitations that an actor finds in theorganisationThe knowledge and understanding what to implement• Understanding: Does the bureaucrat understand the policy and the goal of the policy.The ability to implement• Ability to implement: Does the bureaucrat have the ability through authority and financialcapability technical skills and skilled personnel to implement the policy.The idea is that if the two above indicators are fulfilled that the measures will be implemented accordinglyto the policy goals. Though a third indicator of implementation must also be fulfilled. Because abureaucrat could have both the ability and the understanding, though might not have the will to implement.If the will is not there then the bureaucrat will choose to prioritise other policies instead of the intendedone, and the policy will therefore not be implemented (Sannerstedt 2001:29). Therefore a third indicator19
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Page 3 and 4: 1. INTRODUCTION ...................
Page 5 and 6: 1. IntroductionNationally, we shall
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Page 11 and 12: field of the heuristic model when i
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Page 17: not follow the goals that are deleg
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Page 25 and 26: would be able to develop a green we
Page 27 and 28: sustainable society within all fiel
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Page 31 and 32: 2001:167). Implementing SD has ther
Page 33 and 34: 2001:115). This concept fits in to
Page 35 and 36: 6.4 Public administration and the b
Page 37 and 38: sectors of agriculture, schools and
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Page 41 and 42: faced with SD policies and failed t
Page 43 and 44: 8.1 Analysis of will, knowledge and
Page 45 and 46: type’ is not ideal but the ideal,
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Page 49 and 50: • Jörgensen, Erika. 2004. Hållb

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