The legal power to issue orders and ensure they are followed.

For a policy to be executed, those responsible for the work must know what they are expected to do. Edwards breaks this down into three essential elements:

Edwards identifies four key variables that directly impact the effectiveness of policy implementation. These factors do not operate in isolation; rather, they interact to create either a path to success or a series of roadblocks. 1. Communication

Orders must be passed from the decision-makers to the actual implementers.

The organizational setup of a government agency can either facilitate or obstruct policy. Edwards focuses on two main structural hurdles:

Rewards for successful implementation or penalties for failure.

When responsibilities for a single policy are spread across multiple agencies, coordination becomes difficult, leading to wasted effort or contradictory actions. Why This Model Still Matters

While SOPs provide efficiency for routine tasks, they can become rigid "red tape" that prevents the flexibility needed for new or complex policies.