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Annexes

Annex 8: Factors in implementing CMS policy successfully

Introduction The analysis led to the identification of six factors
that are important in the development and imple-
mentation of CMS policy. These factors are briefly
Introducing a new policy – such as Career Man- described below. They are proposed as points for
agement Skills (CMS) – brings with it challenges reflection and discussion rather than as the outcomes
in implementation. This is because, as Ball notes, of rigorous research. They are therefore tentative, and
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change often entails processes that are both complex in no way seek to make any grand claims about the
and messy. A task force from WP1 set out to explore complex process of policy implementation.
the nature of such dynamic change, and specifically
the factors that facilitate CMS policy implementa- 1. The existence of CMS regulations that are
tion in a variety of settings, including education, VET, incorporated in both education and labour
higher education, adult education, employment, and legislation
those catering for vulnerable groups. A questionnaire
was prepared for this purpose, with responses from Countries reporting having CMS policy in place
eleven countries (AT, CZ, DE, DK, HU, LT, MT, PT, SE, mostly refer to the education sector (i.e. compulsory
SI, SK). The responses varied in terms of quality and schooling, VET, and/or higher education); even here,
level of detail. A more comprehensive analysis of the the presence of CMS policy varies greatly between
results of this thematic study, which also includes the different levels. Countries with high levels of
country examples, is available on the ELGPN website. commitment to developing and implementing a
The responses to the questionnaire were analysed CMS policy have shown that commitment through
using a framework developed by Honig and elabo- promulgating relevant legislation. Countries without
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rated by Sultana , which draws attention to four key such legislation report a number of good practices,
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aspects that impact on the policy implementation but in many cases these are not integrated in systemic
process: ways and may not be sustainable in the long run.

(1) The policy to be implemented. 2. Sustainable funding of CMS activities
(2) The people involved in the implementation.
(3) The place of implementation. Allocation of resources generally follows the prom-
(4) The pace of implementation. ulgation of legal provisions regulating the imple-
mentation of a policy. The survey conducted by the
WP1 task force confirmed that there generally is a
close connection between budget allocation and sec-
toral implementation of CMS. Survey respondents
20 Ball, S. (1998). Big policies/small world: an introduction to interna-
tional perspectives in education policy. Comparative Education, 34(2), referred to the importance of budgetary issues, with
Annexes
119–130. unstable funding being detrimental to the imple-
21 Honig, M.I. (ed.) (2006). New Directions in Education Policy Implemen-
tation: Confronting Complexity. Albany, NY: SUNY Press. mentation of CMS activities.
22 Sultana, R.G. (2008). The Challenge of Policy Implementation: A Com-
parative Analysis of Vocational School Reforms in Albania, Kosovo and
Turkey: Peer Learning 2007, p.15. European Training Foundation. Lux-
embourg: Office for Official Publications of the European Communities.

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