Evaluating Policy Implementation: The European Union's Small and Medium Sized Enterprise Policies in Galicia and Sardinia

Evaluating policy implementation involves assessment of the institutional performance of the institutional system in its locale. This paper highlights the importance of local conditions for effective policy implementation. Current literature suggesting that civic culture is an essential precursor to successful institutional performance is rejected, instead it is argued that policies need to be better adapted to local strengths and institutional forms. A mis-match between the policy design, the socio-cultural environment and the institutional structures can lead to problematic institutional performance and implementation outcomes. Insufficient institutional capacity also places strains on institutional performance and implementation capacity. Policies and institutions need to build on the strengths of a locality and be tailored to the prevailing socio-cultural environment for effective policy delivery. Implementation difficulties can be resolved by allowing policy design to better fit the exigencies of local areas, while simultaneously reinforcing regulatory solutions where this can improve implementation capacity.