The dearth of managerialism in the implementation of national assessment policy

Introducing new national examinations is a complex, multi-agency policy implementation. However, there have been some high-profile problems in examination systems in recent years. This research investigated what 10 UK managers involved in the process thought were the main problems. Time pressures were recognised as a serious problem by the managers, as well as the politically driven nature of the reform. It is argued that network management explains the lack of high-profile individual leaders, the delegation issues, the apparent lack of traditional management skills, the low level of planning and monitoring, the absence of scoping, a professionalist approach, the lack of separation between policy and implementation and the fact that managers could not specify from the outset what needed to be done for a new round of examination developments. Inter-agency power relationships accounted for lack of negotiation of timescales. Recommendations are made for construction of a qualification development blueprint, scoping of resources, appraisal of the human resources shortage in the UK assessment sector and better stakeholder management of the qualification development policy community by government.