Studying Policy Implementation in Higher Education : Higher Education Development Fund and Development Programmes as Two Implementation Instruments for Assuring Quality of Czech Higher Education
Abstract
Following a review of public policy and higher education implementation research, the article argues for greater utilisation of public policy implementation theory in higher education research. The article does so by applying an instrumental approach to policy implementation in studying the two system-level instruments of Czech higher education policy on quality assurance: the Higher Education Development Fund and the Development Programmes.
Conceptual similarities and differences between the two instruments are identified, described, and compared against a set of thirteen criteria. The conclusion is made that despite a three times higher subsidisation, the Development Programmes show lower accountability orientation than the Higher Education Development Fund.
Finally, the article recommends a more systematic study of the relationship between policy design and policy implementation when research into the implementation of higher education policies is conducted.