Design and Implementation Mismatch in Integration Policies: A Case Study of National Rurban Mission in India

Abstract

Integration policies have emerged as a response to fragmented governance action post-NPM and participatory governance reforms across multiple sectors such as social development and rural development in both the developing and developed world. Despite the attention these policies have attracted, their implementation has been a failure, as recent reviews suggest. We examine a case of integration policy implemented in rural development in India, the National Rurban Mission, at multiple levels using interviews, secondary data, and document analysis. Findings suggest a mismatch between policy design and policy implementation of integration. Limited incentives for integration and overtly designed procedural policy instruments lead to efficiency and effectiveness tradeoffs during policy implementation. Findings imply the importance of overcoming the barriers to policy implementation of integration policies during the policy design phase.departmental bulletin pape