Date of Conferral

2020

Degree

Ph.D.

School

Public Policy and Administration

Advisor

Marcel Kitissou

Abstract

The scholarly literature lacks the knowledge to support the view that policy actor activities in policy streams were not limited to the 3 initial stages of the policy cycle. Finding evidence through a study to either back or refute this view among scholars was important to explain how policy implementation effort works to yield results. Thus, the purpose of this general qualitative and policy implementation research was to generate additional knowledge about the role of policy actors in policy implementation. The 5-stream framework theoretical lens for this study suggested that the policymaking process involved 5 streams with active policy actors that cascaded through the entire policy cycle of a program. The key research question was to investigate how policy actors' presence, interests, and motivations within the policy implementation arena of the Ghana Social Grants Transfer Program influenced the overall policy outcome from 2008 to 2018. A purposive sample of 15 research participants that collaborated with and participated in major events organized by the secretariat were interviewed. The data were thematically coded and analyzed using NVivo 12 software. The study findings showed that the streams flowed beyond decision making stage of the policy cycle, all policy actors' presence were induced by corporate mandates with some becoming more influential than others, and interacted to achieve program intent. The study can impart positive social change by improving the appreciation for policy actors during policy implementation as a step towards knowing the way to harness their expertise for efficient service delivery to members of the Ghanaian community, and others across the West African sub region.

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