Monitoring of Policy Implementation: Convergent Mobile and Fixed Technologies as Emergent Enablers

Based on the viable system model (VSM), a system viability refers to the capability of a system to exist and maintain its sustainability within an environment. In this framework, monitoring function supports the gathering of relevant information directly from the operating units and feeding them into the formal control function. In turn, the control function uses the information to produce reports for the higher level functions of intelligence and policymaking, which later utilise these information for their decision making. Given its role, monitoring function supports the viability of a system, especially in large-scale policy-based system. However, studies on the functions of a system monitoring are generally lacking, leading to the lack of understanding on how to conduct monitoring in a viable system implementation. The objectives of this study are a) to discuss the role of monitoring in a viable system framework, and b) to conceptualize the function of monitoring within a policy-based system that is enabled by technologies. To achieve these objectives, this study reviews the literature on monitoring (in relation to VSM framework), on research process in general, as well as on technology adoption. This conceptual exploration generates an emergent viable system model that can guide future researchers in conducting an action research of monitoring function implementation.     

Functions and Inter-Relationships of Operating Agencies in Policy Implementation from a Viable System Perspective

Existence of supporting entities and their cohesive operations are important elements in industry development policy undertaken in emerging economies, which are characterized by heavy government interventions and involved many agencies and institutions. One of the models that emphasizes on cohesiveness as a precondition for viability is the viable system model (VSM). In this study, we adopt the VSM in combination with theories of innovation and innovation system as our conceptual framework to describe and explain the functions and relational structure that exist among agencies/institutions and that of the agencies with their environment elements within one policy level system implementation. We select a biotechnology industry development policy for our analysis, the implementation of which has been designated as a strategic vehicle to support the economic development goals of an emerging economy. The findings, which generate a model of the policy-level system implementation, explain the operating agencies’ functions and their inter-relationships. The emergent model provides policy makers and implementers recommendations for improvements, as well as offers future researchers potential for comparison between existing performance of a policy implementation against its expected performance targets. The study concludes that the biotechnology industry development is an effort by the Malaysian government to institutionalize biotechnology businesses and industry. The perspective of systems thinking, in combination with theories of institutionalization, innovation and innovation system, provide important foundations in explaining technology-based industry development. All these findings highlight that the knowledge gain in explaining and interpreting the problem in focus is worthwhile, although the use of VSM as a research tool demands considerable efforts.     

Developing a Cybernetics Approach to Analysing Inclusive Growth Constraints

Inclusive and sustainable economic growth supports the transformation of society towards a better quality of life and well-being. Therefore, it is crucial to diagnose the binding factors to growth. However, existing frameworks of growth diagnostics and inclusive growth analytics, which are widely used to analyse growth problems, mainly focused on a snapshot of growth constraints of a selected location at a particular point of time. Applications of these frameworks are not fully capable of addressing the dynamic nature of growth. Moreover, most existing applications of growth frameworks are mainly predictive studies, thus they do not fully support the effort of identifying the root cause of growth problem. This calls for a more comprehensive approach to diagnosing growth problems. Building upon the existing growth diagnostics and inclusive growth analytics frameworks, as well as on cybernetics and systems-based approach, we develop a cybernetics approach to analysing inclusive growth constraints. This approach enables analysis of the dynamic nature of growth, which supports the identification of growth constraint variables and mapping of their relationships, based on data gathered about the location.