Policies have impact only if they are successful in changing the behavior of target individuals. If one focuses upon the prescription imbedded in any policy, it is possible to gauge the success of implementation by assessing the degree of compliance with the prescription. The target individual may not comply, however, due to (1) lapses or ambiguities in communication; (2) insufficient resources; (3) an objection to the policy itself (i.e., its goals or its assumptions); (4) distaste for the action required; or (5) doubts about the authority upon which the policy is based, or that authority's agents. Appropriate remedies, which may include improved communication, provision of training or resources, evidence of the effectiveness of the program, positive or negative incentives of various kinds, and appeals to authority, will depend upon the type of noncompliance encountered.
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F Coombs (1980) studied this question.