Policy deployment: an examination of the theory

This paper relates the main findings of a literature review of policy deployment. The search revealed that less than 20 papers in the English language had been written on the subject, policy deployment appears to be under‐researched and that a number of those writing on the subject do not fully understand its true operating characteristics. Among the main findings is that policy deployment is the application of the plan‐do‐check‐act cycle to the planning and execution of strategic organisational objectives and that the success of the process depends on senior management leadership and effective communication throughout the process.