Policy implementation and the socio-political geography of small island contexts: Challenges and opportunities for creating an enabling environment in Small Island Developing States

The success of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) agenda rests on effective policy
implementation. We look to the literatures in public administration and development studies for
key insights on implementation. Translating these insights for the socio-political geography of
small island contexts, we identify the trade-offs that SIDS encounter in managing coordination
and capacity for implementation. We study examples of success and failure in navigating these
trade-offs in practice to draw lessons for policy-makers in SIDS. We advocate ‘working with the
grain’ to improve implementation by: leveraging social networks; collaborating with external
actors; and working with existing institutional structures.