Introducing Policy Noise: A Metric for Assessing Variability in Local Policy Implementation. An Example from Local Responses to Refugee Influx in Polish Municipalities

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dc.abstract.enhis paper introduces a novel methodological framework for measuring variability in local policy implementation using the concept of “policy noise.” While local authorities’ discretion in implementing national policies is widely recognized as both a potential source of innovation and a challenge for policy coordination, the field lacks systematic tools for quantifying this variation. We address this gap by developing a set-theory-based measurement approach that enables systematic comparison of local policy implementation across structurally equivalent administrative units. The methodology captures variation across three dimensions: agenda-setting, types of solutions implemented, and resource allocation. Designed to be descriptive rather than prescriptive, this approach provides a foundation for empirical analysis without imposing normative judgments about optimal levels of variation. Although we demonstrate the methodology through an analysis of Polish municipalities’ responses to Ukrainian refugee education needs in 2022, the framework is applicable across policy domains – including health, environment, and social services – in which local authorities exercise implementation discretion within centrally-established parameters. This measurement approach offers researchers a new tool for investigating the dynamics of local policy implementation, enabling systematic study of the relationships between institutional arrangements, implementation variation, and policy outcomes.
dc.affiliationInstytut Nauk Społecznych
dc.contributor.authorIgor Lyubashenko
dc.contributor.authorDominika Wojtowicz
dc.date.access2026-06-01
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-13T10:31:02Z
dc.date.available2026-07-13T10:31:02Z
dc.date.created2026
dc.date.issued2026-06-01
dc.description.abstract<jats:p>This paper introduces a novel methodological framework for measuring variability in local policy implementation using the concept of “policy noise.” While local authorities’ discretion in implementing national policies is widely recognized as both a potential source of innovation and a challenge for policy coordination, the field lacks systematic tools for quantifying this variation. We address this gap by developing a set-theory-based measurement approach that enables systematic comparison of local policy implementation across structurally equivalent administrative units. The methodology captures variation across three dimensions: agenda-setting, types of solutions implemented, and resource allocation. Designed to be descriptive rather than prescriptive, this approach provides a foundation for empirical analysis without imposing normative judgments about optimal levels of variation. Although we demonstrate the methodology through an analysis of Polish municipalities’ responses to Ukrainian refugee education needs in 2022, the framework is applicable across policy domains – including health, environment, and social services – in which local authorities exercise implementation discretion within centrally-established parameters. This measurement approach offers researchers a new tool for investigating the dynamics of local policy implementation, enabling systematic study of the relationships between institutional arrangements, implementation variation, and policy outcomes.</jats:p>
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.grantnumber2022/45/B/HS5/00933
dc.description.granttitleSpójność czy przestrzeń dla eksperymentowania? Analiza reakcji politycznej Polski na kryzys migracyjny wywołany eskalacją rosyjskiej agresji na Ukrainę
dc.description.issue2
dc.description.sdgNoSDGsAreRelevantForThisPublication
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.description.volume8
dc.identifier.doi10.4000/16d1j
dc.identifier.eissn2706-6274
dc.identifier.issn2679-3873
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2457
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://journals.openedition.org/irpp/6282
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationnauki o polityce i administracji
dc.rightsCC-BY
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.articleOTHER
dc.subject.enpolicy Noise
dc.subject.enmetric
dc.subject.envariability
dc.subject.enevaluation
dc.swps.sciencecloudnosend
dc.titleIntroducing Policy Noise: A Metric for Assessing Variability in Local Policy Implementation. An Example from Local Responses to Refugee Influx in Polish Municipalities
dc.title.journalInternational Review of Public Policy
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typeArticle