Who Was Missing?

One of the fastest ways to predict implementation problems is to ask a simple question: who was missing from the planning?

We frequently see scenarios where implementation challenges are treated as secondary concerns instead of core design questions.

Policy doesn't exist in a vacuum.

In many municipalities, there is no legal department, records team, project manager, or operational buffer. There may be one clerk managing elections, public notices, records requests, governing body support, residents, phones, vendors, and day-to-day administrative operations simultaneously.

The people responsible for implementing a policy can often identify practical consequences that are hard to see from a legislative hearing room, conference table, or policy office.

Some of the biggest government failures aren't failures of intent. They're failures to fully account for staffing, workflows, timing, technology, communication, and operational reality.

Good policy depends on understanding how the work actually gets done.

Before debating whether a policy is good, we should ask who participated in its design.

Because if the people responsible for operationalizing the work weren't in the room, the unintended consequences are rarely surprising to the people stuck with the execution.