Policy and Systems Change: Planning for Unintended Consequences

Planning for policy implementation is as important as the implementation itself. A policy's intent can be subverted by the way the policy is implemented, or when unanticipated outcomes take precedence over the true intent. This article presents three cases of specific instances of unintended outcomes from policy implementation and presents a model to assist educational reformers in minimizing the impact of unintended negative consequences. The article provides policy makers with a means to predict the full array of outcomes--both intended and unintended--when promoting educational reforms that affect the implementation of new practices and policies.