This study focuses on street-level managers’ (SLMs) compliance with COVID-19 measures in Switzerland, Germany, Italy, and Israel, in order to better understand their role during policy implementation. Responsible for the direct delivery of public services, street-level organizations serve as the operational arm of the state in general and as the frontline of government policy in times of crisis. SLMs who occupy the top managerial tier within their organization are understudied, although they exert a significant influence on everyday public life. The data comprise 399 “compliance stories” based on interviews with managers in nurseries, schools, health care and welfare offices, police stations, and care homes. Using “codebook thematic analysis,” we identify various levels of (non)compliance and several prominent explanatory factors that shape (non)compliance. Data show that even when asked about particularly challenging measures, managers reported that their organization had been noncompliant (either full or partial) in only about a quarter of the stories. Three influences emerge as primary barriers to compliance—a lack of resources, managers’ relationships with clients, and the perception of the measure’s effectiveness. Emphasizing that SLMs often act as local policy entrepreneurs using their discretion to solve problems and serve the public, our findings further demonstrate the crucial role they play in shaping the face of the government for the people.

中文翻译：

---

了解基层管理者的合规性：瑞士、意大利、德国和以色列政策实施的比较研究


本研究重点关注瑞士、德国、意大利和以色列的街道管理者 (SLM) 对 COVID-19 措施的遵守情况，以便更好地了解他们在政策实施过程中的作用。街道组织负责直接提供公共服务，是整个国家的运作部门，也是危机时期政府政策的前线。尽管在组织内占据最高管理层的 SLM 对日常公共生活产生了重大影响，但他们的研究却很少。这些数据包括 399 个“合规故事”，这些故事基于对托儿所、学校、医疗保健和福利办公室、警察局和疗养院管理人员的采访。使用“密码本主题分析”，我们确定了不同程度的合规（不合规）以及影响（不合规）的几个突出的解释因素。数据显示，即使当被问及特别具有挑战性的措施时，管理人员也表示，他们的组织只有大约四分之一的案例不合规（无论是全部还是部分）。三种影响因素成为合规的主要障碍：缺乏资源、管理者与客户的关系以及对措施有效性的看法。我们的研究结果强调，SLM 经常充当地方政策企业家，利用自己的判断力解决问题并为公众服务，这进一步证明了他们在为人民塑造政府形象方面所发挥的关键作用。