Rationalising the Irrational: A Narrative Approach to Policy Implementation in African Governance

Abstract

This study examines the paradox of rationalising the irrational in African policy implementation, focusing on the role of narrative channels in shaping legitimacy, outcomes, and stakeholder perceptions. It explores how institutional weaknesses are reframed through narratives that justify or normalise contradictions between policy design and practice. The study employs a qualitative research design, drawing primarily on secondary data sources, including peer-reviewed articles, books, policy documents, and grey literature. Data were analysed using content and document analysis to identify recurring themes and patterns in policy narratives and rationalisation processes across African governance contexts. The analysis reveals five key barriers to policy implementation: communication gaps, lack of competent staff, inadequate technical and professional resources, limited institutional autonomy, and weak administrative capabilities. These weaknesses are frequently rationalised through practical, theoretical, substantive, and formal rationalisation strategies. Narrative channels media, advocacy campaigns, and public discourse shape whether these practices are legitimised, contested, or transformed, thereby influencing the overall success or failure of policies. The study recommends clearer role definition, stronger monitoring and evaluation, reward and sanction systems, stakeholder engagement, technical capacity building, institutional autonomy, and transparent communication strategies as pathways to more effective policy implementation. By integrating rationalisation theory with the concept of policy narratives, this study provides a novel framework for understanding how irrational practices persist in governance while retaining legitimacy. It advances theoretical debates and offers practical insights for policymakers and practitioners seeking to strengthen governance and policy outcomes in Africa and beyond.