The well-articulated past and future of public policy will never mean anything unless it is translated into practice. The realization of policy goals is more influenced by the interplay between these internal and external environmental factors as well as the processes through which implementation occurs. Nigeria is a classic example of this problem, where huge energy has been spent on policy making but implementation always seems to be an ongoing challenge. In this context, the research investigated the environmental influences on public implementation of policy, and whether these factors subsequently affect policy outcomes. The nature of the research was descriptive and theoretical underpinnings were provided by Systems Theory, developed by David Easton in 1945. An explorative literature review was conducted, whereby data were collected from secondary sources, such as journal articles, textbooks and the appropriate internet materials. The results showed that environmental context is inherently tied to the formulation and implementation of public policy, which means policies are not nearly as effective without catalysts from the environment. It also found that most learned about implementation challenges due to a lack of comprehension of the policy environment and how it works. As such, the study recommends that policy makers and implementers should strive for an in-depth understanding of the surroundings within which policies function, promote good governance where accountability is maintained as well as transparency, and with visionary, disciplined, transformative and selfless leadership to translate policy objectives into concrete and sustainable outcomes.

Keywords: Public Policy, Policy Environment, Environmental Determinants, Policy Dynamics, Governance Factors.