The policy arrangements for the governance of the Trinidad Carnival have remained unchanged since 1998, notwithstanding shifts in cultural tastes and creative industry economics, major leaps in technology, and numerous developments across the socio-political landscape. Despite this fact, the festival is often cited when discussions on economic diversification arise, with stakeholders extolling the economic benefits of the festival, clamoring for greater expenditure in specific subsectors, and demanding changes to the management arrangements for the festival. However, though there has been credible research across a broad range of themes in Carnival, research on the intricacies of crafting policy for Carnival, and on the factors necessary for the successful implementation of policy for Carnival are meager. Without an understanding of these areas, policy on Carnival is likely to remain stagnant. This suggests a grim future for the festival, both culturally and as a pivot point for national revenue, as public expenditure on Carnival continues to decline, with no adjustments being made towards establishing a sustainable Carnival ecosystem.

Accordingly, this study uses public policy theory and implementation theory to examine how the policy for Carnival was established, and the quality of implementation of that policy over the course of two (2) decades. First, historical reconstruction and primary sources are used to determine the genealogy of the current policy for Carnival. Then implementation of policy is analysed by determining the intended objectives of the policy, and examining the resultant policy outputs and actual impacts over the study period using Mazmanian and Sabatier’s conceptual framework of the implementation process. Finally, Mazmanian and Sabatier’s six (6) conditions for successful implementation are applied to the Trinidad and Tobago Carnival.

The goal of this study is to gain an empirical understanding of the factors surrounding the formulation and implementation of public policy for Carnival and the conditions necessary for the successful implementation of said policy. The results of this study will assist stakeholders in understanding the current state of Carnival management, as well as possible futures for Carnival policy, and the arrangements for the management of the festival.

Mr. LAMAR POLLARD is a nineteen-year veteran of the creative industries, with diverse experience in the music industry, event industry, and Carnival. He has produced music for 3Canal and Maximus Dan, performed on stages alongside Steel Pulse and Chronixx, and has worked as theProduction Manager for the opening of CARIFESTA and the Dimanche Gras.