Final answer:
An implementation gap is observed when there's a difference between a program's planning and its execution, often due to insufficient resources, poor planning, and external pressures. This can lead to overburdened staff, threatened funding, and an unequal distribution of technological knowledge referred to as the digital divide and knowledge gap.
Step-by-step explanation:
The concept of an implementation gap refers to the discrepancy between the strategic planning of a program and its actual execution and results. Key indicators of an implementation gap include difficulty in adhering to clear timelines due to unplanned impacts on work schedules, scarce resources leading to overburdened staff juggling multiple competing priorities, and a lack of systems for long-term evaluation.
In addition, technological stratification such as the digital divide and subsequent knowledge gap can exacerbate disparities in e-readiness, furthering the divide between those with access to technological knowledge and those without.
In the context of new programs, insufficient funding and lack of dedicated staff can notably contribute to an implementation gap, as can poor early design decisions and inadequate attention to the varied sociopolitical pressures, such as funding threats from conservative administrations.
Furthermore, disparities in technological access across educational institutions amplify societal inequities and add layers to the implementation gap in a digitized economy.