This paper conducts a power analysis of the actors involved in implementing the polio program in India, reflecting how different power categories are exerted and embedded in strategies to combat program implementation challenges. Using Moon's expanded typology of power, the study analyzed quantitative and qualitative data from 517 survey responses and 25 key informant interviews. Results showed stakeholders exerted various powers – from structural and discursive to moral, expert, and network power – with even seemingly powerless actors wielding influence. The paper concludes that power is not a finite resource and can be used, shared, or created in multiple interconnected ways, influencing community and individual decision-making. Existing implementation science frameworks should incorporate power as a crucial variable for program success.

Piyusha Majumdar, S. D. Gupta, D. K. Mangal, Neeraj Sharma, Anna Kalbarczyk