Over a period of five years the ACT Schools Authority was engaged in a process of developing curriculum policy. A large number of people from various positions in the bureaucratic hierarchy participated in that development. During the period some people had a fleeting connection with the policy's development while others stayed with it from beginning to end. This thesis attempts to describe particular understandings associated with systemic policy development through the ordinary experiences of the people involved. Some themes are evident: powerlessness, managerial authority, dialogical dysfunction, for example: and some difficult situations revealed: managerial interaction, pressure on subordinates, control mechanisms. The paper traces the development of the policy slightly beyond its secondary stage. The third stage was completed in 1984. Of particular importance to the paper is the relationship of the committee of 15 that comprises the ACT Schools Authority, to the officers of the system. That relationship remains problematical