SAMENVATTING PUBLIC POLICY: SESSION 8: POLICY EVALUATION
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Did we do the right thing or not? (was our solution correct?)
And did we do it right? (did we implement the picked solution well?)
WHAT IS POLICY EVALUATION?
= Putting a value on something
'Evaluation concerns the determination of the added value of what is
evaluated' (Scriven, 1991)
'A careful, retrospective assessment of public-sector interventions (their
organization, implementation, outputs and outcomes) with the aim of informing
hy
Philosop
future decisions' (Vedung, 2010)
§ Policy evaluation is a systematic (step-by-step) process used to assess the
effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of public policies, programs, or projects. It
aims to provide evidence-based insights to inform decision-making and improve
future policy formulation (Robson, 2014)
§ Simply, we apply evaluation principles and methods to examine the content,
implementation or impact of a policy.
Example: buying a second-hand couch
1. You see something
2. You have criteria in mind: what is valuable to me? How much money do I want to
spend?
3. You assign to the couch
WHAT IS POLICY EVALUATION?
§ As evaluation is about added value, what is value?
§ What are the key features of value? Remember?
, Let’s think of this … if you are buying a house, how would you evaluate if it was worth it?
Location, quiet area, spacious, natural light … you attach values based on your
priorities
KEY FEATURES OF POLICY EVALUATIONS
There are different types and features of evaluations. However, overall,
evaluations are often:
§ Normative in nature: They present a “standard” against which value is assessed
e.g., effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, etc.
It is not relative, what is your idea/ vision/ opnion about x?
§ Action-oriented: Evaluations are conducted with the intention of providing
actionable insights and inducing change
We want to improve: we wanto to fix things.
§ Institutionalized: Evaluations are often inscribed within or -mandated
under- institutional and organizational structures
They are written in to law
KEY FEATURES OF POLICY EVALUATIONS
Given these features of evaluations … can you think about how they are discussed or
positioned in public policy practice?
PERSPECTIVES ON EVALUATION
Main definition: we use methods (ex. social sciences) to evaluate if a
program is effective or not
Object evaluation: what do we evaluate?
View of policy/ politics: based on your ideology
IS THIS POLICY WORKING?
WHERE ARE WE NOW?
Did we do the right thing or not? (was our solution correct?)
And did we do it right? (did we implement the picked solution well?)
WHAT IS POLICY EVALUATION?
= Putting a value on something
'Evaluation concerns the determination of the added value of what is
evaluated' (Scriven, 1991)
'A careful, retrospective assessment of public-sector interventions (their
organization, implementation, outputs and outcomes) with the aim of informing
hy
Philosop
future decisions' (Vedung, 2010)
§ Policy evaluation is a systematic (step-by-step) process used to assess the
effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of public policies, programs, or projects. It
aims to provide evidence-based insights to inform decision-making and improve
future policy formulation (Robson, 2014)
§ Simply, we apply evaluation principles and methods to examine the content,
implementation or impact of a policy.
Example: buying a second-hand couch
1. You see something
2. You have criteria in mind: what is valuable to me? How much money do I want to
spend?
3. You assign to the couch
WHAT IS POLICY EVALUATION?
§ As evaluation is about added value, what is value?
§ What are the key features of value? Remember?
, Let’s think of this … if you are buying a house, how would you evaluate if it was worth it?
Location, quiet area, spacious, natural light … you attach values based on your
priorities
KEY FEATURES OF POLICY EVALUATIONS
There are different types and features of evaluations. However, overall,
evaluations are often:
§ Normative in nature: They present a “standard” against which value is assessed
e.g., effectiveness, efficiency, coherence, etc.
It is not relative, what is your idea/ vision/ opnion about x?
§ Action-oriented: Evaluations are conducted with the intention of providing
actionable insights and inducing change
We want to improve: we wanto to fix things.
§ Institutionalized: Evaluations are often inscribed within or -mandated
under- institutional and organizational structures
They are written in to law
KEY FEATURES OF POLICY EVALUATIONS
Given these features of evaluations … can you think about how they are discussed or
positioned in public policy practice?
PERSPECTIVES ON EVALUATION
Main definition: we use methods (ex. social sciences) to evaluate if a
program is effective or not
Object evaluation: what do we evaluate?
View of policy/ politics: based on your ideology
IS THIS POLICY WORKING?
