Paper Proposal: Learning from evaluation and enhancing evalua- tion capacity: under which conditions? Lessons drawn from three case studies in Wallonia (original) (raw)

Evaluation in the Australian Public Service: Formerly practised – Not yet embedded

Evaluation Journal of Australasia, 2020

This article examines what impeded programme evaluation from being embedded in the Australian Public Service (APS), being relevant to the Australian Government’s current priority of embedding evaluation in the APS. It draws on a case study of evaluation as the major element of the 1980s APS ‘Managing for Results’ (MfR) reform and the reasons for evaluation’s later demise. During MfR, evaluation was intended to demonstrate the effectiveness of APS programmes. Although evaluation was incorporated into APS practice by 1992, after 1997, evaluation was no longer required. Currently, agencies must demonstrate their annual non-financial performance over 4 years under the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, with evaluation being recommended to support this requirement. It is pertinent to current Government consideration of a National Indigenous Evaluation Strategy, which supports the creation of an independent Evaluator-General to embed APS evaluation practice.

Public Policy and Public Management: an Emphasis on the Evaluation Phase

This article aims to describe the evaluation phase in public policy and how a greater emphasis in this phase can contribute positively to the public management, for this the technical procedures were outlined by the bibliographical research, from a review of the main concepts on the subject matter.As a result, the importance of the evaluation phase in the public policy process can be perceived as a way of guaranteeing greater effectiveness in the results obtained by Public Management. Finally, the paper points out the indispensability of a theoretical deepening that allows future discussions on the theme.

Made to Measure: Evaluation in Practice in Local Government

Approaches to Evaluation in Local Government Policy Research Institute 1 'fiscal stress'-in a context of resource constraints, authorities have been forced to review budgets, prioritise spending areas and decide how savings might be made thus encouraging a greater focus on performance in relation to objectives Compulsory Competitive Tendering (CCT)-as more services have been designated for CCT, authorities have had to develop clear specifications of levels of service required and subsequently to monitor delivery against targets, thus engendering a stronger focus on desired outcomes 'politicisation'-increased politicisation of local government has made elected members place more emphasis on achieving what they regard as their most important political objectives and therefore has generated a stronger interest amongst members in performance review central government requirements-most notably, the statutory performance indicators developed and administered by the Audit Commission have acted in many authorities as a catalyst for the development of internal review processes. 'managerialism'-over the past two decades, managerialist thinking and practice has gained an increasing hold across the public sector, an important component being the need for performance management 'consumerism'-an increasing appreciation that people are 'customers' of services or 'citizens' with expectations and rights, promoted by the Citizen's Charter, has helped to promote a focus on outcomes as experienced by customers/citizens and on the need to assess performance in these terms 'enabling'-as authorities have increasingly been required to work with other agencies and build partnerships to promote achievement of their objectives, attention has focused more on specifying objectives and assessing the extent to which these are being achieved through partnership arrangements 'competitive bidding'-in a context of general resource constraints, authorities have increasingly been required to bid for specific programme resources with a requirement to specify planned achievements and to monitor and evaluate actual performance. Nevertheless, the commitment to systematic evaluation and performance review is still far from universal in local government. To a large degree, this is understandable for a number of reasons:

Building evaluation capacity: Definitional and practical implications from an Australian case study

Evaluation and Program Planning, 2007

Internationally, evaluation capacity-building activities have mushroomed as demands have increased for government-funded programs to demonstrate that they are effective and efficient. Despite this, there is a lack of clarity in the way in which evaluation capacity-building is defined and conceptualized. The current paper presents a case study of a national evaluation capacity building exercise that we are in the midst

Evaluation in the Australian Public Service: What can the case of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade tell us about an enduring challenge for public administration?

ANU Press eBooks, 2023

Since the 1970s the evaluation of policies and programs has been viewed as essential for the efficiency and effectiveness of public policy and for accountability in the Australian Public Service (APS). Despite this, evaluation has varied in its practice and influence. At the time of writing, in 1 The author was engaged over the 2012-20 period in DFAT's evaluation function as a member of the Independent Evaluation Committee (2012-20) and as a member of the Audit and Risk Committee (2016-20). She was also a member of the National Indigenous Australians Agency (NIAA) Indigenous Evaluation Committee (within the Prime Minister and Cabinet portfolio) 2018-22. While DFAT officials commented on earlier versions of this chapter, her observations do not reflect views of DFAT or NIAA officials. The author is grateful to the many people who contributed information for this chapter and commented on it. These include

The Role of Evaluations in Political and Administrative Learning and the Role of Learning in Evaluation Praxis

OECD Journal on Budgeting, 2003

Tous droits du producteur et du propriétaire de ce produit sont réservés. L'OCDE autorise la reproduction d'un seul exemplaire de ce programme pour usage personnel et non commercial uniquement. Sauf autorisation, la duplication, la location, le prêt, l'utilisation de ce produit pour exécution publique sont interdits. Ce programme, les données y afférantes et d'autres éléments doivent donc être traités comme toute autre documentation sur laquelle s'exerce la protection par le droit d'auteur. Les demandes sont à adresser au :

Using evaluations to inform policy and practice in a government department

2020

South Africa's education sector has been very problematic with educational outcomes being less than desired. It has had to overcome the legacy of apartheid, and has struggled to create an effective educational system. The Department of Basic Education has been a pioneer department in the use of evaluations, research and data. Two of eight evaluations undertaken by the department are used as mini-cases of the use of evaluations: the Funza Lushaka Bursary Programme and the National School Nutrition Programme. A variety of instrumental, conceptual and process uses of the evaluations can be seen, supported by a range of use interventions undertaken internally by the department, supported through the mechanisms of the national evaluation system. The cases provide examples of evidence-informed policy and practice and how a government department can undertake evaluations effectively. They demonstrate the importance of an internal knowledge broker who is involved in the strategic discussions to champion and support evidence, as well as the usefulness of a national evaluation system providing key elements that encourage use.

Teaching people to fish? Building the evaluation capability of public sector organizations

Evaluation, 2003

In response to an increasing demand for public sector accountability, many government agencies have sought to develop their internal evaluation capabilities. Often these efforts have focused on increasing the capacity to supply credible evaluations, yet addressing demand is just as important. This article focuses on a government agency and tracks its five-year journey towards developing such a capability. It documents contextual matters, drivers for change, the actions taken by the agency, and its response to emergent challenges during four phases. Based on feedback from project staff and managers and those involved in the capability development project, it offers seven recommendations. These are: start small and grow evaluation; address both supply and demand; work top-down and bottom-up simultaneously; use a theory of change behaviour; develop a common evaluation framework, including a generic programme theory; build knowledge of what works within the agency's context; and systematically and visibly evaluate each stage.

The Measure of Policy? Evaluating the Evaluation Strategy as an Instrument for Budgetary Control

Australian Journal of Public Administration, 1998

This article reports recent research undertaken on the contribution of program evaluation to that part of the budget process for which the Australian public service has carriage. It examines the degree of success which the Labor government's evaluation strategy attained in serving budget agency information purposes. The research is not conclusive, only