POLICY EVALUATION

Discuss Systematic Reviews as an Alternative to Policy Evaluation

Discuss Systematic Reviews as an Alternative to Policy Evaluation

Introduction

Policy evaluation concerns the estimation of the effectiveness of public policies, programs, or projects and their management and implementation. Because policy is about change, policy evaluation should explain what factors or determinants led citizens or groups to do things or take actions that otherwise they would not do (e.g., quit smoking, recycle products, practice sustainable behavior, end domestic violence, retain students in school, attract investments, reduce unemployment). To implement such policies, governments have created programs with specific achievement goals. The role of policy evaluators is to give educated estimates of the effects of changes in government policies.

Discussion

From a public administration perspective, program evaluation is a scientific activity that entails the use of scientific methods to measure the outputs, implementation, and outcomes of programs for decision-making purposes. But beyond all this, the key question in policy evaluation is the following: What does government do to improve the quality of life of individuals-citizens? It is also important for policy evaluators to decide if it is better to do something than do nothing to resolve a problem. This entry examines approaches to policy evaluation, the political role of evaluation, and some of the techniques used for policy evaluation (Black, Anthony, 2009, p. 48-54).

Therefore, policy evaluation refers also to the broad idea of social engineering, meaning the capacity of evaluators to resolve social problems and to find superior solutions. The evaluators' role in governing is also to suggest the best policy alternatives to resolve a social problem. Decision makers need to understand the impact of their actions; therefore, policy, program, and project evaluations as a knowledge activity contribute to the rationalization of decision making by determining the best course of action and the limitations of governmental interventions (Sechrest, Figueredo, 2007, p. 645-674). Thus, evaluators are not mere technicians measuring what government has been doing but also are intimately connected to making and improving public policies.

The Role of Policy/Program Evaluators in a Changing Environment

The concept of “experimenting societies,” that is, trying to test social theories and hypotheses in our social environment, in many ways poses a challenge and a burden on program evaluators. How can program evaluators improve the well-being of citizens? How can they reduce the social risks associated with unemployment and slow economic growth, poverty, and income inequalities? How can they improve the social status of unprivileged groups? To bring about such changes, evaluators realized that the state is only one of many sources of power in society (Bernard, Engel, 2003, p. 1-30). Governments have to compete with many actors—interest groups, social groups, nongovernmental organizations—who want to participate in the policy process (Tamanaha, Brian, 2004, p. 9). Furthermore, in addition to competition, the public sector also now engages in extensive cooperation with actors in the private sector in the provision of public services.

One difficult task for program evaluators is to convince decision makers that the social and political risks of inaction are often more costly than taking ...