Original scientific paper
https://doi.org/10.31297/hkju.16.3.8
Utilization of Evaluation Results in Policy-Making Aad Administration – A Challenge to Political Science Research
Hellmut Wollmann
Abstract
The paper deals with utilization of evaluation results in policy-making and public administration. In the pursuit of this guiding question, the article is written in five steps. First, major variants of evaluation are presented with a particular eye to their respective utilization potential. Second, different concepts are sketched that have been forwarded to capture the utilization of (social) science-generated knowledge by political, administrative, and social actors. Third, looking at Germany, Switzerland and the European Union as cases in point pertinent research findings are discussed. Parts four and five contain summary, conclusions and some remarks on ensuing research needs. The political rationality and the underlying political will of the decision-makers prevail in crucial political decisions while in less important decisions evaluation-generated evidence does show some effect and a dose of scientific rationality comes to the fore. However, the stock of evaluation-generated information and knowledge about the effects of policies and measures has seen an exponential growth, which makes the call for evidence-based policy-making and for utilizing the available evaluation findings all the more mandatory and urgent.
Keywords
evaluation; policy-making; public administration; utilization of evaluation result
Hrčak ID:
168142
URI
Publication date:
8.9.2016.
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