Category Archives: Government programs

The importance of visible, high level commitment to evaluation

One of the favorite stories I tell about evaluation is about going to meet a senior manager to discuss evaluation and finding him standing on a table in the middle of an open-plan office, with the staff gathered around him, … Continue reading

Posted in Evaluation team composition, Government programs, Learning from failure, The client's role | 4 Comments

How much evidence is needed for policy?

In the last few days before the Australian federal election, a curious $5million advertising campaign has been launched which claims to be advocating evidence-based policy but does nothing of the kind.
.
Continue reading

Posted in Appropriate inference, Appropriate measurement, Business & industry, Causal inference, Government programs, Health | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Managing genuine evaluation paradoxes: Genuine reporting

In reponse to the earlier post on genuine evaluation snippets from around the globe, Irene Guijt raised a very important question about the tensions between several hallmarks of genuine evaluation: Some important contrasts presented but also one that doesn’t entirely … Continue reading

Posted in About/Definition, Appropriate reporting, Government programs | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

More utterly uncritical media reporting of evaluation

As an evaluator, or even as an interested member of the public, what very basic fundamental information would you expect to see in a newspaper article that kicked off like this?

Chiefs get good marks even if departments don’t

Public sector leaders are mostly embracing challenges thrown to them by the Government, though at least one is “lost at sea”, a report says.

The Trans Tasman Media report, which ranks government agencies and bosses, has found that chief executives are generally performing better than their departments. Continue reading

Posted in Appropriate criteria and standards, Appropriate reporting, Government programs | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

“Ripping off the cloak of secrecy” – British PM pledge

New UK Government commits to “ripping off the cloak of secrecy”. How long will this thirst for transparency last?
.
.

Continue reading

Posted in Appropriate reporting, Civil society engagement, Government programs | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment