What is Policy Evaluation?

Public policy making does not end with the passage of legislation and the implementation of programs authorized by the new law. The next questions are whether the initiative achieved its objectives, what the effects were and whether any policy changes are needed. Policy evaluation answers these and related questions.

Identification

Policy evaluation is a systematic process for assessing the design, implementation and outcomes of public policies. Evaluation uses social science research methods, including qualitative and quantitative techniques, to examine the effects of policies.
Some policy scholars, such as political scientist James Anderson, describe policy making as a sequential process marked by distinct steps, such as agenda-setting, policy formulation, adoption and implementation. For Anderson and others, evaluation is the final step in this process. However, they caution that the public policy process is ongoing, with evaluation often resulting in policy changes, which are then implemented and evaluated again.

Function

Policy evaluation enables all participants in the policy process, including legislators, executives, agency officials and others, to measure the degree to which a program has achieved its goals, assess the effects and identify any needed changes to a policy. In addition, many state and local governments fund programs with federal grants, which have evaluation requirements.

History

As early as the 1930s, social scientists advocated the use of empirical research methods to assess the effects and consequences of government policies and programs. Policy evaluation grew as an activity after World War II because the growth in the number of programs boosted the need for evaluations. Over time, policy analysis and evaluation became established fields of study.

Types

The two main types of policy evaluation are formative and summative evaluation. Formative evaluation examines the operations of the program, usually for the purpose of improving the program and assessing its implementation. For example, a formative evaluation of a tutoring program would consider such measures as the number of tutors, the number of students who participated, enrollment procedures and the amount of tutoring students received.

Summative evaluation asks whether the program achieved its intended goals. If the tutoring program's goal was to raise student test scores in math, a summative evaluation would include an analysis of math scores for students who participated. Often, the best policy evaluations employ a comprehensive approach that uses both formative and summative techniques.

Considerations

Policy evaluation is rarely as simple or straightforward as some politicians suggest. Factors that complicate evaluations include identifying goals, measuring performance and isolating the effects of policy from those of other factors. In addition, although it attempts to assess policy in an objective manner, evaluation activities occur within a political environment. Policy-makers often want immediate information on policy effects, but many programs have long-term effects that will not be known in the short term.

References

• James Anderson, Public Policymaking, 1994
• Evaluation: A Systematic Approach, Peter Rossi, Howard Freeman, and Mark Lipsey, 1999.

Resources

• Guide to Social Research and Policy Analysis
• Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management