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A Longitudinal Study of the Uses of Public Performance Reports by Elected Officials
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| Presenter(s):
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| James McDavid,
University of Victoria,
jmcdavid@uvic.ca
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| Irene Huse,
University of Victoria,
ihuse@uvic.ca
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| Abstract:
The paper summarizes findings from a longitudinal study of the ways the elected officials use public performance reports. In 2001, the British Columbia Legislature passed a law that mandates annual performance planning and reporting. The study obtained a base line from members of the legislature (MLAs) before they saw their first performance report in 2003. The baseline focused on their expected uses of the performance reports. In 2005 and 2007, follow up surveys were conducted with MLAs to track their actual uses of these reports. The presentation will compare usage levels for 15 different uses of performance information. Comparisons between members of the Executive Council (cabinet ministers) and back benchers are included, as are comparisons between members of the governing party (Liberals) and the Opposition party (NDP). This study is unique – no other study has obtained this kind of information from the intended principal users of public sector performance reports.
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An Exploratory Study of How Information is Used in the Policy Process by Education Policymaker Staff and Public Administrators
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| Presenter(s):
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| Katy Anthes,
The Third Mile Group,
katyanthes@comcast.net
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| Abstract:
The vast amount of money spent on program and policy evaluation will be wasted unless the findings of evaluations are used to inform program designers, program implementers and policymakers in their decision-making. This study investigates how policy research, analysis, and evaluation are used by other actors, in addition to policymakers, in the education political and policy process. These other actors, particularly policymaker staffs and middle to high-level administrators in state government are important brokers of the policy process and often neglected in the literature on research use. Evaluators can learn from the fields of political science and public administration regarding how evaluation overlaps and integrates with policy analysis to inform the policy process. Through the findings of this mixed-method study using survey data and interviews, evaluators will be better able integrate evaluation research into the political process by understanding the way it is offered into the policy process.
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Evaluation as Transnational Policy: Evaluation Policy in Swedish Compulsory Education - Its International Influences and National Features
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| Presenter(s):
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| Christina Segerholm,
MidSweden University,
christina.segerholm@miun.se
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| Abstract:
The paper describes and analyses national evaluation policy in Swedish compulsory education. It is based on two studies; one textual analysis of national policy documents concerning educational evaluation, and one interview study conducted with a selection of so called ‘national policy brokers’. What are the characteristics of educational evaluation in Swedish schooling? What in European and international ideas on educational evaluation is disseminated to Swedish national policy? Results show that Swedish national evaluation policy for education consists of a number of interrelated evaluative activities, a web. All activities are aligned to the principle of governing by objectives and results. Trans- and supranational evaluation policies, developed in various groups in the OECD and EU influence Swedish national policies, and are disseminated by an elite of policy actors, not necessarily formal national policy-makers. Educational evaluation policy may be understood as an example of a globalization process with multiscalar characteristics.
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Use of Evaluations in Dutch Urban Policy
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| Presenter(s):
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| Ger Arendsen,
Open University of the Netherlands,
ger.arendsen@ou.nl
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| Abstract:
Research findings on the use of evaluations in Dutch urban policy from the 1990’s on will be presented. This policy area is seen in the Netherlands as a prime example of consecutive governments trying to learn from past experiences through evaluations and failing to do so effectively. National governments are involved in a complex governance structure with regional and local governments, in a social and economic context of conflicting interests. The complexity and richness of the context, and the many attempts at learning from evaluations in a relative short span of time, makes it an interesting case to study using conceptual frames from the evaluation use literature. Within a case study design the influence of different types of evaluation (such as monitoring and expert judgment) is investigated. The research aims primarily at testing conceptual models fitting in with recent developments in evaluation use theory.
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