1. Creating a Culture of Evaluation – Getting from Rhetoric to Possibility Frances Ruane

2. FOCUS Questions we need to answer to achieve “evaluation” rather than “validation”

3. Outline Recent history and current context Why the concern with evaluation now? What questions need to be addressed if evaluation is to make a positive contribution to policy?

4. Irish Growth Rates 1970-2000

5. Comparison of Irish and EU (15) Growth Rates 1970-2000

6. Current context weak history of planning => system- wide benchmark problems budgetary constraints => poor evaluation tradition inclusive, negotiated agreements => compromise solutions clientelist political tradition => bias against economic rationality

7. Who really wants evaluation? Seen as “Raining on the parade”? Evita Recall the musical Evita “When the money keeps rolling out you don't keep books You can tell you've done well by the happy grateful looks Accountants only slow things down, figures get in the way”

8. Why the new Concern with Evaluation?

9. Why the new Concern with Evaluation? Accountability (C&AG, PAC, IA) New Rhetoric (EBPM) Efficiency International Norms (EC) Governance Transparency (FOI)

10. Three key questions Who decides on the “evaluation context”? Who should undertake evaluations? Who should evaluate the evaluators?

11. Who decides on the “evaluation context”? Evaluation of what? Evaluation for what purpose? Evaluation with which tools? Evaluation to what standards? Evaluation over what timeframe? Evaluation for whose eyes? Implications of outturn for funding?

12. Who should undertake evaluations? Progamme promoters Evaluation units within departments Centralised evaluation units Outside (national) evaluators Outside (international) evaluators and to what template?

13. Who should evaluate the evaluators? Issue of standards/methodologies Issue of professionalism/governance Problem of small country … Role of the network … Need for a positive approach to evaluation More than economics! Reflect on insights of Charles M. Schultz