CHAPTER 8

POLICY EVALUATION

Policy EvaluationDefinition:

• Policy evaluation simply refers to as a proper examination of the consequences of the policy being implemented.

• The major aims in policy evaluation is:

a) to determine the consequences of policy.

(that is to examine the impact of the implemented policy)

Continues…b) the second thing is to judge the success or failure of the policy according to a set of standards or criteria.

• Based on the second task, some policy analysts have defined policy evaluation as “the use of scientific method to estimate the successful implementation and resultant outcomes of policy program” in meeting its objectives set for.

Policy evaluation involves the estimation, appraisal, or assessment of policy:

• Its content

• Implementation

• Goal attainment and

• Other effects

• Policy evaluation seek to identify factors that contributed to the success or failure of a policy.

• This in turn may lead to recycling of the policy process

• As a functional activity, evaluation can occur at any point in the policy process, not simply after some effort has been made to implement a policy.

Types of Policy Evaluation• There are 3 types of policy evaluation.

a) process evaluation

b) impact evaluation

c) meta-evaluation

• Process evaluation: focuses on the means by which a policy program is delivered or the way in which a policy is implemented

Process Evaluation

• It focuses on the means by which a policy program is delivered or the way in which a policy is implemented

• The assessment is focused on the activities and people’s satisfaction with the policy approach.

Impact Evaluation

• the evaluation here is concerned with the end-result of a policy program.

• It focuses on the outputs to see whether the policy meets the objectives or not.

Meta Evaluation

• based on the synthesis of the results from different studies on the policy program.

• Meta-evaluation draws out the commonalities of results from various studies and synthesizes them together.

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• Generally, evaluation can be done at stages of policy implementation as a functional activity.

• They use high power of statistical and mathematical techniques for evaluation of policy.

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• Some evaluations, therefore, may take a form of experimental design, quasi-experimental design or before and after study method.

Problems with Policy Evaluation

• There are many problems associated with policy evaluation.

• (a) Uncertainty over policy goals: many policy objectives are diffused in nature and why?

• This is because officials in different positions in the policy system may define the goals differently.

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• Hence, it is difficult to evaluate such policy.

• (b) Difficulty in determining causality: more often, it is difficult to attach the change in one situation to certain causes, reasons, and factors.

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• That is, it is not always that change in problem A is caused by change in factor B or factor C.

• So change in B or C may not necessarily lead to change in A.

• For example, compliance with traffic policy law may not due to fines against violator. It may be because of the citizen’s loyalty and belief in obedience to his country’s regulatory policy.

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• © Diffuse Policy Impacts: This refers to a situation in which policy may produce effect on other things rather than the targeted groups.

• For example, the welfare policy may produce effects not only on poor people, but also on others. E.g, the taxpayers or public officials.

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• (d) Difficulties in Data Acquisition: it is clear that lack of appropriate data or access to data may jeopardize evaluation efforts.

• This makes evaluation of the implemented policy becomes difficult to estimate.

• (e) Official Resistance: The official resistances to policy evaluation is another problem in evaluation processes.

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• This happens when the officials sought that the results are negative and can raise political problems.

• Hence, they refuse an access to data or they keep incomplete records to make evaluation difficult.

• (f) Time Constraint: There is time constraint for many policy programs whose effects may take some times to fully appear.

Continues…

• For such policies, it is difficult to evaluate them within a very short period and reach a concrete conclusion on their successes or failures.

END OF CHAPTER 8