Evaluation and social policy. Some reflections on ideas and institutions.
This paper discusses the relationship between evaluation as a meta- and as a technical activity in the field of social policy, with special reference to the British experience. Evaluation as a meta-activity is defined to be the analysis of the values and criteria to be used: a process which assumes that the definition of problems is itself problematic. Evaluation as a technical activity is defined to be the application of agreed criteria to agreed policy problems. From this distinction, it is argued, some important implications flow for the role of the universities and the funding of research.
D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D006302:Health Services Research / Q000379:methods; D011640:Public Policy; D012109:Research Support as Topic; D013222:State Medicine; D006113:United Kingdom