Policy evaluation and public participation

This chapter is concerned with the methods and challenges of evaluating policies through the
participation of affected publics. For this purpose, policy evaluation is understood as an act of
judgment about the performance of a particular policy process, department or program based on
its desirability, worth, or value. Evaluation is the phase of the policy process where there is
ideally an explicit opportunity for learning, reflection and improvement. It represents the moment
where the policy cycle ends but also restarts (Althaus et al. 2007). For the most part, this chapter
focuses on policy evaluation as a retrospective (ex post) exercise where past decisions and pro
grams are formally assessed. Evaluations of this kind might be legally required, or they might be
stimulated by a budget or planning process. In some cases evaluations are triggered by
specific policy events, such as a perceived policy fiasco or change in political leadership (Bovens
et al. 2006).