Occasional Paper

Order Code: OP2

Implementing Evaluation Findings in Government Agencies

Ernest House

Abstract

This paper identifies some issues that may prevent the implementation of evaluation results in government agencies. A major reason for the lack of implementation in such agencies often is that evaluations are expected to be used both for information purposes and as accountability mechanisms. These two purposes do not always work together. When this is the case, the focus of the evaluation, the way it is conducted, and the manner in which the results are disseminated may not be conducive to program personnel implementing the results. There are other reasons why evaluations may not be implemented in government agencies, and this paper suggests some strategies for dealing with these problems, including the presentation of the results in varied settings and formats and, where appropriate, the establishment of steering committees or project groups to ensure that the results are implemented appropriately.

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Last Updated:  May 05, 2003