This Article Full Text (PDF) References Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Dahler-Larsen, P. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                   What's this?

Surviving the Routinization of Evaluation

The Administrative Use of Evaluations in Danish Municipalities

University of Southern Denmark

Students of evaluation have found many examples of reports gathering dust on the shelf, as well as politically hired outsiders with an ax who relentlessly cut public programs. These images indicate that evaluation often does not fulfill its genuine democratic potential. A study of the Danish municipal sector shows that out of 600 evaluations, less than 1% led to termination of the evaluated activities, whereas 78% of the evaluations led to adjustments of program activities. On this basis, an alternative view of evaluation is proposed: a managerial support system. This requires a new understanding of the utilization problem in evaluation and its democratic ramifications.

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?