Mechanisms for institutionalising evaluation: A scoping review

Abstract

In recent years, there has been growing attention garnered by the institutionalisation of evaluation, with academia as well as international organisations, governments and practitioners engaging more with the topic. Recent publications, in particular the books edited by Stockmann and Meyer (2020, 2022, 2023) that bring together various experiences occurring in different European, American and Asian countries, have contributed significantly to the conceptual and theoretical development of the field. However, the predominant analytical frameworks used to assess institutionalisation are primarily designed to support international comparisons and to quantify the degree of institutionalisation across countries. As such, they tend to emphasise measurable indicators or enabling conditions, often overlooking the specific mechanisms and institutional arrangements that underpin the development and sustainability of evaluative practices. This article addresses that gap by conducting a scoping review of 29 case studies from 12 countries with different evaluation traditions. Rather than focusing on levels of institutionalisation, the analysis identifies and categorises the institutional arrangements and mechanisms most frequently used to embed evaluation within public administration. In doing so, it offers a structured overview intended to support public sector managers—particularly in contexts with limited evaluation traditions—in reflecting on and designing appropriate strategies to strengthen evaluation systems.