Strengthening evaluation capacity in Government: Why institutionalisation matters and why it is not sufficient

If we are interested in promoting and strengthening evaluation in a country, we know that the extent to which evaluation is institutionalised is key. Investigating the strengths and weaknesses of institutional factors and identifying their limits help us understand under which conditions these factors will make a difference – and what is still needed. I will be drawing on several studies and reports – as well as my own experience – that address the issue of how evaluation is institutionalised internationally. While all these sources confirm the positive influence of institutional arrangements, they also show that evaluation develops unevenly and slowly and these developments are often difficult to specify or measure.