Improving evaluative activities
Improving the quality and utilisation of evaluative results is recognised internationally as a way to improve state sector performance.
Evaluative activity is broadly defined, and includes many research, evidence gathering, and performance monitoring approaches.
Two main gains are sought from evaluative activity: enhanced effectiveness of services for the public, including improved focus, policy design, organisational efficiency; and robust decision making.
To that end, central agencies such as the State Services Commission and the Treasury, along with the SPEaR Committee in the government research and evaluation community, have been working across Government to increase evaluative knowledge, awareness and results.
“The challenge in the Government sector is that evaluative thinking and activity covers a wide spectrum. This ranges from internal organisational performance issues, monitoring particular programmes to see if they achieved their objectives, through to aggregating system performance for informed investment decision making,” said SPEaR project manager Paul Honeybone.
“The goal is to get a more comprehensive and connected approach to evaluation,” Paul said.
A small-scale survey has been conducted by SPEaR and the Managing for Outcomes (MfO) Programme Office to help inform the provision of advice to continue to improve current practice in the use of evaluation in central government agencies.
The survey was completed by SPEaR members, and also by respondents from other government departments outside SPEaR. The 22 responses from a total of 19 agencies encompassed both the “provider” perspective and the perspective of those who “use” evaluative information in decision making.
“While the sample was small, there were some consistent patterns coming through that will help shape future work in this area,” said Roger Waite, Principal Advisor for the Treasury’s Business Analysis Team, who co-convened the survey.
The results from the practitioner and user groups were similar.
Results included the need for managers and policy staff to know how evaluation fits into their business, to identify and prioritise evaluative activities that will fill major information gaps, and to ensure that useful evaluative information is used to change business practice and improve results.
The survey found that over the past two years, managers have been making greater use of the results of evaluations, but there is room to improve the way evaluative activity is used in decision making.
This includes making training in using evaluation results a part of the core activity of managers and policy and operational staff rather than treating it as a separate issue. Practitioners reflected on how they could improve uptake of their results.
In taking the work forwards, SPEaR will continue to focus on developing research and evaluative capability. SPEaR will also be working closely with the State Services Commission and the Treasury to improve the prioritisation and commissioning of social policy research. Joint work will also look at how business processes are designed to help ensure good results get used.
The next step will involve SPEaR and the MfO Programme Office identifying the training needed to address the issues raised in the survey.
For more information, contact info@spear.govt.nz
