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The politics of evaluation – Participation and policy implementation | Policy Press Scholarship Online
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The politics of evaluation: Participation and policy implementation

David Taylor and Susan Balloch

Abstract

Evaluation has become a central tool in the development of contemporary social policy. Its widespread popularity is based on the need to provide evidence of the effectiveness of policies and programmes. This book sees evaluation as an inherently political activity, as much about forms of governance as scientific practice. Using a wide range of examples from neighbourhood renewal, health and social care, and other aspects of social policy, it relates practical issues in evaluation design to their political contexts. The book considers key issues in the politics of evaluation including governanc ... More

Keywords: evaluation, social policy, effectiveness, governance, scientific practice, neighbourhood renewal, health care, social care, participatory evaluation, partnerships

Bibliographic Information

Print publication date: 2005 Print ISBN-13: 9781861346063
Published to Policy Press Scholarship Online: March 2012 DOI:10.1332/policypress/9781861346063.001.0001

Authors

Affiliations are at time of print publication.

David Taylor, editor

Susan Balloch, editor

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Contents

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Front Matter

Title Pages

List of tables, figures and boxes

Acknowledgements

Notes on contributors

Preface

Introduction: The politics of evaluation: an overview

David Taylor, and Susan Balloch

Part One Governance and evaluation

One Below decks on the youth justice flagship: the politics of evaluation

Peter Squires, and Lynda Measor

Two Urban regeneration: who defines the indicators?

Peter Ambrose

Three Reaching for the stars: the performance assessment framework for social services

Stella Law, and Karin Janzon

Part Two Participation and evaluation

Four Service-user involvement in evaluation and research: issues, dilemmas and destinations

Peter Beresford

Five Best Value but not best interests: can service users instruct mental health advocates?

Hazel Platzer

Six New Deal for Communities as a participatory public policy: the challenges for evaluation

Kay Graham, and Amanda Harris

Seven Discovery through dialogue and appreciative inquiry: a participative evaluation framework for project development

Glynis Cousin, Judith Cousin, and Frances Deepwell

Eight Evaluating projects aimed at supporting the parents of young people: “I didn't learn anything new, but …”

Debi Roker

Part Three Partnerships and evaluation

Nine Evaluating interagency working in health and social care: politics, policies and outcomes for service users

Audrey Leathard

Ten Reflections on an evaluation of partnerships to cope with winter pressures

Susan Balloch, Alison Penn, and Helen Charnley

Eleven Evaluating a partnership approach to supporting people into employment

Hilary Arksey

Part Four Learning from evaluation

Twelve Evaluation and the New Deal for Communities: learning what for whom?

Ian Smith, and Lucy Grimshaw

Thirteen Community-led regeneration: learning loops or reinvented wheels?

Mike Rowe, and Marilyn Taylor

Fourteen Can social capital be a framework for participative evaluation of community health work?

Jennie Fleming, and Thilo Boeck

Fifteen Learning the art of evaluation: presume the presence of politics

Georgie Parry-Crooke, and Cathy Sullivan

Conclusion: What the politics of evaluation implies

Susan Balloch, and David Taylor

End Matter

Index