Picture courtesy of Dorset County Council.
History of Evaluation
In the United Kingdom, the development of professional evaluation really began with the 1970’s. Evaluation for accountability arose as a result of the 1970’s international economic recession. In difficult financial times there is a greater demand for evidence of, ‘What works for whom, and at what cost?’ The timeline below shows the development of evaluation in the context of the macro-economic and political climate.
1970’s
- High fuel costs due to the Arab oil embargo
- Stock market crash
- Banking and property crisis
- Loss of public trust in Government decisions
These conditions led to evaluation being used more and more for economic accountability – for making financial decisions.
1980’s
- Financial Management Initiative
- Emphasis on Value for Money (VFM)
- The three ‘E’s’ of Evaluation: Economy, Efficiency, and Effectiveness
- The measurement of inputs and outputs
In the 1980’s the focus was on financial accountability and efficiency.
1990’s
- Key Performance Indicators
- The audit culture
- 1995: “Evidence based policy” first spoken on record in Parliament
- Cochrane and Campbell Collaborations – systematic research reviews in health and social sciences
- 1999: National Institute for Clinical Excellence established
- 1999: Modernising Government White Paper
- ‘What Works’ agenda
Research and evaluation evidence was formally committed to by Government as having an influence on policy making. Learning about best practice and effectiveness was more of a priority now than simply how much those practices cost.
2000’s
- Government Social Research Unit established
- Magenta Book
- On-line Policy Hub
Training and advice in data analysis was made formally available for policy-makers. Using evaluation evidence was part of professional policy-making.
Late 2000’s - 2010’s
- Comprehensive Spending Review
- Stock market crash
- Banking and property crisis
- Economic recession
- Record deficit
- Eurozone crisis
Evaluation re-focuses on efficiency and cost-effectiveness.
Source: Furubo, J. E., Rist, R. C., and Sandahl, R. (eds.) (2002) International Atlas of Evaluation New Brunswick: Transaction Publishers.