PUBLIC POLICY EVALUATION - PROGRESS AND CHALLENGES
Ioannis Vellidis Conference Center, Thessaloniki
The formulation of public policies to address social, economic, and political challenges requires the development of appropriate methods for studying, preparing, and assessing policy measures, as well as evaluating their outcomes.
In this context, evaluation is recognized internationally as a fundamental scientific method for improving the effectiveness of public policy. It scientifically and comprehensively highlights the results of policy implementation and supports evidence-based decision-making through systematic and objective assessments of goal achievement.
Since its establishment in September 2014, the Hellenic Evaluation Society (HES) has sought to promote evaluation in Greece as a tool for developing and targeting public policies. In this effort, HES formed an expert group comprising representatives from public administration, academics, and evaluators. This group worked on drafting a position paper for the formulation of a National Evaluation Strategy (NES) in Greece.
Drawing on the experiences of other countries, HES aims to support the development of a strategy to coordinate evaluation practices across ministries and public entities, systematically organize related materials, and establish guidelines, systems, and practices.
The goal of the 2nd Annual HES Conference was to foster dialogue on the role of evaluation in shaping public policies that add value for citizens and societies, considering actual needs and realistic development prospects. Key discussion points included:
- Why is evaluation an essential component of governance and the design of development policies?
- How can evaluation study processes and the use of their results be standardized?
- How can lessons learned from evaluating projects, programs, and policies be used effectively in terms of efficiency, impact, and alignment with national priorities?
- How can a culture of evaluation be established to inform evidence-based public policy making?
The conference targeted public and private sector organizations as well as those interested in improving policy-making processes for development. It featured distinguished speakers, including prominent evaluators from Greece and abroad, public officials, representatives of evaluation units from Greek agencies and the European Commission, academics, researchers, and entities engaged in evaluation at the European and national levels.
CONFERENCE SESSIONS
The conference program was structured into three sessions:
1st SESSION: Evaluation as a Fundamental Component of Governance
2nd SESSION: Evaluation as a Method for Shaping Public Policy
3rd SESSION: Institutionalisation of Public Policy Evaluation in Greece
2nd HES ANNUAL CONFERENCE PROGRAM
PRESENTATIONS
Opening – Welcome Address
- Dimitra Ioannou, President of the Hellenic Evaluation Society
Session 1 – Evaluation as a Fundamental Component of Governance
- John M. LaVelle, Policy Starts With Us: Evaluator Competencies and Education Systems
- Tina Orfanidou, Is Evaluation the Hidden ‘Partner’ of Governance?
- Stavros Divanis, Expectations from Evaluation and Evaluators: The Perspective of Evaluation Recipients
Session 2 – Evaluation as a Method for Shaping Public Policy
- May Pettigrew, Perspectives on the Evolution of Evaluation Cultures in the European Commission
- Panagiotis Koudoumakis, Methodological Framework for Evaluating and Selecting Policies for Balanced Regional Development: Application in Greek Regions
- Ioannis Stefanou, Using Quantitative Tools for Policy Evaluation and Design: The Energy Planning of Serbia
Session 3 – Institutionalisation of Public Policy Evaluation in Greece
- Dimitra Ioannou, Evaluation as a Partner of Governance: A Brief Historical Review
- Leonardos Kantsos, Perspectives on Developing a National Evaluation Strategy in Greece and the Role of the Hellenic Evaluation Society
- Weronika Felcis, Advantages and Disadvantages for EU Member States in Institutionalizing Evaluation Practices
At the conclusion of the conference, the Good Practices in Evaluation Awards were announced. The awards, organized by the Hellenic Evaluation Society, recognized outstanding evaluation projects, followed by a ceremony to honour the selected works.
- Award in the category Young Emerging Evaluator 2018:
Georgios Palamidis, for the thesis: "Performance Management Systems and Efficiency – The Role of HR Metrics" - Award in the category Best Applied Integrated Evaluation Methodology:
National Centre for Social Research, for the interim external evaluation of the project: "Voucher for Entry into the Labour Market" - Honourable Mention for Best Applied Integrated Evaluation Methodology:
Municipality of Agios Dimitrios (Attica), for the project: "Sustainable Development Assessment of the Municipality" - Award in the category Optimal Utilisation of Proposed Evaluation Conclusions:
General Secretariat for Digital Policy, for the study: "Evaluation of the Outcomes of the National Digital Strategy"