M&E can support an evidence-informed policymaking approach by bringing an understanding of how existing policies are performing and if they are effective. As such, strong M&E frameworks can support governments in addressing complex policy challenges by increasing the understanding of policy trade-offs and impacts.
Public policy monitoring and evaluation
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) help ensure that decisions are rooted in trustworthy evidence and deliver desired outcomes. They are also a critical element of good governance, as they promote public accountability, transparency, and contribute to citizens’ trust in government. Nevertheless, governments face significant challenges to develop robust and reliable M&E systems and practices, as well as to ensure that the results and evidence of M&E are used to support decision-making processes, including budgetary decisions.
Key messages
Institutionalising M&E across government can help relevant stakeholders understand the impact a given policy has, as well as provide the incentives to carry out the policy and use its results. Institutionalisation is crucial to ensure co-ordination, leading to more comparable and consistent results and increased use in policy processes. Combined with measures to ensure quality and use, institutionalisation is a key ingredient to enhancing M&E capacities.
M&E should be considered as one of several tools governments can use to assess whether public policies and expenditures are achieving their objectives in the most cost-effective manner. If adequately orchestrated with other tools such as audits, regulatory impact assessments, performance budgeting and spending reviews; M&E can prove highly impactful sources of information for sound and smart policy and resource allocation decisions.
Context
OECD governments regularly use evaluation for a range of purposes.
OECD governments conduct evaluations to fulfil different objectives. In most cases, evaluations are conducted to measure governments’ results and resources required to achieve them, promote evidence-informed policy making, and improve the quality of public services.
There are persistent challenges to a more widespread use of evaluation in OECD governments.
OECD Members face a range of barriers to the promotion of evaluation across their governments. While one of the most persistent challenge relates to the practical use of evaluation results in policy-making processes, other important challenges include the development of comprehensive strategies for policy evaluation, and the shortage of capacities and capabilities to create demand for, carry out evaluations.
