This article describes the evolution of evaluation policy and practice from 1977, when the first policy on program evaluation was issued by Treasury Board, to the current state of evaluation in the Government of Canada. It discusses the changing nature of evaluation policy, resources, and conceptions of the function as well as a number of concerns about federal evaluation that have been expressed during this period. The article concludes by providing suggestions that, if implemented, might enhance the status and role of evaluation in the federal government.
The Planning-Programming-Budgeting System (P.P.B.S.) was developed by such brilliant economists at RAND as Roland McKean who, combining the operations research techniques of World War II with new systems analysis procedures, produced a new form of budgeting which would also improve decision-making. When this proposal was added to the recommendations of the Hoover Commissions for a new form of &dquo; performance &dquo; budgeting, the appeal of such a drastic change became extremely enticing. It was not until 1961, however, when a business executive, Robert McNamara, was appointed Secretary of Defence that the P.P.B.S. was given a chance to prove itself. The managerial revolution in the U.S. Department of Defence demanded more systematic and comprehensive information so that important decisions could be based on more than intuition and collected eclectic statistics.Outside experts, primarily from RAND, were co-opted to provide the expertise necessary for such a radical departure from traditional bureaucratic tradition. The ex-
The paper describes the evolution of the Office of the Auditor General and the expansion of the mandate of the OAG. It argues tht the OAG now actively conducts meta-evaluation and process evaluation studies. The analysis suggests that the OAG is becoming more interested in rationale or impact evaluations. It concludes that the effects of OAG involvement in rationale-based evaluations is likely to be significant both in terms of the political process and the evolution of evaluation policy within the Government of Canada.
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