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Program Evaluation and Policy Management in Australian Central Agencies

Di Francesco, Michael Francis

Description

Of the many components of reform to Australian government administration in the 1980s, the introduction of systematic program evaluation is perhaps one of the least examined. This thesis seeks to assess the Federal Labor Government's evaluation strategy as an instrument for enhancing what are here termed the policy management capacities of central agencies. It proceeds in two steps. First, the thesis traces in detail the development of program evaluation policy in Australian federal government...[Show more]

dc.contributor.authorDi Francesco, Michael Francis
dc.date.accessioned2007-08-13T22:30:25Z
dc.date.accessioned2011-01-04T02:37:10Z
dc.date.available2007-08-13T22:30:25Z
dc.date.available2011-01-04T02:37:10Z
dc.identifier.otherb19832175
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/45741
dc.description.abstractOf the many components of reform to Australian government administration in the 1980s, the introduction of systematic program evaluation is perhaps one of the least examined. This thesis seeks to assess the Federal Labor Government's evaluation strategy as an instrument for enhancing what are here termed the policy management capacities of central agencies. It proceeds in two steps. First, the thesis traces in detail the development of program evaluation policy in Australian federal government from the effectiveness reviews of the Coombs Report of 1976 to the current evaluation strategy, and argues that, despite competing purposes for it, evaluation was intended primarily to serve decision making in central government. This policy aim was cemented by the economic crisis of the mid 1980s and framed around budgetary issues by its steward, the Department of Finance. Second, in order to assess the impact of the evaluation strategy, the thesis develops a framework for analysing program evaluation as one instrument for strengthening the core policy management functions of central agencies. In this context, policy management is essentially a coordination task. The contribution of evaluation to two aspects of policy management-resource coordination, and policy development and coordination-is examined. The findings confirm that attempts to formalise evaluation processes have had a variable impact- central budgetary processes remain dependent on relatively informal assessment procedures, although recent attempts to enhance policy coordination through the evaluation of policy advising processes have proved potentially to be more influential. In conclusion, the thesis argues that the evaluation strategy represented a credible attempt to better inform policy making in central government, but suffered for want of clear policy design and firm execution that resulted in only a marginal impact on these processes.
dc.language.isoen
dc.rights.urihttp://www.anu.edu.au/legal/copyrit.html
dc.subjectprogram evaluation
dc.subjectadministrative reform
dc.subjectbudgeting
dc.subjectpolicy advice
dc.subjectpolicy management
dc.subjectAustralia
dc.subjectcentral agencies
dc.subjectgovernment administration
dc.subjectbudget
dc.titleProgram Evaluation and Policy Management in Australian Central Agencies
dc.typeThesis (PhD)
dcterms.valid1997
local.description.refereedyes
local.type.degreeDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
dc.date.issued1996
local.contributor.affiliationFaculty of Arts. Public Policy Program
local.contributor.affiliationThe Australian National University
local.identifier.doi10.25911/5d7a2b15a5d65
local.mintdoimint
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