Bray, Jonathan (J Rob)Gray, MatthewStanton, David2020-12-202020-12-200259-8272http://hdl.handle.net/1885/217483An underlying tension exists between the fundamental elements of accountability, government decision-making, performance management, evidence-based policy and the measurement of results. This article considers this through three lenses: evaluation of government policies and programs; program structures and performance indicators; and the challenges of big data. While use of new technologies and big data opens up opportunities for strengthened evidence-based policy, this does not address the tension between a disciplined results-based approach to government decision-making and the inherently political nature of these decisions. There remain also important challenges to the effective development and use of big data in government.application/pdfen-AU2020.1080/23276665.2020.18084912020-11-02