From New Public Management to New Political Governance

Implications for Evaluation

Abstract

Public administration scholars have discerned a shift in the federal governance context in Canada, from what was traditionally a strong, nonpartisan public service to a more politicized, even partisan, model of public decision-making with power concentrated in the upper reaches of the political executive. We explore the potential implications of these changes for evaluation in the federal bureaucracy. Our analysis, tentative at this point, suggests that in light of heightened political pressures, and a decline in the use of “evidence” in federal policy circles, evaluations may present an increasingly complex activity for public administrators to manage. These developments raise important questions for the evaluation community about its relationships with public managers and its role and professional values in a democratic institution.