Promoting policy evaluation across government: The contribution of the OECD recommendation to public policy evaluation

Abstract

Policy evaluation is now recognised by many governments as fundamental to ensuring that policies are informed by quality evidence. Nevertheless, the practice of policy evaluation is still difficult to systematise inside governments. Building on more than 20 years of work on this topic, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Recommendation on Public Policy Evaluation, adopted in 2022, represents the first international legal guidance on the topic. It identifies three essential pillars to ensure the impact of policy evaluation: institutionalisation, quality and use. This article explains how the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development Recommendation was developed, what these three pillars cover, and reflect on how the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development can further help countries developing a sound evaluation system.