Evaluations play an increasing role in the public sector and in the public debate. They are attributed important democratic functions as instruments of control as well as learning and development. How do evaluation processes evolve? Are they implemented according to plans? How is it decided what evaluations should focus on, and how they should be utilized?

The book analyzes eight evaluation cases from different policy areas and different levels of administration.

Evaluations often evolve differently than planned, and they often have unintended consequences.

Public officials today speak openly about the importance of the symbolic function of evaluation. Users of services play a remarkably limited role in the evaluation cases, whereas the media often play a strong role. Professionals take different positions towards evaluations, sometimes actively promoting their own interests and sometimes more hesitant, delaying the evaluation processes or leaving certain data in the dark.

An important manifestation of power rests with the language and criteria employed in the evaluation by means of which it is generally determined how to talk about the activities under evaluation.