Three planes of evaluation: an overview of Poland’s public administration practice

Abstract

The article consists of two parts. The first one outlines selected theoretical aspects of evaluation studies, including definitions of evaluation and theoretical conceptions that have become the basis for the formulation of evaluation goals and attendant analytical methods. This part also explains the origin of evaluation and the clearly different goals of application in the practice of American and European public administration. The second and main part of the article constitutes an attempt at a critical review of the issue of application of evaluation studies in the functional practice of Poland’s public administration. The analysis was conducted from the vantage point of three areas of evaluation, i.e.: Regulatory Impact Assessment, programme and strategy evaluation as well as project auto-evaluation. In conclusion, the article outlines the most important challenges faced by evaluation studies in Poland in the light of arguments offered in the article. The most pressing challenge is to intensify the use of evaluation studies in those areas of public affairs that require the commitment of the largest public funds. In the first place there are legal regulations developed and passed by the parliament and the government.