Can Governments Learn?: Comparative Perspectives on Evaluation and Organizational Learning

by Leeuw,Frans L.

• ISBN13: 9780765806581
• ISBN10: 0765806584
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 1999-10-31
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Can Governments Learn? examines organizational learning in the public sector. It seeks to understand the role policy and program evaluation information can play in helping governments learn. Among the democratic societies studied are Belgium, Canada, the Netherlands, Sweden, and the United States. Significantly, the studies documented here show that the concept of organizational learning has vitality and applicability cross-nationally. The book evaluates preconditions for governmental learning as well as the institutional and human resource factors that contribute to the process. This volume in the Comparative Policy Analysis Series is essential for policymakers, government officials, and scholars interested in improving the performance of governments.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Evaluations and Organizational Learning: International Perspectives	1	(17)
Frans L. Leeuw
Richard C. Sonnichsen
Part I National Perspectives
Utilizing Evaluation in Organizations: The Balancing Act	17	(28)
John Mayne
Learning from Evaluations: The Swedish Experience	45	(22)
Jan-Eric Furubo
Policy Evaluation and the Netherlands's Government: Scope, Utilization, and Organizational Learning	67	(22)
Frans L. Leeuw
Piet J. Rozendal
Part II Institutional Perspectives
Organizational Learning at the U. S. Office of Personnel Management	89	(18)
John A. Leitch
Ray C. Rist
Formative Evaluation and Organizational Learning: The Case of the Belgium Postal System	107	(18)
Philippe Spaey
Fabienne Leloup
Effective Internal Evaluation: An Approach to Organizational Learning	125	(20)
Richard C. Sonnichsen
Part III When Do Governments Learn?
Facilitating Organizational Learning: Human Resource Management and Program Evaluation	145	(44)
Marie Louise Bemelmans-Videc
Bjarne Eriksen
Edie N. Goldenberg
The Preconditions for Learning: Lessons from the Public Sector	189	(18)
Ray C. Rist
Contributors	207	(4)
Index	211