Evaluation in Norway: A 25-Year Assessment

Authors

  • Jostein Askim Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway
  • Erik Døving Oslo Business School, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway
  • Åge Johnsen Oslo Business School, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v25i3-4.7087

Keywords:

research on evaluation, government evaluations, evaluation industry, Norway

Abstract

This article analyses the Norwegian government’s evaluation practice over the 25-year period from 1994 to 2018. Evaluations are mandatory for government ministries and agencies in Norway, with the government conducting some 100 evaluations annually. This article utilises data from a unique database to describe the development of the evaluation industry, focusing on the volume of evaluations, the most active commissioners and providers of evaluations, and the types of evaluations conducted. First, the analysis indicates that the volume of evaluations peaked in around 2010 and has subsequently decreased. As a possible consequence, information relevant to policy may be less publicly available than before. Second, ministries have commissioned relatively fewer evaluations in the last decade than in the years before, and executive agencies have commissioned relatively more. Third, the proportion of evaluations performed by consultants has risen, with that of research institutes falling.

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Author Biographies

Jostein Askim, Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway

Jostein Askim is a professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Oslo, Norway and a professor II at the Department of Administration and Organization Theory, University of Bergen, Norway. He studies public sector reforms, public management and political leadership, with a particular focus on the Nordic countries. His research has appeared in, for example, Journal of Public Administration Research and Theory, Public Administration, Government and Opposition, and Political Studies Review.

Erik Døving, Oslo Business School, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

Erik Døving is an associate professor in organization science at Oslo Business School, Oslo Metropolitan University. His research interests include leadership, organizational learning, evaluation studies and human resource management. His work has been published in for example Strategic Management Journal, International Small Business Journal, Journal of Workplace Learning, Research Studies in Music Education, and Leadership.

Åge Johnsen, Oslo Business School, Oslo Metropolitan University, Norway

Åge Johnsen is Professor of Public Policy at Oslo Business School, Oslo Metropolitan University. He is also Adjunct Professor at the Defence Command and Staff College, The Norwegian Defence University College. His research interests are public sector reforms, strategic planning, performance management, trust-based management, change management, and performance audit and evaluation in the public sector. His research has been published in, for example, Evaluation, International Review of Administrative Sciences, Public Management Review, and Financial Accountability and Management.

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Published

2021-12-15

How to Cite

Askim, J., Døving, E., & Johnsen, Åge. (2021). Evaluation in Norway: A 25-Year Assessment. Scandinavian Journal of Public Administration, 25(3/4), 109–131. https://doi.org/10.58235/sjpa.v25i3-4.7087

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