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Evaluation in Latin America: Paradigms and practices
Author(s) -
Neirotti Nerio
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
new directions for evaluation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.374
H-Index - 40
eISSN - 1534-875X
pISSN - 1097-6736
DOI - 10.1002/ev.20014
Subject(s) - accountability , civil society , public administration , politics , state (computer science) , transparency (behavior) , context (archaeology) , dialogic , latin americans , political science , sociology , public relations , law , pedagogy , computer science , algorithm , paleontology , biology
Abstract This chapter addresses the development of evaluation, as a practice and as a field of knowledge, throughout Latin America in relation to the sociopolitical context, including characteristics of the state and its relations with civil society. It comes from the perspectives of evaluation as a learning tool, as a means to improve accountability and transparency in public administration, and as a dialogic device. The political context is described in terms of three historical moments: (a) the existence of the welfare state, (b) the withdrawal of the state in the framework of the Washington consensus and the emergence of neoconservative policies, and (c) the return of the state and the rise of civil society and active politics. Finally, there is an analysis of opportunities and challenges facing contemporary policy evaluators and decision makers. ©Wiley Periodicals, Inc., and the American Evaluation Association.