PREST's experience of evaluation

PREST's experience of evaluation is not as an isolated activity, but as one that has grown out of, and is still embedded in, a broader programme of work on science policy and management. This reflects a conviction that evaluation should be embedded in a wider management system including verifiable objectives and sound feedback mechanisms. The key to successful evaluation is meticulous planning and evaluation design. PREST's evaluation work has been based mostly on surveys of opinion supplemented by statistical data. In any evaluation the different actors may all agree overtly on their objectives, but covertly have different and incompatible aims. In this situation PREST apply transparent principles of procedure. Evaluation has had a significant effect on the science and technology management culture. In a few cases it is possible to distinguish a direct link between evaluation findings and subsequent decisions. Usually, however, it is difficult to do so with precision, because evaluation is but one of several influences on policy development. The demand for evaluation will probably intensify, perhaps including simpler, more automatic approaches. There may also be an increased interest in more refined qualitative approaches.