Academy of Evaluation. A capacity- building initiative for commissioning authorities

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dc.abstract.enThe chapter examines the Academy of Evaluation (AE), a pioneering capacity-building initiative for commissioning authorities in Poland’s evaluation system. Implemented between 2008 and 2017 through a partnership between the Polish National Evaluation Unit and the University of Warsaw, the AE delivered eight editions of postgraduate education to 250 civil servants from evaluation units across national and regional administrations. The chapter analyzes AE’s evolution from a technical training focused on “contracting evaluations” to a comprehensive educational framework centered on developing “knowledge brokers” – intermediaries who facilitate evidence-informed decision-making in public administration. Drawing on program documentation, participant surveys, external evaluations and reflective analysis, authors discuss AE’s Theory of Change, curriculum and pedagogical approach. The findings demonstrate that sustained academic programs can effectively build evaluation capacity among commissioning authorities, thereby improving the quality of terms of reference, contractors’ collaboration and professional networks within the evaluation system. However, the initiative’s impact was constrained by broader socio-institutional factors that affected evidence use in policymaking. The chapter offers insights for designing evaluation capacity-building programs, emphasizing adaptive programming, practitioner-academic collaboration and evaluation within the context of democratic governance. It offers lessons for initiatives strengthening evaluation systems through professional development, focusing on curriculum design, institutional cooperation and alignment with socio-political contexts.
dc.affiliationInstytut Nauk Społecznych
dc.contributor.authorOlejniczak, Karol
dc.contributor.authorStępień, Marlena
dc.contributor.authorStrzęboszewski, Piotr
dc.contributor.editorStame, Nicoletta
dc.contributor.editorBustelo, Maria
dc.date.access2026-10-23
dc.date.accessioned2026-10-27T06:57:08Z
dc.date.available2026-10-27T06:57:08Z
dc.date.created2026-10-23
dc.date.issued2026-10-23
dc.description.accesstimeat_publication
dc.description.physical189-203
dc.description.sdgPartnershipForTheGoals
dc.description.versionfinal_published
dc.identifier.doi10.4324/9781042000968-17
dc.identifier.isbn9781041361237
dc.identifier.urihttps://share.swps.edu.pl/handle/swps/2690
dc.identifier.weblinkhttps://www.taylorfrancis.com/chapters/oa-edit/10.4324/9781042000968-17/academy-evaluation-karol-olejniczak-marlena-st%C4%99pie%C5%84-piotr-strz%C4%99boszewski?context=ubx&refId=cfbcd221-9cac-4665-9fdb-6f35c754e45f
dc.languageen
dc.pbn.affiliationnauki o polityce i administracji
dc.publisher.ministerialRoutledge
dc.relation.bookThe Power of Commissioning. Enabling Democratic Evaluation
dc.relation.pages270
dc.rightsCC-BY-NC-ND
dc.rights.questionYes_rights
dc.share.monoPUBLISHER_WEBSITE
dc.swps.sciencecloudsend
dc.titleAcademy of Evaluation. A capacity- building initiative for commissioning authorities
dc.title.journalThe Power of Commissioning
dc.typeMonographyChapter
dspace.entity.typeBook