Evaluating Public Policies: Latest Developments and Controversies

— Introduction – Since 2007 – and seemingly after a brief lull — public policy evaluation is increasingly present in public discourse. This is evidenced by the constitutional reform of 2008 that made provisions for the evaluation of public policies within the very text which acts as the backbone of the French Republic, the series of governmental initiatives enhancing the role of evaluation in public policy and the renewal of impact assessment methods: have these actually translated into a resurgence for the domain of evaluation for France? This thematic compilation relies on the work carried out during the Journees Francaises de l’Evaluation, which were held in Grenoble during June 2013. Their programme aimed to take stock of the different ways in which evaluation is performed and innovates. It also addressed the controversies surrounding this topic. By using substantive articles on current evaluation trends in France, testimonials on leading practices as well as a reflexive approach, this article addresses two main points: firstly, the current issues raised within the field of evaluation in France, and secondly, the critical examination of key issues such as measurement, and the delicate relation between individual evaluation and collective evaluation. Finally, it will explore evaluation criteria and suggest avenues for future research.