Changing Bureaucracies: Adapting to Uncertainty, and How Evaluation Can Help

In Changing Bureaucracies, international experts provide an unparalleled look at how public sector bureaucracies can better adapt to the reality of unprecedented levels of uncertainty and complexity, and how they can better respond to the emerging needs and demands of citizens and beneficiaries. In particular, they discuss in detail how evaluation can play an important role in aiding bureaucracies in adapting, while noting that the value of evaluation is not at all automatic.

Written in a clear and accessible prose, the contributors identify stability as a strength of bureaucratic structures, although adaptability is required in order to remain relevant. They also emphasize the need for bureaucratic rules and practices to be open to examination, such as through evaluation, noting that these rules may take on a life of their own, increasing distrust and conflicting with a meaningful focus on how outcomes and impacts benefit citizens. The book concludes with guidance for both evaluators and for public sector leaders about steps that they can take to improve the responsiveness and relevance of public sector organizations.

Pioneering the provision of reflections on how evaluation can play an important role in aiding bureaucracies in adapting, Changing Bureaucracies is an important acquisition for public sector leaders, evaluators, evaluation managers and commissioners and academics alike.

Burt Perrin is an independent consultant and recognized leader in the evaluation field internationally, with publications including evaluation and bureaucracy, meaningful approaches to accountability, how to make evaluation useful, and evaluation of innovation. He has over 40 years’ practical experience assisting governments and other organizations internationally, more recently providing expert advice and quality assurance regarding planning, evaluation management and activities, and related services.

Tony Tyrrell is an independent consultant with more than 25 years’ experience in evaluation and related fields. Tony’s early experience in evaluation was with the European Social Fund Evaluation Unit where he produced influential evaluations various subjects including early school leaving and local development. Tony later worked with a number of private consulting firms on strategic, policy, and program evaluation and on performance management. More recently he spent six years with the Independent Evaluation Group at the World Bank Group (WBG) where he worked on various strategic, thematic, and country evaluations. Tony now works as an independent consultant with various clients including the WBG, the Asian Development Bank, 3ie and others. Tony holds an MSc in Management (Organization Behavior), and an MA in English Literature.