Research
SynEval analyzes the relationship between the political system and policy evaluation on the national and cantonal level in four subprojects: The first subproject examines the development of the evaluation culture in diverse policy sectors and administrative units, while the second subproject analyzes the reasons for and consequences of evaluation clauses. The third subproject explores the utilization of evaluations in direct-democratic campaigns. Finally, subproject 4 investigates the relationship of policy evaluation and parliaments.
All of the four subprojects analyze evaluation culture as a dependent or independent variable and therefore contribute to a comprehensive investigation of the linkage of policy evaluation attributes with the three dimensions policy, polity, and politics.
The investigations of the subprojects refer to the time period of 2000 to 2012. Moreover, the subprojects are coordinated both in terms of policies included, and cantons selected. The subprojects focus on the policies of education, energy, health, and public transportation analyzing the cantons of Berne, Geneva, Lucerne, and Zurich.
Subproject 1: Factors Influencing the Evaluation Culture within Policy Sectors
Subproject 2: Legal Basis for Evaluation in Switzerland and its Implementation
Subproject 3: Direct Democratic Campaigns and Evaluation
Subproject 4: Swiss Parliaments and Evaluation