Abstract
Background
In a context of increasing fiscal constraint after 2014, public policy evaluations have become increasingly economical, favoring the efficiency of programs and interventions over other evaluation criteria.
Objective
This paper brings the historicity of “evaluative doing”, presenting it along the constitution of the welfare state in central countries throughout the twentieth century, highlighting the thematic and methodological emphases that the evaluation field has assumed in each period.
Method
Text resulting from literature review and essay discussion.
Results
This discussion is referred to Brazil to demonstrate the limits of “efficiency” as a prime criterion over other public values ensured in the design and implementation of Public Policies by the 1988 Constitution and other normative documents.
Conclusion
Such an evaluation bias, in the context of low economic growth rates and limitations imposed by the Federal Public Spending Law, brings a concrete risk of interruption of the civilization path that the country has been following for the past 30 years.
Keywords:
public policy assessment; evaluation criteria, welfare state