Key concepts and methods of programme evaluation and conclusions from forestry practice in Switzerland

This paper discusses some current key concepts and methods used in the evaluation of public policy and their application in the context of forest policy. These concepts include the basic variables of the causal model of an evaluation (outputs, outcomes, impacts), the types of effects studied (effectiveness, efficiency, unintended effects) and the aim of evaluation in terms of the qualitative monitoring and quantitative assessment of policy programmes (formative and summative evaluation). Switzerland is a good example of a country in which evaluation theories and standards have been adopted as many of these theories and standards have been institutionalized in the implementation practices of the various federal agencies, in legal acts and even in the Federal Swiss Constitution. Nonetheless, consistent and systematic evaluation is still lacking in the area of Swiss forest policy. Initial attempts to rectify this omission have been made in the context of the policy programme developed for the management of the damage caused by storm Lothar in 1999. These initial experiences with evaluation can be used for other forest policy instruments, in particular the numerous financial incentives that dominate Swiss forest policy design.