Obstacles and Challenges of the Evaluation Systems in Latin America: the Cases of Mexico and Colombia)

Abstract

In recent decades, economic and social transformations brought the reform of the state and of the public administration to the center of the political agenda in several countries, promoting the rethink and the modernization of the public management internal processes, as well as the adoption of new tools able to improve mechanisms of economy, dynamism, efficiency and public value. In this sense, the implementation of programs and policies evaluation systems assumed role of fundamental importance in the reform processes around the world, including inside the Latin American scene. They are directly linked to the processes of accountability and performance measurement, focusing on the collection, analysis and interpretation of information to evaluate the design, implementation, operation, effects, justifications and social implications of programs and public projects, opening doors for an important role of feedback on the quality of development and management. Thus, this paper aims to understand to what extent these systems meets the functions expected of them and what obstacles are compromising its consolidation.