The emergence of a European evaluation culture

This book is the first out of a series of two volumes on the study of evaluation culture(s). Is there a common European evaluation culture or are there only cultures of evaluation that are ascribed to the national space? Has the evaluation culture been subject of the Europeanization process? Is there a contribution or an attribution relationship between the North American Evaluation culture and the European one? These are just some of the questions that should find an answer within the pages of this study.

One can find in this volume a brief historical evolution of the theoretical fundamentals and practices in evaluation, as well as an explanation of the syncretic nature of the evaluation paradigm that is situated at the crossroads of social sciences theories, program theories, evaluation theories and models and approaches in evaluation. The focus is however on the study of the bi-directional relationship between the Europeanization and the development of an evaluation culture. I question the existence of a specific European evaluation culture considering whether the international influences on evaluation are more powerful than those of the Europeanization process.

This study proves its usefulness for the community of evaluators, as well as for academics in the field of Evaluation Studies or for the general public, interested in understanding the „how it’s made” of evaluation.

Within the second volume of the series the reader will see the results of an examination of the maturation level of the European evaluation culture, performed using the instrument previously developed.