Surviving the routinization of evaluation - The administrative use of evaluations in Danish municipalities

Students of evaluation have found many examples of reports gathering dust o n the shelf; as as well politically hired outsiders with an at who relentle ssly cut public programs. These images indicate that evaluation often does not fulfill its genuine democratic potential A study of the Danish municipa l sector shows that out of 600 evaluation, less than 195 led to termination of the evaluated activities, whereas 78% of the evaluations led to adjustm ents of program activities, On this basis, an alternative view Of evaluatio n is proposed: a managerial support system. This requires a new understandi ng of the utilization problem in evaluation and its democratic ramification s.