 NEW: Monitoring and Evaluation in the United States Government: An Overview
The U.S. government’s long history of concern with accountability and oversight continues and evolves in new directions. The last two decades have seen an increased interest in outcomes-based performance monitoring and evaluation. Important new legislation, special attention by the administrations of Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, greater emphasis on transparency and results, and the introduction of initiatives such as the Program Assessment Rating Tool all have brought performance measurement more prominence. Furthermore, President Obama’s administration has introduced additional initiatives addressing performance-based management and promoting program evaluation, so that more advances may be seen. Still, there are a number of ways in which the U.S. government can improve its use of M&E to increase the effectiveness of its programs. |
An M&E system can provide a regular flow of information on the performance of government policies, programs and activities. This information can provide invaluable support for policy-making, budget decision-making, ongoing management of government activities, and to underpin accountability relationships.... 
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