Presentation of the seminar cycle 

The series of seminars "Methods and Approaches in Evaluation" (METHEVAL) aims to deepen the reflection on methods and approaches in public policy evaluation from an interdisciplinary point of view open to the diversity of perspectives. The aim is both to encourage exchanges between researchers using different types of methods, to strengthen collective evaluation skills by gradually building up a commun corpus of references, and to clarify the LIEPP's position with regard to the most recent debates in the international field of evaluation. 

Cross-cutting to the different thematic areas of LIEPP (educational policies, discrimination and category policies, socio-fiscal policies, evaluation of democracy, environmental policies, health policies), this reflection on evaluation methods and approaches provides a forum for exchqnge and for the development of a common evaluation culture. 

On the basis of presentations by internal and external speakers from diverse disciplines (economics, sociology political science, education, health, etc.), the cycle will take into account, over the course of the sessions, the plurality of methods currently used in evaluation (e.g. impact studies, econometric methods, qualitative or mixed methods, analysis of implementation, literature reviews, etc.) in a variety of fields and national contexts. 

Who is the cycle aimed at ?

Beyond the deepening of different methodological techniques, this seminar aims to open a reflection on the epistemological and ethical stakes of evaluation, but also on its uses and its impact on society and public action. It is also intended to be a place for exchange between academic and non-academic (administrative, associative, consultants, etc.) actors in evaluation. 

What is its purpose ?

The cycle of seminars and its digital traces, freely accessible, are also intended to function as a resource for other academic, administrative, professional and associative actors involved in public policy evaluation processes. A collective publication project in the form of a book could be based on this seminar, with the discussion of the presentations enabling progress to be made in this editorial project. 

Program

Nota bene : seminars are always held on Thursdays from 5:00 pm to 6:00 pm (unless another schedule is specified) 

UPCOMING SESSIONS :

• June 8th: User and stakeholder involvement in realist evaluation

Speaker : Dr Ana Manzano, University of Leeds (United Kingdom)

This talk examines the theory, methodology and practice of user and stakeholder involvement in programme and policy evaluation by focusing on the realist approach to evaluation, a form of theory-driven methodology to evaluate complex social programmes and policies. In recent years, there is a renewed interest in involving stakeholders to support policy and programme evaluation in the healthcare arena. Policy documents such as the World Health Organization “Patient Engagement” (2016) have stressed the need for users and members of the public to be at the centre of policy evaluations. The family of user involvement approaches to conduct evaluations is forever growing. These include collaborative, participatory, empowerment evaluation, coproduction, action research, utilization-focused evaluation and so on. The roots of all these evaluation approaches lie in progressive participatory movements to pursue social justice, but the value and values of these practices are contested.

As more evaluation approaches emerge and others, such as realist evaluation, incorporate citizen participation in their repertoire of data collection methods, the lack of conceptual clarity leads to ambiguities and hampers efforts to achieve and evaluate with participatory approaches. This talk will start by providing an overview of all these confounding terms, focusing on differences and similarities with the aim to enhance conceptual clarity. After this, critiques and uncertainties about participatory evaluation approaches will be examined, while understanding how and why they could work within, and add value to theory-driven approaches to evaluation such as realist evaluation.

Mandatory registration to participate in person

Mandatory registration to participate via Zoom

PAST SESSIONS :

2023

• April 13th : Editing the journal Evaluation – curating an ongoing conversation 

  Speaker : Elliot Stern (Fellow of UK Academy of Social Sciences; Emeritus Professor Lancaster University). Summary of the session.

• March 9th : Are public policy evaluations really used in parliamentary debates? 

  Speaker : Adam Baïz (Cour des Comptes). Summary of the session. 

• February 16th : Le développement des capacités en évaluation : l'expérience de l'ENAP. Summary of the session.

Speakers : 

- Aref Ben Abdallah (Ecole nationale d'administration publique, Canada). Présentation. 

- Annie d’Amours (Ecole nationale d'administration publique, Canada). Présentation. 

• January 12th : Qualitative Comparative Analysis as an evaluation tool: Potential and challenges
  Speaker: Valerie Pattyn (Institute of Public Administration of Leiden University).

2022

• December 8th :  Les approches d'évaluation basées sur la théorie. Speacker: Agathe Devaux-Spatarakis (Quadrant Conseil).
  
• November 10th:  Too “Full Of Gender”. How Activists Conceptualize The Promises And Pitfalls Of Gender-Neutral Identity Documents.

Speakers : Abigail Saguy (UCLA Department of Sociology, UCLA Department of Gender Studies)

• October 6th: Knowledge brokering (title to be announced), co-organized with IRD
  Speakers : Valéry Ridde (Université de Paris and IRD)
• June 9th: Les méthodes mixtes en science politique et en sociologie : objectifs, stratégie, fabrique

Speakers: Thomas Aguilera (CEE, Sciences Po Rennes), Tom Chevalier (CEE, LIEPP, Sciences Po Rennes) Clément Pin (LIEPP) et Carlo Barone (OSC, LIEPP). Summary of the session. Video 

• May 9th: Experimental Evaluation Design for Program Improvement 

Speaker: Laura Peck (Principal Scientist, Abt Associates, Social & Economic Policy Division). Summary of the session. Video

• April 7th: Understanding Realist Methodology and the Context-Mechanism-Outcome Configuration

Speaker: Justin Jagosh (Center for Advancement in Realist Evaluation and Synthesis - CARES). Summary of the session. Video

• March 10th: Évaluation économique des produits de santé et exemples des agences HTA (Haute Autorité de Santé)

Speaker: Salah Ghabri (Haute Autorité de Santé). Summary of the session. 

• February 17th: Evaluative Criteria: A Model to Strengthen Criteria Specification in Practice 

Speaker : Rebecca Teasdale (University of Illinois Chicago). Summary of the session. Video

• January 13th: L'évaluation au-delà des méthodes et des codes : une sagesse pratique 

Speaker: Marthe Hurteau (UQÀM). Summary of the session. Video

2021 

• December 9th: Introduction aux méthodes expérimentales pour l'étude du comportement humain

Speaker: Lou Safra (CEVIPOF, LIEPP). Summary of the session. Video

• October 14th: Presentation of the book "Économie comportementale des politiques publiques"

Speaker: Nicolas Jacquemet (Université Paris 1, PSE). Summary of the session. Video

• September 23rd: Les analyses coûts-bénéfices

Speaker: Clément Carbonnier (Université Paris 8, LIEPP). Summary of the session. PPT presentation. 

• May 6th: Evaluer les initiatives de transition avec l'analyse de contribution

Speakers: Thomas Delahais et Adrien Flichy, Quadrant Conseil. Summary of the session 

• April 15th: What is evaluation and how does it differ from research? (session in English) 

Speaker: Dana Linnell Wanzer, University of Wisconsin-Stout (USA). Summary of the session. Video   

• March 25th: Évaluer les innovations publiques : enjeux, concepts et perspectives 

Speaker: Mathias Béjean, Université Paris Est Créteil. Session organized in partnership with the Chaire innovation publique. Summary of the session. Video 

• March 4th: Les principes généraux de revues systématiques : la démarche Cochrane 

Speaker: Isabelle Boutron, Université Paris Descartes, Centre de Recherches en Epidémiologie et Statistiques. Session co-organized with the Institut Santé Publique Paris (Paris Public Health). Summary of the session 

• February 11th: Évaluation des politiques publiques et indépendance. Le cas des expérimentations aléatoires

Speaker: Jules Simha, CERLIS, Université de Paris. Summary of the session 

• January 21st : Benchmark des politiques évaluatives 

Speakers : Adam Baïz and Vincent Aussilloux (France Stratégie). Summary of the session. Presentation (pdf). Reading

• January 7th : Les revues de littéraures mixtes 

Speaker: Quan Nha Hong McGill (Canada). Summary of the session. Reading

2020

• December 10th: The craft of interviewing (individuals and groups) in realist evaluation 

Speaker: Dr. Ana Manzano, Associate Professor in Public Policy, School of Sociology & Social Policy (University of Leeds). Summary of the session. Reading. Video

• November 26th : De l’usage des cadres et théories pour l’évaluation des interventions

Speaker: Valéry Ridde, Directeur de recherche au CEPED (Université de Paris/IRD). Summary of the session. Reading. Video

• November 5th : Les enjeux d'imputation causale : focus sur quelques méthodes quantitatives

Speaker: Denis Fougère, OSC et LIEPP de Sciences Po. Summary of the session. Reading. Video

• October 8th : Un aperçu international sur l’évaluation des politiques publiques. 

Speaker: Stephane Jacobzone (OCDE). Summary of the session. Reading 

• September 24th : L’apport des méthodes mixtes pour l’évaluation d’un programme par expérimentation randomisée. 

Speaker: Clément Pin, chercheur postdoctoral au LIEPP, et Carlo Barone, professeur de sociologie à Sciences Po (OSC-LIEPP). Summary of the session. Video

• September 10th : Cartographie de quelques méthodes de revues systématiques utilisées en sciences sociales et de la santé. 

Speaker: Loubna Belaid, chercheure associée à CIET Trust et au groupe de recherche participative au département de médecine de famille, Université McGill, Montréal, Canada. Summary of the session. Reading