Evaluation Guidelines for Representative Deliberative Processes

These are guidelines for policy makers, evaluators, and practitioners who want to evaluate the representative deliberative processes they initiate, commission, and implement. The guidelines establish a minimum standard for evaluation by providing rationales, a framework, measurement methods, and evaluation questionnaires. The evaluation of deliberative processes is a key element of their success. Timely evaluation strengthens the trust of policy makers, the public, and stakeholders in recommendations developed by a deliberative body, as it can demonstrate the quality and the rigour involved in generating them. By making a process subject to evaluation, the authorities commissioning it demonstrate a commitment to transparency and quality, earning them greater legitimacy. Evaluation also creates opportunities for learning by providing evidence and lessons for public authorities and practitioners about what went well and what did not.