ABSTRACT

For anyone interested in the role of knowledge in policy-making, these are fascinating times. Terms like policy analysis, policy formulation, impact assessment and policy appraisal are frequently used, and not just by academics: the media, government, non-governmental organisations, interest groups and research funders are all visibly concerned with how evidence is collected, marshalled, communicated, digested and used. One might be forgiven for using such terms interchangeably, or at least rather loosely, but they are quite distinct, and distinctive. This chapter is specifically about the role of policy appraisal in knowledge collection, review and utilisation processes.