Evaluation, Rationality, and Theories of Public Management

All evaluation rests upon the minimal rational supposition that goals, intentions, perceptions, judgments, opinions, schemes, plans, even ideologies-in short everything concerned with the world of human consciousness-play such interesting roles in public sector action, that their functions are worth investigating. In the United States, Wittrock and Lindstrom continue, radical rationalism originated at the Rand Corporation and spread via Robert McNamara&s;s Department of Defense to units of planning and analysis throughout the Federal administration in Washington. Actually, radical rationalism&s;s trusting belief that results come up as effects of human design bears strong resemblance to what Popper and Hayek has called "naive rationalism" as opposed to "critical rationalism," which accommodates to the occurrence of unexpected side effects, reverse effects, and other limits to omniscient rationality. Management by objectives not only asserts that parliament, government, top managers, and other principals should set clear, measurable, intervention objectives.

Epistemology · Rationality · Evaluation and Performance Assessment · Philosophy · Public Policy and Administration Research