Hardback
Sustainable Development in Europe
Concepts, Evaluation and Applications
9781845428310 Edward Elgar Publishing
Evaluating sustainable development is becoming increasingly important in policy making, evaluation practice and the scientific world in general. However, at present, there is neither a generally accepted set of measures and evaluation methods, nor specific standards to be met. Sustainable Development in Europe addresses these issues and presents an important and concise analysis of state-of-the-art sustainable development evaluation policies, programmes and projects currently at work in Europe.
More Information
Contributors
Contents
More Information
Evaluating sustainable development is becoming increasingly important in policy making, evaluation practice and the scientific world in general. However, at present, there is neither a generally accepted set of measures and evaluation methods, nor specific standards to be met. Sustainable Development in Europe addresses these issues and presents an important and concise analysis of state-of-the-art sustainable development evaluation policies, programmes and projects currently at work in Europe.
The aim of this book is not to offer an all-encompassing overview of these efforts, but to raise the most significant issues involved in the planning and implementation of an evaluation project at international, national, regional and local levels. These include understanding sustainable development, the aims of the evaluation, the appropriate spatial or administrative level, and the limits of the particular system analysed. The principal topic areas for evaluators focused upon in this volume are concepts, evaluation methods and their applications. Each topic is accompanied by an illustrative example of a cutting-edge evaluation study indicating how best to apply the theoretically derived approaches in a practical way.
In offering a common basis for the further development of research and applications regarding sustainability evaluations, this study will be of great interest to researchers and scholars at many levels of environmental, European, public sector and public policy studies. Evaluators will find methodological approaches and applied tools for their work. Policy makers will find the analysis of the most effective evaluation methodologies vitally useful, and NGOs and NPOs will also find that this book assists them in establishing evaluation as a learning tool.
The aim of this book is not to offer an all-encompassing overview of these efforts, but to raise the most significant issues involved in the planning and implementation of an evaluation project at international, national, regional and local levels. These include understanding sustainable development, the aims of the evaluation, the appropriate spatial or administrative level, and the limits of the particular system analysed. The principal topic areas for evaluators focused upon in this volume are concepts, evaluation methods and their applications. Each topic is accompanied by an illustrative example of a cutting-edge evaluation study indicating how best to apply the theoretically derived approaches in a practical way.
In offering a common basis for the further development of research and applications regarding sustainability evaluations, this study will be of great interest to researchers and scholars at many levels of environmental, European, public sector and public policy studies. Evaluators will find methodological approaches and applied tools for their work. Policy makers will find the analysis of the most effective evaluation methodologies vitally useful, and NGOs and NPOs will also find that this book assists them in establishing evaluation as a learning tool.
Contributors
Contributors: J. Aizsalnieks, K. Arbter, T. Bauler, A. Bonifazi, P. Bryla, T. Corbière-Nicollier, J. Dictus, T.W. Eser, C. George, G. Hajnal, P. Hardi, M.F. Hofreither, I. Kaltenegger, P. Knoepfel, M. Langer, G. Lettmayer, N. Luhde-Thompson, A. Martinuzzi, J. Medhurst, W. Meyer, M. Münster, A. Nicoletti, A. Predota, E. Schmid, U. Schubert, B. Simon, F. Sinabell, E. Störmer, G. Struhkamp, A. Thierstein, C.M. Torre, M. Walser
Contents
Contents:
Series Editors’ Preface
Peter Hardi and André Martinuzzi
Preface
1. Evaluation of Sustainable Development in Europe: Context and Introduction
Eckhard Störmer and Uwe Schubert
PART I: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: MAKING THE CONCEPT OPERATIONAL FOR EVALUATION
2. Evaluation of Sustainable Development: A Social Science Approach
Wolfgang Meyer
3. Systems of Reference for Evaluation of Sustainable Development: Diversity and Harmonization
Markus Langer and Aloisia Predota
4. An Evaluation Framework for Sustainable Development in Multi-level Government
Thiemo W. Eser
PART II: METHODS OF EVALUATING SD
Section II.1 Methods and Tools: Multi-regional and National Context
5. Strategic Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Impact Assessment: Two Participatory Assessment Tools for Sustainability
Kerstin Arbter
6. Applications of Sustainability Evaluation at the National Strategic Policy Level
Clive George
7. Sustainability in Practice: A Case-Study on the Reorientation of Common Agricultural Policy in Austria
Erwin Schmid, Franz Sinabell and Markus F. Hofreither
Section II.2 Methods and Tools: Regional and Local Context
8. An Evaluation Framework of Quality Management of Projects for Regional Sustainable Development
Alain Thierstein and Manfred Walser
9. A Thematic Evaluation of the Contribution of Structural Funds to Sustainable Development: Methods and Lessons
James Medhurst
10. Sustainable Development Oriented Local Projects: Making the Game Worth Playing
Marc Münster, Tourane Corbière-Nicollier and Peter Knoepfel
11. Local Authorities’ Self-Assessment of Local Agenda 21 (LASALA)
Naomi Luhde-Thompson
12. Peer Review for Cities: Experiences from the PRESUD Project
Jan Dictus
Section II.3 Methods and Tools: Focus on Individual Institutions
13. Sustainability of Foreign Aid: Evaluating Governance-Related Technical Assistance Projects for Civil Servants in Central and Eastern Europe
György Hajnal
14. How to Develop a Simple Self-Evaluation Methodology for Research Projects and Teams
Gudrun Lettmayer and Ingrid Kaltenegger
PART III: NATIONAL EVALUATION CULTURE
Section III.1 State of the Art in European Countries
15. Institutionalized Evaluations of Sustainable Development in Belgium: The Future of a Federal Sustainability Impact Assessment Process
Tom Bauler
16. Tracing the Evaluation of Sustainable Development in Italy
Alessandro Bonifazi, Antonio Nicoletti and Carmelo M. Torre
17. Sustainable Development and Evaluation of Public Policies in France
Benoît Simon
18. Evaluation of Sustainable Development in Finland
Janis Aizsalnieks
19. The Evaluative Aspects of Sustainability in Rural Development Programmes in Poland
Pawel Bryla
Section III.2 State of the Art in Another Industrialized Country
20. A Snapshot Depicting Mixed Signals on the State of the Art of Evaluating Sustainable Development in the USA
Gerlinde Struhkamp
21. Outlook: Future Research Questions and Policy Issues
André Martinuzzi, Uwe Schubert and Eckhard Störmer
Index
Series Editors’ Preface
Peter Hardi and André Martinuzzi
Preface
1. Evaluation of Sustainable Development in Europe: Context and Introduction
Eckhard Störmer and Uwe Schubert
PART I: SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT: MAKING THE CONCEPT OPERATIONAL FOR EVALUATION
2. Evaluation of Sustainable Development: A Social Science Approach
Wolfgang Meyer
3. Systems of Reference for Evaluation of Sustainable Development: Diversity and Harmonization
Markus Langer and Aloisia Predota
4. An Evaluation Framework for Sustainable Development in Multi-level Government
Thiemo W. Eser
PART II: METHODS OF EVALUATING SD
Section II.1 Methods and Tools: Multi-regional and National Context
5. Strategic Environmental Assessment and Sustainability Impact Assessment: Two Participatory Assessment Tools for Sustainability
Kerstin Arbter
6. Applications of Sustainability Evaluation at the National Strategic Policy Level
Clive George
7. Sustainability in Practice: A Case-Study on the Reorientation of Common Agricultural Policy in Austria
Erwin Schmid, Franz Sinabell and Markus F. Hofreither
Section II.2 Methods and Tools: Regional and Local Context
8. An Evaluation Framework of Quality Management of Projects for Regional Sustainable Development
Alain Thierstein and Manfred Walser
9. A Thematic Evaluation of the Contribution of Structural Funds to Sustainable Development: Methods and Lessons
James Medhurst
10. Sustainable Development Oriented Local Projects: Making the Game Worth Playing
Marc Münster, Tourane Corbière-Nicollier and Peter Knoepfel
11. Local Authorities’ Self-Assessment of Local Agenda 21 (LASALA)
Naomi Luhde-Thompson
12. Peer Review for Cities: Experiences from the PRESUD Project
Jan Dictus
Section II.3 Methods and Tools: Focus on Individual Institutions
13. Sustainability of Foreign Aid: Evaluating Governance-Related Technical Assistance Projects for Civil Servants in Central and Eastern Europe
György Hajnal
14. How to Develop a Simple Self-Evaluation Methodology for Research Projects and Teams
Gudrun Lettmayer and Ingrid Kaltenegger
PART III: NATIONAL EVALUATION CULTURE
Section III.1 State of the Art in European Countries
15. Institutionalized Evaluations of Sustainable Development in Belgium: The Future of a Federal Sustainability Impact Assessment Process
Tom Bauler
16. Tracing the Evaluation of Sustainable Development in Italy
Alessandro Bonifazi, Antonio Nicoletti and Carmelo M. Torre
17. Sustainable Development and Evaluation of Public Policies in France
Benoît Simon
18. Evaluation of Sustainable Development in Finland
Janis Aizsalnieks
19. The Evaluative Aspects of Sustainability in Rural Development Programmes in Poland
Pawel Bryla
Section III.2 State of the Art in Another Industrialized Country
20. A Snapshot Depicting Mixed Signals on the State of the Art of Evaluating Sustainable Development in the USA
Gerlinde Struhkamp
21. Outlook: Future Research Questions and Policy Issues
André Martinuzzi, Uwe Schubert and Eckhard Störmer
Index
