What Counts as Working: Outcome Specification and the Programmatic Dimension of Policy Success
Policy success is widely understood as multidimensional, yet its programmatic dimension remains substantially under-theorized, with outcomes typically treated as given and derived from policy goals or problem definitions. This article argues that outcomes are not simply observed but constructed thro...
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| Udgivet i: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/irpp, |
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| Hovedforfatter: | |
| Format: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Sprog: | Anglais |
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International Review of Public Policy
2026
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| Online adgang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Summary: | Policy success is widely understood as multidimensional, yet its programmatic dimension remains substantially under-theorized, with outcomes typically treated as given and derived from policy goals or problem definitions. This article argues that outcomes are not simply observed but constructed through prior analytical choices, and that specifying what counts as an outcome shapes any empirical appraisal of program performance. To address this problem, the article identifies four key dimensions of outcome specification: outcome domain, construct selection, intermediate outcomes, and timing. Drawing on theory-driven evaluation, the article examines outcome specification in the case of food bank markets in Italy. The analysis shows that widely used constructs in food assistance, such as standard food security measures, are poorly aligned with program mechanisms; intermediate outcomes constitute core dimensions of success; and outcome domain boundaries — such as the exclusion of food waste reduction — critically shape what is attributed to the program and when. These findings reposition outcome specification as a foundational problem in policy analysis, structuring how programmatic success is defined and assessed. |
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