A Complexity-Informed Approach to Evaluating National Knowledge and Innovation Programmes

This article discusses the impact systemic complexity has on evaluation. It specifically studies the evaluation of multiactor knowledge and innovation programmes, as they are a good example of systemic complexity. The article starts with a discussion on the origins of knowledge and innovation programmes, and why they require a different approach to evaluation than classic evaluation methods. It continues with an elaboration on complexity and complex causality, and how this interferes with evaluation possibilities. To address the challenges posed, the article then presents a framework for evaluation that takes systemic complexity into account and allows for conclusion drawing without reducing and simplifying complexity. This approach is called applied systemic programme evaluation. The article is concluded with a comparison between regular evaluation methods and the presented new approach, in which the differences between applied systemic programme evaluation and classic evaluation become apparent.