Evaluating Federal R&D in Canada

Abstract

This Paper reviews the evaluation of federal research and development (R&D) programs in Canada over the last decade. Federal R&D programs account for a sizeable amount of discretionary public expenditures in Canada, some three billion dollars annually. The first part of the Paper describes the shift in the early 1980s from a narrow preoccupation with the quality of research, to a broader concern with its overall relevance. The second reports on the consequences of this shift on the role of evaluation in the management of federal R&D. Finally, possible future directions for the evaluation of federal R&D in Canada are discussed.