Chapter 8 - Evaluating Authenticity of Public Sector Engagements
Evaluation is about learning and improving and should be a core component of any public sector activity, with engagements no exception.
The Public Sector Engagement Scorecard helps public sector agencies evaluate the authenticity of engagement processes. Authentic engagements lead to agreed outcomes, build trust, and ensure participant recommendations are genuinely considered.
Evaluation is about learning and improving and should be a core component of any public sector activity, with engagements no exception. The Scorecard measures achievement against conditions for authentic engagement and provides a common understanding of what success looks like. It uses three methods:
Survey Participants: Measure autonomy, equality, and trust through participant surveys with yes/no responses.
Observe Interactions: Measure involvement and convergence through observations, as these are best assessed in degrees.
Review Documentation: Measure authorisation, commitment, transmission, and consequentiality through documented evidence like briefs, media releases, websites, and reports.
The Scorecard measures were developed using qualitative comparative analysis (QCA). To use the Scorecard:
Identify and mark the lowest score (0-1) for each engagement feature in the score column.
Enter the lowest score for each measurement set into the Achievement Score row.
Use the Achievement Score interpretations at the end of the Scorecard to understand the results.
Publicly reporting evaluation outcomes can build trust in the public service’s commitment to authentic engagements and continuous improvement. It is worth considering when aiming to improve public trust and accountability in authentic engagement.
