Future of public policy evaluation in the Middle East and North Africa region

The Middle East and North Africa region presents a diverse landscape for public policy evaluation, influenced by varying political regimes, administrative traditions, and socio-economic contexts. This chapter synthesises findings from previous chapters, examining how political regimes, administrative traditions, and policy advisory systems shape policy evaluation. Gulf Cooperation Council countries prioritise rapid economic development, leading to technically proficient but politically constrained evaluation practices. North African countries show diverse evaluation approaches influenced by international standards, with limited public participation. Yemen, marked by instability, exhibits fragmented, externally driven evaluation practices. The chapter highlights trends towards data-driven decision making, an emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals, and efforts to institutionalise evaluation systems.