Participatory evaluation: a useful tool for contextualising cluster policy?

Abstract

Insufficient attention is often given to the underlying context in which policies that seek to facilitate cooperation between firms are implemented, inhibiting their expected outcomes. This article analyses the processes involved in a participatory cluster policy evaluation experience that was designed to integrate fundamental and ongoing concern with context and how it interacts with the policy. The premise of the argument is that participatory evaluation itself can directly support the aims of the policy (cluster cooperation) and contribute to policy learning. Nevertheless, we find that success is not guaranteed; several obstacles have to be overcome to obtain learning outcomes that strengthen policy-making. While the contribution is primarily methodological, the article also contributes to conceptual debates on the significance of cluster context in policy design, implementation and evaluation. The participatory evaluation process explored in the article, alongside the findings around key practical considerations, can be usefully applied in other policy contexts that aim to enhance cooperation between firms and other economic agents.

Keywords:

• cluster policy
• policy evaluation
• participatory evaluation
• cluster scenarios
• social capital

Acknowledgements

Cristina Aragon, Mari Jose Aranguren, Cristina Iturrioz and James R. Wilson acknowledge financial support from the Basque Government Department of Education, Language policy and Culture.

Notes on contributors

Dr. Cristina Aragón is Associate Professor at the Deusto Business School, University of Deusto. Having completed a PhD in Economy and Business Administration since 1999, currently she is the Head of the Strategy and Information Systems Department of Deusto Business School. She is researcher in the Competitiveness and Economic Development research team and her research interests include SMEs, family firms, competitiveness and sustainability, cooperation and cluster policy. She has published several books, book chapters and articles in national journals (Ekonomiaz, Revista de Economía y Dirección de Empresas, …) and international journals (European Urban and Regional Studies, The International Journal of Interdisciplinary Social Sciences, …). Finally, she actively participates in conferences and workshops in these fields.

Dr. Mari Jose Aranguren is Director of Research at Orkestra, Basque Institute of Competitiveness, and lecturer at Deusto Business School. She is an expert in territorial strategies, public policies and evaluation of policies, clusters and cluster policy initiatives, areas in which she has an extensive publication record in books and journals. Mari Jose has significant experience in research project leadership and implementation, and currently directs a team researchers at Orkestra. Her current role requires close interaction with regional policy agents and the dissemination of Orkestra's research activities through various international networks. Mari Jose has served on the scientific programme committee of several international conferences, and was co-chair of the 15th Annual TCI Conference on Competitiveness and the European Network on Industrial Policy (EUNIP) annual conference in 2008.

Dr. Maria-Angeles Díez is currently Professor in the Department of Applied Economics at the UPV/EHU, University of the Basque Country. Having completed a PhD in Economics since 2001, she was formerly Director of the Studies Department of SPRI (the Basque Development Agency) and she has worked also as a consultant. Her research has focused in the field of spatial development and innovation polices and, lately, in evaluation models and approaches and, in particular, participatory and action research approaches. She has been researcher in the European project Evaluation of Sustainability: EASY-ECO 2008-2010 under the EU's Seventh Framework Programme for Research (coordinated by RIMAS, Vienna University). She has published several articles in national journals (Ekonomiaz, GAPP, …) and international journals (Evaluation, European Planning Studies,…), and actively participate in conferences, workshops and Masters programmes in evaluation and participation.

Dr. Cristina Iturrioz is currently Associate Professor in the Strategy and Information Systems Department at the Deusto Business School, University of Deusto. Having completed a PhD in Economics and Business Administration since 1999, she has been Research ViceDean of the Deusto Business School and the main researcher in the “Competiveness and Economic Development” research group of the Deusto Business School until 2012. In 2007, under her coordination, this research group gained the Basque Government recognition and support (BOPV, 24 of April of 2007). Her research activity has been focused in the study of the competitiveness of the small and medium firms, cooperation and evaluation of cooperation policies. Cristina has participated in different research project and she has published several books chapters and articles in national and international journals. Besides she has been invited to participate in various international conferences organized by international networks as EUNIP (European Network on Industrial Policy) or TCI (The Cluster Initiative Network).

Dr. James R. Wilson is Senior Researcher at Orkestra-Basque Institute of Competitiveness and Adjunct Faculty at Deusto Business School. James's primary research interests are in policy-relevant analysis of territorial competitiveness and socio-economic development processes, including issues related to governance, policy learning, policy evaluation and networks/clusters. He has published more than 50 conceptual and applied papers related to these issues in international peer-reviewed journals and academic books. James has been invited as an expert speaker/advisor by the European Commission and Inter-American Development Bank, among others, and has taught at various universities. He has also spoken at numerous conferences around the world, and regularly contributes to debates in the media and through his socioeconomic competitiveness blog (http://www.jamierwilson.wordpress.com).

Notes

1. See Aragon et al. (2013) for analysis of the specific evaluation findings with reference to a social capital framework.