ABSTRACT
This chapter provides the contention that increasingly there is an alternative, if not imperative that is largely overlooked by evaluators— the use of new analytic tools on extant data bases. It explains, "There is, in short, little evidence that evaluation leads to success". The challenge lies less in data collection and more in data analysis. The key benefits of the growing volume of data are the wealth of information available for unprecedented levels of analytic assessment. New tools are collecting more data than ever before, yet many organizations are looking for better ways to obtain insights from this data and use it to improve performance and policy outcomes. The best government programs embrace a culture where performance measurement and evaluation are regularly used and complement one another. Distinguishing advanced analytics from traditional analytics can sometimes give rise to confusion because "data mining", business intelligence, dashboard tools and indeed the entire data management system, are required to support advanced analytics.
