ABSTRACT
In the concluding chapter we sum up the lessons from the chapters included in this book. First, there is a need to employ a long-term perspective in more evaluations, in particular in evaluations that evaluate complex social and environmental problems often involving so-called slow-moving variables. Second, implementation of a long-term perspective in evaluation requires an active choice as the default time perspective appears to be short term. Third, adopting a long-term perspective may require a broader understanding of causality, paying careful attention to historic data and switching the viewpoint from projects to society. Fourth, while evaluators already know about the importance of context, for long-term evaluations, evaluators must also understand the influence of time and change. Finally, we argue that to take full advantage of lessons from the past in our understanding of the present and the future, we not only need methods, but also a learning culture and an interest in conceptual use of evaluations.
