ABSTRACT
Evaluation methods that reflect instrumental rationality par excellence are the various forms of investment analysis, which apply simple criteria of economic efficiency: benefit-cost ratio, net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR) etc. The development of evaluation frameworks to assess EU-funded T-TEN projects is an excellent example of influence of institutional design on the choice and application of evaluation methods. If we understand evaluation as an arena for debating and resolving conflicting claims, the institutional design of the evaluation process must address the factors affecting the decisions on how the claims are resolved. The question of the program behind the design and evaluation of alternatives raises another critical issue: the institutional context of the subject planning process in general, and the institutional structure of the planning and evaluation process in particular.
