ABSTRACT
As explained in Chapter 1, evaluating SEA practice is a multifaceted exercise in which a distinction must be made between quality and effectiveness (Thissen, 2000). The former refers to determinants of quality that can be split into legal, institutional and other arrangements (system inputs) and SEA procedures and methods (process inputs). The latter relates to outputs, both direct and indirect, such as the achievement of identified goals or the contribution to best practice (outcomes). Accordingly, the judgement of the quality and effectiveness of the SEA process involves the use of different types of criteria, which can be split into three broad categories:
