ABSTRACT
As we pointed out in the previous chapter, much of the interest in the public policymaking process centers on the dynamic energy that goes into the decisions. Once the policies are made, interest often drops off in favor of focusing on other problems in need of resolution, and discussion begins anew. Yet we know from our examination of implementation that what happens to a policy after the fact can be as or more critical than the development of the policy itself. In fact, it is only during the implementation phase that we learn whether the policy was carried out as the public policymakers designed. Still, there is one more step to completing the public policymaking cycle-the process of evaluation.
