Assessment by peer-review panels and by practical users of applied research on issues of Local Governments in Norway

Abstract

A Danish evaluation of a large Norwegian research scheme (KS Research) funded by the National Association of Local Governments in Norway is described and evaluation methods and findings are discussed. The conclusion is that KS Research could have acquired more research of good quality for its money. The dissemination of research information and the initiatives of KS Research in the field of research policy have to some extent been successful. A sample of the report from projects funded by KS Research has been assessed differently by peers (researchers) and practitioners (being senior administrators and politicians in municipalities and counties). The comparison showed that the peer-review panels evaluated the reports lower on both novelty and relevance than the practitioners did. However, the rank order of the two assessments was positively correlated, but only if opposite cases were excluded. The difference seemed to be due to the ascription of different assessments to the same criteria as well as using different criteria of quality of research. The findings from the research evaluation are put into the perspective of international research on use of research and of quality of research.