The role of evaluation is to generate information about the appropriateness and effectiveness of public policy interventions. This information can be used to assess and enlighten processes of learning around policy practices and performance, stimulate discussions among actors (e.g. about appropriate evaluation criteria), signal quality and reinforce reputations (e.g. in public research), and allow policy makers to account for public spending choices. Evaluation results may prompt a re-positioning of policies and programmes, shape the allocation or re-allocation of public funding (e.g. more generous block grants to top-performing universities) and inform the development of national STI strategy.