Ex ante evaluation and technology assessment - two emerging elements of technology policy evaluation

Ex ante evaluations of government programmes promoting R&D are rare: this is a serious deficit since no systematic basis for decision making is formed. Here, concepts and methods of programme evaluations are described, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of evaluation research. The technometrics approach is presented as a method of evalutation of biotechnology R&D which contributes to ex ante evaluations. Finally, an example is presented of the way in which technology assessment can be combined with programme evaluation