The launch of the State Agency for the Evaluation of Public Policies This marks a new chapter in how the central government analyzes and reviews its decisions. With the inaugural session of its governing council, this body begins operations with the aim of strengthening the technical scrutiny of policies that affect citizens.
During this first meeting, it was confirmed that Appointment of MarÃa Milagros Paniagua San MartÃn As director of the entity, thus culminating the process of transforming the former Institute for the Evaluation of Public Policies into a state agency with greater independence, more tools and a clear mandate to promote accountability.
Origin and reason for being of the new Agency
The Agency arises from reconversion of the former Institute for the Evaluation of Public PoliciesThe aim is to provide the Administration with a more robust tool for measuring the real impact of its actions. This change seeks to move from a more limited structure to an entity with greater institutional weight and influence.
The new organization is configured as a independent tool for the modernization of the AdministrationThis approach focuses on ensuring that public policies are not only approved but also systematically evaluated, comparing results and correcting deviations when necessary. This involves incorporating a culture of continuous evaluation into the daily operations of the public sector.
One of the central objectives is to strengthen the accountability to societyThis allows government decisions to be analyzed with data and evidence, not just political arguments. In this way, the aim is for the design and review of public policies to be increasingly based on objective information.
The institutional design of the Agency responds to the need to guarantee a greater technical rigor in the evaluation of public programs, regulations, and interventions. The intention is that these evaluations, conducted using sound methodologies, will serve both to improve the quality of policies and to optimize the use of public resources.
Institutional structure and composition of the governing board
The State Agency for the Evaluation of Public Policies has Its own legal personality, independent assets, and functional and management autonomyThis allows it to operate with some leeway with respect to ministerial departments, while maintaining its full integration into the General State Administration.
The governing body of the organization is the governing councilThis council serves as the highest decision-making and oversight body. It is chaired by the First Vice President and Minister of Economy, Trade and Business, Carlos Cuerpo, reflecting the strategic importance the government places on evaluating economic and social policies.
In addition to the presidency, the governing council includes the Secretary of State for the Economy, Israel ArroyoRepresentatives from several key ministries, including Finance and Digital Transformation, are already present. This composition facilitates coordination among the main portfolios involved in the design and implementation of public policies.
The council also includes representatives from leading organizations such as the Bank of Spain, the Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF), the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and the National Institute of Statistics (INE)The presence of these institutions brings expertise in economic, statistical, and scientific analysis to the evaluation process, as well as to the accreditation and quality of scientific journals.
Along with the ex officio members and institutional representatives, the governing council includes three members in the capacity of independent expertswho were elected at this first constitutive session. They are Manuel Arellano, Miguel Almunia, and Laura Hospido, professionals with recognized experience in applied economics and data analysis.
Appointment of the director: profile and career
In this inaugural session, the following has been ratified: Appointment of MarÃa Milagros Paniagua San MartÃn as Director of the AgencyWith this step, the initial phase of internal organization is closed and the operational stage begins, in which the new body must define priorities and work schedules.
Paniagua specializes in the data analysis and public policy evaluationThese are key areas for the Agency's mission. Their training and experience align with the need to promote evaluation methods based on quantitative and qualitative evidence, something increasingly demanded both nationally and in Europe.
Since 2004 it has been part of the Senior Corps of State StatisticiansThis has allowed him to accumulate in-depth knowledge about the production and use of official statistics. This background is especially relevant for leading an organization whose activity relies heavily on reliable and well-structured data.
Throughout his career, he has worked in the National Statistics Institute (INE)Within the General State Administration itself, at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and at AIReF, where he has been closely involved in policy evaluation and analysis, this professional experience provides him with a broad understanding of the functioning of public institutions and their evaluation needs.
The appointment of a director with this technical profile reinforces the Agency's commitment to acting as a leading expert in public policy evaluation, combining statistical knowledge, experience in independent organizations and an understanding of the Spanish administrative framework.
Main functions and scope of the evaluation activity
The State Agency for the Evaluation of Public Policies is called upon to play a central role in the evaluation of the programs and actions of the General State AdministrationAmong its responsibilities is carrying out both ex ante and ex post evaluations, that is, before and after the implementation of policies.
Ex-ante assessments allow analyze the design and the forecast of results Preliminary evaluations of a public policy before its implementation assess its internal consistency, feasibility, and potential impact. Ex-post evaluations, on the other hand, focus on what actually happened, measuring the extent to which the objectives were achieved and what unforeseen effects may have arisen.
The Agency can conduct these assessments. on own initiative (ex officio) or at request from other government bodies. This dual approach allows the agency to respond to both general strategic priorities and specific demands from ministries or other public entities seeking to improve their policies.
Furthermore, the Agency assumes the global supervision and coordination of evaluation work throughout the General State Administration. This implies harmonizing approaches, sharing best practices, and avoiding the dispersion of efforts, so that evaluations are not carried out in isolation or in duplicate.
Among her responsibilities is also the definition of common methodologiesso that evaluations follow consistent and comparable criteria. Establishing clear methodological frameworks is key to ensuring that the results can be interpreted correctly and serve as a basis for informed policy decisions.
Methodologies, technical support and strategic planning
One of the Agency's most important tasks is to offer technical support to the various ministerial departmentsThis translates into advice on how to design assessments, what indicators to use, how to collect and process information, and how to interpret the results to introduce policy improvements.
The entity must prepare the Government Strategic Assessment PlanThis is a reference document that will determine which policies or programs will be analyzed within a specific timeframe. This plan helps to prioritize resources, set timelines, and ensure that areas of greatest impact or social sensitivity are addressed.
In the European context, the trend to strengthen the culture of evaluation has been gaining ground, especially linked to the use of European funds The need to demonstrate measurable results is already evident. The creation of this Agency aligns with these requirements, contributing to a more robust structure for Spain to meet EU standards.
The emphasis on the use of data and evidence, supported by the experience of organizations such as the INE, the Bank of Spain or AIReFThis will allow for the development of increasingly refined methodologies. This opens the door to evaluations that not only describe what has happened, but also help to understand why and what alternatives might work better.
In the medium and long term, the Agency's work is expected to contribute to to systematically incorporate evaluation into the public policy cycleFrom its initial design to its possible review, extension, or replacement, this approach can improve both the efficiency of spending and the quality of services that citizens receive.
With the establishment of its governing council, the appointment of MarÃa Milagros Paniagua And with the definition of a clear framework of functions, the State Agency for the Evaluation of Public Policies begins to occupy the space for which it was created: to serve as a technical reference in the assessment of the actions of the public sector, to reinforce transparency and to help ensure that political decisions are increasingly based on rigorous and verifiable analyses.
