Book review: The success of policy analysis studies: an actor perspective, a search for success definitions based on cases in the field of transport and infrastructure in The Netherlands / by Patricia G.J. Twaalfhoven. - Eburon, Delft, 1999

This doctoral dissertation is an attempt to formulate a theory on how different actors define the success of a policy analysis study and on the factors that underlie the various definitions of success. The choice for an actor perspective is motivated by the fact that many actors play different roles in and around policy analysis studies and their evaluations and evaluation criteria might differ accordingly. From the observation that most normative theory on how to carry out policy analysis studies is based on anecdotal evidence and/or generalized experience, it is concluded that an empirical study of the success definitions and their underlying factors is needed. After a review of relevant literature, the factors that could determine an actor's definition of success (the independent variables) are clustered in three broad categories: characteristics of the actor, of the policy analysis study, and of the context in which the study was carried out.