Evidence-Based Management of Active Labour Market Policy

How and why did the evidence-based management of active labour market policies shape the practical knowledge of public professionals and policy outcomes? The chapter first considers the tension between a central wish to increase policy performance by imposing evidence and the reactions of public service professionals responsible for implementing policies in practice. On this basis, it highlights the role of Ministry of Employment in accumulating evidence and in performing an evidence-based management of active labour market policy. Unlike the case of public school policy, the level of policy conflict remained low, and reactions from public professionals were limited. The chapter shows the complex relationship between central ministries and local public professionals as well as the challenges involved in achieving desired policy outcomes.