In our work of policy evaluation, many times I’ve come across policy changes.

A specific policy priority, such as open policy, foresight, social innovation becomes important. It has now a dedicated measure, a funding system or an organisational unit.

Then after a while, the funding or the unit disappears. The official explanation is that it achieved its goal and it is now being mainstreamed across all government policies.

But maybe this is just a nice way to kill a policy that didn’t achieve its goals?