Some elements in the evaluation of social policies are discussed. The central argument is that, despite the improvements in evaluation methods in recent years, the conception that the specific objectives of programmes and projects should be assessed - rather than the actual policies - still prevails. This differentiation has special relevance when dealing with social policies, since they occupy a specific place in the set of public policies. This is particularly so in the Brazilian case, where a powerful social security structure coexists with astronomical levels of inequality and exclusion. First we indicate some of the characteristics of the type of evaluation we refer to in the paper. Then we discuss the possibility of evaluations that will go beyond programmes and projects. Finally, we present a preliminary and brief survey of the present challenges found in the evaluation of social policies.
social policies; evaluation