Designing a Mission-based Evaluation Model for Policy Research Institutes

In recent decades, policymakers have confirmed the necessity and value of the role of applied research in the guidance and effectiveness of policy decisions. This research provides an evaluation framework for policy-research institutes based on the mission-oriented approach. Using the mixed methodology approach and the framework synthesis research method, we have selected the most important dimensions, indices, and measures for evaluating the performance of these institutions corresponding to their functional position in the national innovation system. In addition, we have validated the evaluation framework by expert survey and determined the importance of its components based on the one-sample T-test. The final evaluation framework shows in the form of a radar chart consisting of four quadrants of appropriateness, efficiency, effectiveness, and usefulness, 18 dimensions, and its sub-categories. Also, the most important results of this research, focusing on the different aspects of evaluating the performance of political research institutes and think tanks, indicate key axes derived from the specific missions of such institutes. Factors such as the specialized variety of political and technical researchers required by the institute, distinguished guest politicians, participation in the public discourse of the work field, policy networking, learning programs, knowledge enhancement through intellectual leadership in the political environment, and good governance, are the most important results