What happens to laws after they are passed? It is to this question that France Strategy tries to answer in an analytical note published Thursday, which welcomes the growing trend towards the evaluation of public policies in France.
Impact studies, cost analysis, reports from the Court of Auditors or independent experts: between 2008 and 2020, 105 of the 262 laws studied by the attached body Matignon have been evaluated in one way or another after their adoption in Parliament, i.e. 40%.
When these assessments include recommendations, they are implemented at least partially in 61% of cases, for example via an amendment to the law concerned, explain the four authors.
In summary, the evaluations of public policies are increasingly mobilized, welcomes France Stratgie in a press release distributed with the publication.
While only 41% of the laws passed between 2008 and 2012 were subsequently evaluated, the percentage jumped to 52% between 2013 and 2017.
It then drops to 21% between 2018 and 2020, due to the average time of 4.5 years for carrying out an ex post impact assessment (after the adoption of a law, Ed), decipher the authors.
The four authors note that the laws relating to work, housing or the economy, such as those on the CICE or the generalization of the RSA (respectively 18 and 16 evaluations) are much more likely to be evaluated than those on the civil service, tourism or security.
In general, laws relating to sovereign subjects are less valued, notes Cdric Audenis, Deputy Commissioner General of France Strategy.
A deficiency which could be explained by more difficult access to data in the field of defense and security, unlike the economic sphere which benefits from numerous public data from INSEE.
The place of researchers in the control of public policies remains limited, since only 23% of impact studies are entrusted to them.
Although they enjoy scientific authority and increasingly wide dissemination, academic impact assessments remain marginally used in the very heart of the legislative process, notes France Stratgie.
Whether they come from researchers or not, evaluations would benefit from more cross-referencing of methods and evaluative questions, being conducted in an approach involving the state, researchers and civil society and being listed in accessible and intelligible formats, suggests the organization.