Tools and methods section. The PICA method or how to evaluate the coherence of public policies with their implementation context?

Abstract

The effectiveness of a policy depends on its degree of coherence with the rules that frame social, political and economic interactions in the context where it is implemented. These rules or institutions can be formal (laws, constitutions, etc.) or informal (norms, customs, traditions, etc.). The PICA (Procedure for Institutional Compatibility Assessment) method, developed within the framework of the European SEAMLESS project, aims to take this dimension into account in the evaluation of agricultural, rural or environmental policies. The different stages of the process are presented here, along with an illustration based on an application to the Nitrate Directive.