Hirschman, il possibilismo e la valutazione

Through an ideal dialogue with Albert O. Hirschman and Charles Lindblom, in this article, I focus on how to envision and assess desired change. The most innovative contributions by Hirschman and Lindblom are still in tune with recent complexity theory-based approaches to policy analysis and evaluation. Departing from rational choice premises, I highlight learning and social mechanisms to mobilize those contextual resources, which are underutilized or hidden. The aim of this article is to shed light on those processual dimensions of change where to focus public policy analysis and evaluation.