Seeing beyond the obvious in Ex-post Evaluation of Science, Technology and Innovation Projects Systematic Literature Review, Conceptual Framework and Research Agenda

As the amount of public money invested in science, technology and innovation (STI) projects have been increasing, the debate continues about the best strategies for evaluating the impacts of STI projects in society. Consequently, it is crucial to ascertain what benefits society gains in return for the invested public resources. This paper presents a systematic literature review about the ex-post evaluation of STI projects to identify the relevant methodologies adopted to analyse with accuracy the direct/indirect results and the further deployment of impacts of STI projects, given that such impacts are difficult to foresee in the project objectives. Findings show that the majority of ex-post methodologies are complex to be applied for practitioners. Findings show that those that are meant to evaluate the direct and indirect impacts of STI projects are suitable, although only partially, for evaluating single or a few types of impacts, or they are oriented for specific contexts. The paper offers a better comprehension of the systemic relationship between STI projects' objectives, results, and impacts. Furthermore, a novel conceptual framework supporting policymakers, scholars, and practitioners to evaluate the interactions between the objectives, results and impacts in STI projects is drawn from the findings extending the theory.