The role of impact evaluation in evidence-based he policy making: The contribution of transparency tools

Abstract

In this article we set to analyze the policy measures that have been initiated and experimented in the Romanian higher education sector in order to reduce the information asymmetry between the education providers and the rest of stakeholders. The need for higher education policies is triggered by the public nature of the education and also by the information disparities and gaps that are inherent given the long-term investment character of the services provided. In this context, there are several transparency tools available, ranging from state intervention to sector self-regulation. The article assesses the potential ex-ante impact of different policy options and of the implementation of U-Multirank in Romania in particular and argues that sector self-regulation through voluntary participation in U-Multirank complemented by the development of a benchmarking system would be the most feasible policy option for enhancing the transparency and social responsibility of higher education institutions in Romania.