Moderation of Policy-Making? Science and Technology Policy Evaluation Beyond - Impact Measurement - The Case of Germany

In the field of science and technology policies, for the most part evaluation procedures are utilized al al way of measuring the scientific and technological quality or the socio-economic impacts of publicly funded research. Beyond this practice could evaluation prodedures be used as a medium for the "moderation" of struggles, controversies and negotiations in the science and technological policy arena? The present article addresses the question using the German evaluation practice - moulded by a relativly high degree of institutional differntiation and automomy of the major policy actors - as a background. After some theoretical considerations, a case study is presented illustrating the "moderation approach": a multi-annual monitoring evaluation of eight newly created, publicly funded interdisclinary clincal research centres at German university hospitals.