The authors in this article report on and develop a methodology for producing a well-defined
problem in policy analysis. The methodology, which is christened the "evaluative context, " is
defined as an iterative process based on a series of checklist questions. It is given a theoretical
background in the literature, and its genesis and development are discussed in connection with
a number of practical projects in earlier sections of the article. Finally, the use of the method
ology is exhibited in a recent project.
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