Drawing on previous research into evaluation use and sustainable development, this article investigates to what extent and how a national evaluation system can advance sustainable development. The data comprise interviews with key actors, observations at seminars where evaluations were discussed, and analysis of evaluation reports. The actors were divided into three categories (i.e. central, proximal, and peripheral) to indicate their closeness to the national policy cycle. The results indicate that the evaluations were used mainly by central and proximal actors, primarily because the evaluation knowledge met most of their knowledge needs, and very little used by peripheral actors, such as environmental and business organizations. The evaluation system’s main influence was to consolidate environmental work and provide guidance on the environmental dimension of sustainable development at the national level. The evaluation system also served as a recurring reminder for stakeholders about the national objectives, their achievement, and everyone’s responsibility for their implementation.

本文借鉴以往对评价利用和可持续发展的研究，探讨了国家评价体系在多大程度上以及如何促进可持续发展。数据包括对主要参与者的采访、在讨论评估的研讨会上的观察以及对评估报告的分析。参与者被分为三类（即中央、近端和外围），以表明它们与国家政策周期的密切程度。结果表明，评估主要由中央和近端参与者使用，主要是因为评估知识满足了他们的大部分知识需求，而外围参与者（例如环境和商业组织）很少使用。该评价体系的主要作用是巩固环境工作，为国家层面可持续发展的环境维度提供指导。评估系统还反复提醒利益相关者有关国家目标、目标的实现以及每个人对其实施的责任。