This study takes China’s independent college transition policy as its object of analysis. Grounded in policy process theory and policy evaluation theory, it constructs a comprehensive evaluation framework encompassing three stages—policy formulati...
This study takes China’s independent college transition policy as its object of analysis. Grounded in policy process theory and policy evaluation theory, it constructs a comprehensive evaluation framework encompassing three stages—policy formulation, policy implementation, and policy outcomes—to systematically examine the institutional design logic, implementation mechanisms, and practical effects of the policy. Rather than remaining at the level of policy text analysis or attitudinal perceptions, this study employs a structured evaluation model to reveal institutional strengths, operational constraints, and the underlying mechanisms operating across different stages of the policy process.
The key research questions addressed in this study include: To what extent are the formulation and implementation of the independent college transition policy scientifically and rationally designed? What policy effects are produced at the outcome stage of the transition policy? Which aspects of institutional design, implementation mechanisms, and subsequent governance arrangements require further improvement?
Methodologically, the study first employs literature analysis, expert brainstorming, and the Delphi method to define the stages, evaluation domains, and indicators of policy evaluation, thereby ensuring the theoretical validity and practical relevance of the evaluation framework. Second, based on the comprehensive evaluation model, questionnaire surveys are conducted among government administrators, higher education managers, faculty members, and other relevant stakeholders. Through mean comparison and group difference analyses, the study empirically examines the rationality of policy formulation, the standardization of implementation, and the effectiveness of policy outcomes. Third, focus group interviews (FGIs) are used to provide interpretive supplementation to key issues identified in the survey results, thereby addressing the explanatory limitations of relying solely on quantitative analysis.
The findings indicate that while the independent college transition policy demonstrates relatively high rationality in terms of policy goal setting and institutional legitimacy, structural problems persist in several areas, including multi-actor participation during the formulation stage, coordination of resource allocation during implementation, and institutional differentiation in development outcomes. By integrating comprehensive evaluation with both quantitative and qualitative analyses, this study not only identifies variations in policy effectiveness but also elucidates the institutional causes underlying these differences, thereby offering evidence-based policy implications for the continued optimization of China’s independent college transition policy.