"It also seems very important to me that the general public be assured access to the evaluation process from the beginning, " said Fridleifsdottir.

CNN: Iceland locked in national dam dispute

During ARRC's evaluation in October, its former commander, General Sir Richard Shirreff, praised the force as "a 'premier league' organisation".

BBC: ARRC parades in Gloucester to mark NATO role for 2013

The intense scrutiny some private firms face in some instances extending all the way to the subpoena of e-mails and internal documents has made them reluctant to engage in this process for fear that politicians, policymakers, activists, and the general public will interpret and use both internal and external formative evaluation results in a summative manner, hurting both their reputations and bottom lines.

FORBES: The Counterproductive Attack on NYC's School of One