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Governing into the unknown: The role of measurement and learning instruments in the governance of the circular transition Societal transitions require public governance amid uncertainty and interdependence. This article examines how the Circular Maturity Tool contributes to the governance of the circular transition as a measurement and learning instrument. From a public administration perspective, we combine over 3,000 assessments across more than 1,000 organisations with insights from over 130 semi-structured interviews. The findings indicate a gap between circular ambitions and implementation, with organisational capabilities associated with differences in progress. The Circular Maturity Tool supports reflection, collective sensemaking, and the translation of abstract policy goals into concrete courses of action. Measurement and learning instruments can thus function as soft policy instruments that help shape the transition through learning and coordination. This governance function emerges through interaction with the organisational and institutional context. For governance practice, this highlights the importance of a developmental approach in which assessment results are interpreted collectively and linked to guidance and dialogue.