LEARNING FOR COHESION POLICY Structural Reform, Capacity Building and Good Governance for post 2020 Cohesion Nicola Francesco DOTTI (Vrije Universiteit Brussel)

STARTING FROM CONCLUSIONS A THEORY-BASED APPROACH TO DELIVER ‘BETTER’ POLICY BEYOND SIMPLIFICATION PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GROUND

DO NOT CHANGE ANY SINGLE RULE OF COHESION POLICY STARTING FROM CONCLUSIONS DO NOT CHANGE ANY SINGLE RULE OF COHESION POLICY NOT JUST A PROVOCATIVE PROPOSAL…

A THEORY-BASED APPROACH KEY VARIABLE: ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY APPROACH: POLICY LEARNING WHY? HETEROGENEOUS IMPLEMENTATION, BUT BETTER RESULTS WHERE ADMINISTRATIONS/MANAGING AUTHORITIES HAVE BETTER CONDITIONS

MAIN VARIABLES FOR ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY ADMINISTRATIVE RESOURCES ADMINISTRATIVE LEADERSHIPS HUMAN RESOURCES INTERNAL ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURES MONITORING AND EVALUATION TOOLS CONTEXT FACTORS STABLE AND CLEAR NATIONAL & EU LEGISLATION REGIONAL POLITICAL SPHERE SYSTEMIC HR MANAGEMENT & COORDINATION MECHANISMS Cf. SMERIGLIO et al., 2016, http://bit.ly/Lessons4CP

RULES vs. TACTICS LEARNING TAKES TIME THE POLICY LEARNING APPROACH IS BASED ON A FUNDAMENTAL DISTINCTION RULES vs. TACTICS IF RULES KEEP ON CHANGING, WE’LL NEVER DEVELOP BETTER TACTICS + LEARNING TAKES TIME TODAY, WE DISCUSS/DECIDE THE POST-2020, BUT WE HAVEN’T YET SEEN THE RESULTS OF THE CURRENT PROGRAMMING PERIOD…

PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GROUND (1) [PROGRAMMING PERIOD 2000-2006] THE BRUSSELS CAPITAL-REGION USED ERDF TO CREATE 8 BUSINESS INNOVATION CENTRES IN THE CANALZONE ± 2/5 YEARS TO BUILD/RENOVATE ± 2/3 YEARS TO BECOME OPERATIONAL [TODAY (2018)] 300+ SMEs & START-UPS LOCATED IN AREAS OF HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT SUCCESS STORY? PROBABLY YES, THOUGH IT TOOK 10+ YEARS PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GROUND (1)

PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GROUND (2) THE EU INTERVENTION HAS ALREADY CHANGED DRAMMATICALLY Cf. Dotti, 2013, The Unbearable Instability of Structural Funds' Distribution, European Planning Studies, 21(4) http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09654313.2012.722956 PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GROUND (2)

PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GROUND (2) THE EU INTERVENTION HAS ALREADY CHANGED DRAMMATICALLY Cf. Dotti, 2013, The Unbearable Instability of Structural Funds' Distribution, European Planning Studies, 21(4) http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09654313.2012.722956 PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GROUND (2)

WHY REDUCING UNCERTAINTY IS SO IMPORTANT? GLOBAL CONTEXT, FROM THE ECONOMIC CRISIS TO TRUMP… UNCERTAINTY DUE TO BREXIT, (MONOPOLIZING CURRENT EU DISCUSSIONS) LESS RESOURCES FOR COHESION POLICY (?) EFFECTS OF EX-ANTE CONDITIONALITIES? JUNCKER PLAN? … SIMPLIFICATION AS RECURRING ISSUES, NEVER PROPERLY ADDRESSED (APPARENTLY…) COHESION POLICY IS NOT JUST ABOUT BETTER COMMUNICATION & COORDINATION…

CONCLUSIONS [SHORT TERM ADVANTAGES] FOCUS ON PRIORITIES & BUDGET, NOT ON REGULATIONS [LONG TERM ADVANTAGES] MEMBER STATES & MANAGING AUTHORITIES CAN ALREADY START WORKING TO DELIVER BETTER COHESION POLICY

DO NOT CHANGE ANY SINGLE RULE OF COHESION POLICY BACK TO THE STARTING POINT DO NOT CHANGE ANY SINGLE RULE OF COHESION POLICY YES, IT’S A PROVOCATIVE PROPOSAL!

Dr. Nicola Francesco DOTTI Nicola.Dotti@vub.be // @NFDotti