Roma, 10 maggio 2011 THE ITALIAN EVALUATION POLICY ISFOL, Silvia Ciampi

Evaluation as one of the pillars of Italys regional policy Citizen-centered policies Strong focus on essential servicesrather than on procedures & expenditure Emphasis on local knowledge Responsibility to regional governments Links with national policies Greater importance to administrative capacity

Levels of programming: a complex framework 7 Ministries develop their own programs Each of the 21 Regions develops its multi-sector strategy

Over time, silos have been created Sources of money EU Regional Fund National funds EU Social Fund EU Rural Development Coordination organisms Ministry for economic development Ministry for agriculture Ministry for labour Other departments

….Beyond silos : intentional efforts to bridge gaps & introduce policy dialogue among and within authorities in a new perspective

At the same time, EU regulations ask for separate programmes by EU source of money The National Strategy for tried to make the various sources of funding work together through common: Programming Implementation Monitoring Surveillance Evaluation

Evaluation policy /1 Evaluation Objects: – effects of a well-defined (however complex) intervention or group of interventions on a problem, a social group, or an arearather than a bureaucratic construct (e.g., a multisectoral program tipically operating on a large area, affecting millions of people) – across bureaucratic borders: the evaluation object may have been financed by more than one source – selectivity: choose to answer defined questions about crucial & controversial issues

Evaluation policy/2 Each Region drafts an Evaluation Plan: –What is evaluated (and what is not) –Who (internally or externally) performs each evaluation –When –Organization of evaluation function –Resources (human and financial) devoted to evaluations

The National Evaluation System UVAL – Ministry of Economic Development (Coordinates) ISFOL – Ministry of Labour INEA – Ministry for Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies Department for Equal Opportunities Evaluation Units of Regional Authorities Its composition shows a clear intention to work together across silos & involving Regions in a federal function

The National Evaluation System Each component differs from the others Central units: –Have differing rules, interpretations, goals, tasks & status Regional evaluation units: –Conduct or manage evaluations… –… but also provide project selection, planning, knowledge management to the Region –Have background and skills closer to regional fund policies (or national funds) rather than rural development or active labour policies

Common guidance - include & adjust for differing rules, traditions, goals Personalized support to Regions (all managing authorities together) Ensure quality & evaluation of evaluations Observe processes & disseminate information Facilitate dissemination ) A federal function performed across silos & by central & regional units