VERONICA GAFFEY Acting Director – Policy Development DG FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT Przyszłość polityki spójności V Raport Kohezyjny a wnioski z ewaluacji ex post KE Future of Cohesion Policy – building on evidence VI KONFERENCJA EWALUACYJNA WARSZAWA,

2 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion 1.Key Messages of 5 th Cohesion Report 2.Evaluation design 3.Main evaluation conclusions 4.Turning evaluation knowledge into policy…. 5.And Policy into Practice Presentation

3 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Cohesion Policy has helped to reduce economic, social & environmental disparities. Cohesion Policy has benefited all regions through direct investments and indirect trade benefits. Cohesion Policy supports investments in European priorities across the EU. BUT… policy effectiveness could be improved. Impact of Cohesion Policy

4 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Stronger focus on results  Regular political debate on performance  Concentration  Experimentation  Structural Conditionalities Performance Reserve Better Indicators and their follow-up  Rigorous Evaluations & Evaluation plans  Summative Evaluations  Key Messages for Future based on Evidence from Ex Post Evaluation (1)

5 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion More financial engineering Operationalising territorial cohesion  An ambitious urban agenda  Stronger partnership  Local development approaches  Financial Issues Cohesion policy in all regions and Member States  Key Messages for Future based on Evidence from Ex Post Evaluation (2)

6 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Started in March 2007 –ERDF evaluations completed in March 2010 –Urban & Interreg completed in Summer 2010 –Cohesion Fund to be completed in Summer 2011 Thematic focus and selective Designing terms of reference to appeal to real expertise in different policy domains Involvement of academic experts in each contract to discuss and review methods and the policy analysis Design of Ex Post Evaluation

7 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Multiplicity of Cohesion Policy objectives (economic, social & territorial) and their relative priority need to be made more explicit. Need for concentration of expenditure Indicators particularly for social and territorial cohesion need to be developed Value of Objective 2 Over-emphasis on absorption over performance Conclusions of the Ex Post Evaluation Overall Design of Policy (1)

8 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Evaluations to focus on effects of policy rather than process issues and absorption Improve programme indicators and report on performance regularly Public debate Review N+2 because of negative effects for policy of overlapping programming periods More exchanges of experience related to “mainstream” Cohesion Policy Conclusions of the Ex Post Evaluation Overall Design of Policy (2)

9 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Enterprise support: –Aid to large enterprises? –More evidence needed on effects of interventions Transport: –More urban transport –Take account of environmental aspects – intermodality –Questions for high speed rail, regional airports/ports, new roads in EU15, road maintenance Environmental Infrastructure: –Clarify the case for intervention –Link to regional development Conclusions of the Ex Post Evaluation Policy Themes

10 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Knowledge generated through management of the 19 evaluation contracts with: –45 Steering Group Meetings –35 Expert Meetings Evaluators often not good at recommendations – need for interaction with policy makers/practitioners Each evaluation subject of note for management of DG REGIO on evaluation questions, quality, conclusions & our reaction to recommendations Shorter internal notes on proposals for change and on added value of the policy Turning Evaluation Knowledge into Policy (1)

11 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Dissemination of results outside the DG: –Events in Brussels and in Member States (usually better for DG REGIO to present than evaluators) –Video –Printed copies with nice images In summary, establishing the main evaluation findings as “received wisdom” Crucial role of evaluation function in DG REGIO as broker: –Designing the evaluation –Allowing the evaluators to be independent –Helping them with analysis –Communication findings & transforming them into potential policy changes Turning Evaluation Knowledge into Policy (2)

12 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Developing the draft regulations Explaining the ideas to and discussing and developing them with Member States Developing Guidance, particularly on –Programme design – strong theory of change - which can and will be evaluated –Concentration of resources and how this might bring about change –Capturing results But we can start now using the results of evaluations in the current period; we don’t have to wait for And Turning Policy into Practice

13 European Union Regional Policy – Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Thank you for your attention