1 Cohesion Policy National Evaluation Conference Bucharest, 18 February 2009 Anna Burylo Evaluation Unit DG for Regional Policy European Commission

2 Cohesion Policy Current Regulations: From Mid Term to On-Going Evaluation: an integrated management tool  shift from regulation-driven to needs-driven evaluation (flexible approach: timing, scope, methods)  stronger links between monitoring and evaluation + these two exercises and decision-making  “significant departure” and programme modifications  forward-looking / anticipative approach EVALUATION PLAN Goal is good evaluations not perfect plans!

3 Cohesion Policy Where are we now? Varied capacity and approaches across the EU27: administrative traditions, experience; Majority of MS have evaluation plans (or plans to evaluate). *** Challenges for aggregation of results at EU and MS level; Relatively limited market of high quality evaluators, both within MS and at EU level; Greater imperative than ever to demonstrate results and impacts of Cohesion Policy: linked to future budgetary review.

4 Cohesion Policy Questions we face 1.How credible and reliable are our evaluation methods and evidence? 2.What would have happened in the absence of Cohesion Policy support (counterfactual)? 3.What is the Community added value?

5 Cohesion Policy New Approaches – A Way Forward 1.Smaller scale, more focused, thematic evaluations; 2.Realistic evaluation design, based on data availability, time & budget available, much more detailed ToR: establishing the conceptual basis for each evaluation, what method is required, limited/selective evaluation questions based on needs; 3.Improving traditional evaluation methods and experimenting with more rigorous methods (not possible to apply across all interventions). Further step: encouraging practice in MS, sharing results and learning (some good practice examples already there).

6 Cohesion Policy Conclusions Flexibility under ongoing evaluation facilitates these new approaches; Dissemination strategy & a strategy to convert results into policy change, where necessary; Spreading evaluation culture: evaluation is about learning and recognising/debating openly what doesn’t work as well as what does (not propaganda – but also – evaluation results are not gospel – they can be debated and contested).