1. Ex-post evaluation of the ESF 2000-06
Impact on the functioning of the labour market
Evaluation Partnership meeting Sevilla, 16 March Unit 03 - Evaluation & Impact Assessment

2. Labour Market Policy a significant part of the ESF
Overall support to labour market policy: 22 billion Euros
Of which support to systems & structures: 5 billion Euro
And 17 billion Euro support to people

3. Key Concepts What are systems & structures?
Institutions decisive for the functioning of the labour market
Public employment services, training organisation
Why to focus on systems & structures?
Modernisation of institutions
Shift towards active labour market policy …

4. Key Findings I
ESF support to systems & structures is used in different ways in different parts of Europe
Mediterranean MS: fundamental reforms of existing systems
Eastern/new MS: development of systems which are not yet fully developed often combined with elements of modernisation
The other MS: experimentation and piecemeal improvement.

5. Key Findings II
Success of ESF support to systems & structures is closely linked to the quality of the overall reform strategy:
Integration with national/regional policy strategy is essential
Quality criteria for a national/regional reform strategy apply also for the ESF

6. Conclusion I ESF support to systems & structures was relevant
addressing significant policy challenges
being consistent with national policies
effective
increasing effectiveness of support to people
around 2/3 of working age population benefit from improved PES and/or better training organisation
bringing different actors together

7. Conclusion II ESF support to systems & structures was sustainable
new ways of functioning are often retained – but specific follow-up is required. More effective in objective 3 regions
important
the 7-year programming periods allow for a strategic approach to institutions

8. Recommendations I
Contextual factors have to be taken into account even more than in the past
Coordination plays a key role, in particular between:
policy makers and labour market actors
different fields of social policy
Binding national action helps to avoid fragmentation
critical mass is required

9. Recommendations II
ESF support to systems & structures, national and European employment strategy needs to be (materially) coordinated.
A well reasoned strategy which includes concepts (how to intervene and why) facilitates evaluation – good evaluation facilitates further policy development...

10. Recommendations III Increased attention to sustainability issues
financial sustainability
institutional sustainability -> organisational learning
Further strengthening the strategic approach to structural interventions
‘roadmaps’ or ‘master plans’ for such interventions
ex-ante mapping the causal chains
More attention to structural issues in monitoring and evaluation

11. Final remark Systems and structures remain an issue for ESF support
The link between the EES as a broad political framework and the ESF as its operational arm is established
Increased importance of activation and ALMP
Perception changes quickly: what was disputed 10 years ago is self-evident today