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

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

3. 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…

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

5. 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,

6. 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…

7. PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GROUND (1)
[PROGRAMMING PERIOD ]
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)

8. 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)
PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GROUND (2)

9. 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)
PERSPECTIVES FROM THE GROUND (2)

10. 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…

11. 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

12. 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!

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