1. 1 Cohesion Policy 2007 - 13 Ongoing Evaluation Budapest, 7 May 2010 Veronica Gaffey Head of Evaluation DG for Regional Policy European Commission

2. 2 Cohesion Policy 2007 - 13 What is Ongoing Evaluation? An ongoing programme of evaluation, designed to meet needs Complete flexibility – evaluate what you want (themes, priorities, programmes) when you want

3. 3 Cohesion Policy 2007 - 13 From Mid Term to Ongoing Evaluation (1) Mid Term Evaluation 2003 – Strengths: –Organisation and planning; Partnership –Allocation of significant resources –Increased evaluation capacity Weaknesses: –Rigid deadline –Breadth of requirements –Quality concerns –Methods not sufficiently rigorous (too descriptive, focus on financial results, little generation of new evidence)

4. 4 Cohesion Policy 2007 - 13 From Mid Term to Ongoing Evaluation (2) Rationale for Move towards Ongoing Evaluation: –Breadth militates against depth –Lack of use of rigorous methods –Evaluation as a result of obligation rather than needs –Increased evaluation capacity Key elements: –Evaluation Plan – multi-annual, to be adapted according to need (goal is good evaluations not perfect plans!) –Need for anticipative approach –Evaluation should become a management tool

5. 5 Cohesion Policy 2007 - 13 Progress in Ongoing Evaluation 1/2 –Nearly all MS have evaluation plans (or plans to evaluate!) –Evolving evaluation capacity – some “new” Member States now among the “best” –(Assessment based on capacity, quality and extent of activity in cohesion policy evaluation)

6. 6 Cohesion Policy 2007 - 13 POLAND AUSTRIA HUNGARY SWEDEN

7. 7 Cohesion Policy 2007 - 13 Progress in Ongoing Evaluation 2/2 –Increasing interest in EFFECTS –Commission has established an expert evaluation network to synthesise results – annual reports from end 2010 onwards –Interest in more rigorous methods – not possible to apply across all interventions –Smaller scale evaluations can help open up the market –Good practice examples will be published on Evalsed –Ongoing development of methods section of Evalsed too

8. 8 Cohesion Policy 2007 - 13 More Rigorous Methods Quasi-experimental design (randomised control trials?) Control groups suitable only for some sectors (e.g., social programmes, enterprise support, urban?) Different solutions needed for transport, environmental infrastructure (ex post CBA?), innovation and complex programme effects Improvement of models – macro & sectoral Complemented by theory based evaluation approaches (why does it work?)

9. 9 Cohesion Policy 2007 - 13 Looking Forward Commission undertakes exploratory work using quasi- experimental techniques We encourage Member States, who might even experiment with RCT (France, Hungary, Poland, UK – Wales currently doing some quasi-experimental work) Similar approach starting on evaluating innovation Encourage more rigorous approaches in other sectors (e.g., ex post CBA) The approach to ongoing evaluation facilitates this Regular synthesis of evidence Sharing results and gradual building up of a body of more rigorous evaluation results (Commission role – support, publicity, seminars, “naming and praising”)