1. 1 Case Studies: Expectations of the Commission Veronica Gaffey Head of Evaluation Directorate General for Regional Policy

2. 2 A New Approach to Ex Post Evaluation Thematic not national Selectivity – not everything would be evaluated Therefore, space for case studies to deepen analysis

3. 3 Case Studies within the Evaluations Conceptual Basis Statistical and administrative data – financial and physical Case Studies – mostly regional – to deepen analysis Mini case studies Conclusions on the performance of the policy

4. 4 What is a Case Study? Three types of case study so far for DG REGIO: –Regional Case Studies –Sectoral Case Study –Mini-Case Study In-depth study of data on a specific case (e.g. a project, beneficiary, town). The case study is a detailed description of a case in its context. […] Case study results are usually presented in a narrative form. A series of case studies can be carried out concurrently, in a comparative and potentially cumulative way. A series of case studies may contribute to causal and explanatory analysis. Evalsed

5. 5 Case Study Guidance Data Gathering: –Template –Role of core team and local expert –Clarity on who and how many to be interviewed Reporting – telling the story: –Not a dump of all information on paper –Insights into reality of policy measures on the ground and their interaction with other policies –Validation of hypotheses –Expect interaction within team and several iterations Cross case analysis – not generalisation

6. 6 Case Study Expectations A coherent analysis in narrative form, which explains a complex case: –How is policy decided –How is it co-ordinated with other policies –How it is implemented –The effects of the policy and –Reasons for those effects A concise text which includes information ONLY if it is relevant to the case

7. 7 Experiences to Date More complex and time-consuming than might be perceived A valuable tool which delivers real insights Needs indepth local knowledge AND an external validation – an iterative process Narrative is essential and challenging – a good drafting style is under-rated these days in evaluation!

8. 8 Thank you for your attention