Objectives of the evaluation of EU structural assistance programmes
The evaluation of programmes of the EU Structural Funds is considered to be an important constituent element of the decision-making procedure and is used in order to improve EU funded programmes and their management, as well as to enhance the effectiveness of structural assistance. The Council Regulation No. 1260/1999 establishes that in order to gauge its effectiveness, Community structural assistance shall be the subject of ex-ante, mid-term and ex-post evaluation. The Implementation Rules of the Financial Regulation No. 1605/2002 also emphasise that the evaluation of programmes shall be carried out periodically for the attainment of the objectives set and the improvement of decision-making.
The purpose of ex-ante evaluation is to assess the impact of the intervention proposed and the coherence with the Community strategic guidelines and the existing or future national and regional economic and social development needs.
Mid-term evaluation examines the initial results of the assistance, their relevance and the extent to which the targets have been attained. It shall also assess the use made of financial resources and the operation of monitoring and implementation.
Ex-post evaluation covers the utilisation of resources and the effectiveness and efficiency of the assistance and its impact and draws conclusions regarding policy on economic and social cohesion.
The European Commission has worked out the Methodological Guidelines for the 2000-2006 programming period on various methodological and procedural issues of the evaluation of assistance programmes under the EU Structural Funds. Furthermore, on the initiative of the European Commission, the Guide on Evaluation of Socio-Economic Development has been worked out and is available on http://www.evalsed.info/.
Evaluation of EU structural assistance programmes in Lithuania
Ex ante evaluation of the Lithuanian EU structural assistance 2007-2013
The draft EU Structural Funds Regulations 2007-2013 sets forth that member states receiving EU structural assistance under the Convergence Objective shall carry out the ex-ante evaluation of each operational programme to be followed in implementing of the EU structural assistance utilisation strategy. Ex-ante evaluations shall aim to optimise the allocation of funds and improve programming quality. Ex-ante evaluation reports shall be submitted to the European Commission together with operational programmes.
On 22 May 2006, the Ministry of Finance and Centre for Strategy and Evaluation Services LLP signed an agreement for Ex-Ante Evaluation of the Lithuanian Operational Programmes 2007-2013 for the implementation of the EU Structural Assistance Utilisation Strategy. The experts have already prepared a Draft Strategic Evaluation Report on the Impact of Operational Programmes on the Environment.
The Minister of Finance has formed the Steering Committee of the project “Ex-Ante Evaluation of the Lithuanian Operational Programmes 2007-2013 for the implementation of the EU Structural Assistance Utilisation Strategy”by his order No. 1K-219 of 12 June 2006. The Committee has been set up in order to ensure an effective co-ordination of ex-ante evaluations of operational programmes and the use of their results in drawing up operational programmes. The Committee consists of representatives from the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Environment and working groups (or sub-groups) involved in the drafting of operational programmes.
Co-ordination of evaluation
The Council Regulation No. 1260/1999 sets forth that responsible authorities of member states and the European Commission shall ensure the effectiveness of structural assistance evaluations and the use of their results. The Resolution of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania No. 1166 of 11 September 2003 “On the administration of resources of the EU Structural Funds in Lithuania” lays down that the Managing Authority (in Lithuania - the Ministry of Finance) shall organise the evaluation of implementation of the Single Programming Document of Lithuania for 2004-2006 and shall co-operate with the European Commission in the carrying out of ex-post evaluation. Pursuant to this Resolution, the Steering Group for the evaluation of the Lithuanian SPD 2004-2006, consisting of representatives of the Managing Authority and Intermediate Bodies, has been set up by the order of the Minister of Finance. The Steering Group has been assigned with co-ordinating the evaluation of SPD evaluation by submitting proposals to the Managing Authority on the drawing up of the SPD implementation evaluation plan and analysing the SPD implementation terms of reference for accomplishing evaluation projects and draft evaluation reports on SPD implementation.
Completed evaluations
Lithuania has completed the ex-ante evaluations of the Lithuanian SPD 2004-2006 and its Complement and of the Community Initiates Interreg and Equal (findings of completed EU structural assistance evaluations are available here).
The thematic evaluation of the SPD 2004-2006 commissioned by the Ministry of Finance has been completed with two evaluation reports: 1) Evaluation of effectiveness of the implementation system of the SPD 2004-2006; and 2) Evaluation of future assistance areas of the EU Structural Funds.
Strengthening of evaluation capacities
With a view of strengthening the evaluation capacity of Structural Funds in Lithuania, the Ministry of Finance has implemented the project for the enhancement of evaluation capacities “SPD Thematic Evaluation and Strengthening Evaluation Capacity” (No. BPD2004-ESF-5.2.1-01-04/0004) with the following deliverables:
- Training on the evaluation of structural funds (target groups – employees of the institutions administrating the structural funds and potential evaluators);
- Developed methodological material for evaluation (Evaluation Guidelines and Methodological Guidelines on the definition and application of monitoring indicators);
- Implementation of the dissemination means of evaluation information (submission of proposals on the means for disseminating evaluation, six of which have been accomplished in the course of the Project).
Methodological Guidelines
The Project has developed thorough Guidelines which, when used appropriately, should become an effective methodological instrument strengthening the overall capacity of the institutions administrating the ES structural funds in Lithuania to manage and monitor the programmes (or individual SPD measures). Given the importance of the Evaluation and Monitoring Guidelines as that of methodological instruments for the responsible authorities to prepare for the new programming period 2007-2013, they will be systematically updated and reviewed upon the occurrence of any significant developments relating to the evaluation and monitoring of the EU structural funds in Lithuania (upon approval of the General EU Structural Funds Regulation 2007-2013; the establishment of a new system of administration of EU structural funds in Lithuania for 2007-2013, etc.).
Evaluation Guidelines
The development of the Evaluation Guidelines aimed at preparing a clear manual of procedures for the institutions administrating the EU structural funds in Lithuania, simplifying the evaluation guides worked out by the European Commission and adjusting the key evaluation principles and methods to the Lithuanian context. The Evaluation Guidelines contain a description of the requirements of the EU Structural Funds Regulations for the periods 2004-2006 and 2007-2013 and the impact of these regulations on the Lithuanian evaluation system, overview the main evaluation issues and methods, and present the evaluation terminology. The Evaluation Guidelines focus on enhancing the management effectiveness of evaluations of the EU assistance programmes carried out in Lithuania. In the light of the experience of EU member states and the Lithuanian context, the Guidelines present recommendations how to plan, organise and maintain the evaluation process appropriately and to make use of evaluation results more effectively. They also contain recommendations on the drawing up of terms of reference for ex-ante, mid-term and ex-post evaluations of the assistance of EU structural funds.
Methodological Guidelines on Monitoring Indicators
The Methodological Guidelines on Monitoring Indicators are only of recommendation nature, therefore, they have been used as a basis for the instructions on the calculation on the SPD monitoring indicators, which have been approved by Order No. 1K-254 of the Minister of Finance of 13 July 2006 “On the calculation of indicators of the Single Programming Document of Lithuania for 2004-2006”.
Finansų ministerija. Updated on 11 April 2007