Legal framework for evaluation
When granting financial means for a given country, the European Commission requires to evaluate the efficiency of the use of the assistance granted. To this end, in accordance with Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds, three types of evaluation are conducted: ex-ante, mid-term and ex-post evaluation.

Taking into account EU requirements the Act of 20 April 2004 on the National Development Plan (OJ No 116, item 1206), distinguishes the same three types of evaluation, naming them respectively:

• ex-ante evaluation - before the beginning of the implementation of a Programme,
• mid-term evaluation - in the middle of the implementation process,
• ex-post evaluation - after the end of the implementation period.

Furthermore, the National Development Plan (NDP) Monitoring Committee can take decisions on ordering on-going evaluations that consist in assessing the efficiency of the public funding use and the effectiveness of operation of its implementation system during the NDP implementation.

Which documents are subject to evaluation?
Subject to evaluation are projects and programmes of a socio-economic nature. During the present programming period, i.e. 2004-2006 they are: the National Development Plan, Operational Programmes and voivodship contracts.

In accordance with a draft regulation on Structural Funds and the Cohesion Fund for the period 2007-2013 (Proposal for a Council Regulation laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund) Operational Programmes to be implemented within the framework of the National Strategic Reference Framework are subject to evaluation.

 Evaluation system for Structural Funds in Poland
The National Evaluation Unit has been established in the structure of minister competent for regional development to conduct the National Development Plan evaluation. This body cooperates with particular programmes managing authorities and with other parties involved in implementing operational programmes co-financed from the UE resources. Individual operational programmes evaluations are carried out by evaluation teams located in the institutions managing these programmes (table below). 

Programme	Person	Function
National Development Plan/Community Support Framework	Elżbieta Opałka elzbieta.flisiak-opalka@mrr.gov.pl  tel.: (22) 461 32 64 fax. (22) 461 32 63	NEU Coordinator Department of Structural Policy Coordination, MRD
	Stanisław Bienias stanislaw.bienias@mrr.gov.pl tel.: (22) 461 32 96	NEU Department of Structural Policy Coordination, MRD
Technical Assistance Operational Programme	Przemysław Derwich Przemyslaw.Derwich@mrr.gov.pl tel. (22) 461 31 58 fax. (22) 693 33 21	Technical Assistance Unit in the Department of Assistance Programmes and Technical Assistance, MRD
Integrated Regional Operational Programme	Tomasz Gapski tomasz.gapski@mrr.gov.pl tel.: (22) 461 32 22	IROP Reporting and Monitoring Unit, Department for Regional Development Programmes Implementation, MRD
SOP Human Resource Development SPO	Joanna Hofman Joanna.Hofman@mrr.gov.pl tel.: (22) 693 45 14 fax.: (22) 693 40 71	Management Unit, Department for European Social Fund Management, MRD
SOP Improvement of the Competitiveness of Enterprises	Aneta Sobota-Białas aneta.sobota@mrr.gov.pl tel.: (22) 693 55 98	Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation Unit, Managing Department for Competitiveness Programme, MRD
SOP Restructuring and Modernisation of the Food Sector and Rural Development	Tomasz Kacperski  Tomasz.Kacperski@minrol.gov.pl  tel.: (22) 623 20 33 fax.: (22) 623 20 51	Monitoring and Evaluation of Programmes Unit, Rural Development Department, MARD
SOP Fisheries and Fish Processing SPO	Daniel Nowolecki Daniel.Nowolecki@minrol.gov.pl tel.: (22) 623 25 69 fax.: (22) 623 22 04	Unit for Monitoring and Reporting of Assistance Funds, Fisheries Department, MARD
SOP Transport	Renata Olbryś rolbrys@mi.gov.pl   tel.: (22) 630 13 26, fax.: (22) 630 12 04	Department for Programming and Strategy, Ministry of Infrastructure
Cohesion Fund	Alicja Więckieiwicz Alicja_Wieckiewicz@mrr.gov.pl tel.: (22) 661 12 01 fax.: (22) 661 11 50	Department for Cohesion Fund Coordination, MRD
Community Initiative Equal	Joanna Hofman Joanna.Hofman@mrr.gov.pl tel.: (22) 693 45 14 fax.: (22) 693 40 71	Management Unit, Department for European Social Fund Management, MRD
Community Initiative Interreg	Rafał Baliński rafal.balinski@mrr.gov.pl tel.: (22) 461 33 16 fax.: (22) 461 31 91	Department for Initiative INTERREG, MRD

Performing its duties the National Evaluation Unit provides training (Trainings and Conferences) and consultations within the framework of the Steering Group for the NDP/CSF Evaluation (NDP 2004-2006 Evaluation) as well as the Consultation Group for the evaluation system of EU funds in Poland (National Evaluation Unit).

The present edition of the National Development Plan (2004-2006) was evaluated before the beginning of the programme implementation (NDP 2004-2006 Evaluation). The scope of this evaluation has been presented in detail in the National Development Plan for the period of 2004-2006.

Works on conducting ex-ante evaluation of the new programming period (2007-2013) have already been taken. (NDP 2007-13 Evaluation)

Owing to the short NDP implementation period, i.e. 3 years, the mid-term evaluation was not conducted. Nevertheless, in compliance with the EC recommendation, in 2005, works connected with carrying out the so-called on-going evaluation have been planned. Ex-post evaluation will be conducted by the European Commission when the NDP implementation has been completed. The scope and timetable for all evaluations to be conducted during the NDP/CSF implementation period, i.e. by the end of 2008, are included in the NDP Evaluation Plan for the period of 2004-2006 (download a file .doc). 

Translation of this Website was co-financed by TA OP.