NDP/CSF 2004-2006 Evaluation

When granting financial means for Poland, the European Commission requires to evaluate the efficiency of the use of the assistance granted. Necessity to conduct systematic evaluation activities of the National Development Plan implementation and general rules for those activities result not only from the EU regulations, but also from Polish regulations. They are determined inter alia in the following documents:

• Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the Structural Funds (Articles 40-43),
  
  
• Community Support Framework (CSF) – a document approved by the European Commission on 22 June 2004,
  
  
• Act of 20 April 2004 on the National Development Plan (Articles 57-61; OJ No 116, item 1206).

Three types of evaluation are conducted, in accordance with Articles 40-43 of Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 (nomenclature used in the NDP Act is given in brackets):

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

Ex-ante evaluation is carried out before the beginning of the implementation of a Plan or a Programme. The aim of this evaluation is the improve and raise the quality of documents prepared. It includes an analysis of strengths and weaknesses of a state, a region or a sector, including in particular:

• an assessment of the social and economic situation, an assessment of the situation on the national labour market, taking into account job opportunities for men and women,
  
  
• an assessment of the natural environment conditions, including solutions ensuring the conformity with the national and Community policy in this scope.

Mid-term evaluation of a Plan or a Programme, carried out not later than within a year following the end of the half of the implementation period, includes an analysis of:

• the efficiency of the use of resources,
• the effectiveness of achieving objectives assumed,
• an impact on the socio-economic situation, including the employment,
• the operation of the implantation system.

Ex-post evaluation is carried out not later than a year after the completion of the implementation of a Plan or a Programme and it sums up and evaluates the intervention once it has terminated. Its aim is to assess the use of available resources, the achievement of expected (effectiveness) and unexpected effects (utility) and also the efficiency of the intervention. This evaluation helps to understand reasons for success or failures of interventions. It also provides for information on the stability of results and effects, as well as enables to draw conclusions, which can be generalised as regards other interventions.

Moreover, during the implementation of the NDP and Operational Programmes, on the initiative of Community Support Framework Managing Authority, operational programmes managing authorities (in cooperation with the National Evaluation Unit) on-going evaluations will be conducted, which will concern the efficiency of the use of public resources and the effectiveness of their implementation system. Additionally, in accordance with the Act on the National Development Plan (Article 57 paragraph 3) the National Development Plan Monitoring Committee, Operational Programmes Monitoring Committees and Voivodship contracts monitoring committees can take decisions on carrying out on-going evaluations in the course of implementing the NDP and Operational Programmes.

The aim to conduct on-going evaluations is to support the management process of the NDP and Operational Programmes through analysing problems, which occur during the implementation and proposing specific solutions to improve the operation of the system. Specific objectives, tasks and expected results of on-going evaluations will be defined separately for each evaluation conducted. A list of main subjects for on-going evaluations that are to be carried out within the framework of the NDP/CSF and operational programmes is included in the NDP 2004-2006 Evaluation Plan. Evaluation plans for majority of operational programmes were also worked out. Works on preparation of such a plan have been still going on for SOP Fisheries and fish processing and for the Community Initiative INTERREG.

THE NDP/CSF EVALUATION STEERING GROUP

In December 2004 NDP Monitoring Committee discussed „NDP evaluation plan for 2004-2006”. Establishing a NDP/CSF Evaluation Steering Group was planned as one of the activities within Objective 1 „Evaluation capacity building”.

The group is to ensure a greater efficiency of evaluation operations at the NDP/CSF level and a greater efficacy of cooperation between the National Evaluation Unit and evaluation teams in individual operational programmes. Additionally, establishing this Group will help to build evaluation capacities among administration’s employees via exchange of information and experience, passing the knowledge and promoting the methodological coherence. Carrying out such a widely defined task, the Steering Group undertakes different activities, such as:

1. discussions over evaluation projects both within the NDP/CSF and operational programmes (including the coordination of surveys’ scope),
2. cooperation with external evaluators during the preparation and the implementation of research,
3. approving the content (the quality) of evaluation reports (research reports),
4. coordination of the preparation and the update of Evaluation of the National Development Plan and Operational Programmes in Poland - Manual,
5. monitoring and coordinating all information and training activities regarding evaluation for evaluation team employees.

The NDP/CSF Evaluation Steering Group is chaired by the National Evaluation Unit. It is composed of representatives of:

• the CSF and 6 Operational Programmes Managing Authorities,
• intermediate bodies: Ministry of National Education and Sport, Ministry of Science and Information Society Technologies,
• the Paying Authority,
• ERDF, ESF, EAGGF and FIFG Monitoring and Control Units,
• Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Status of Women and Men
• Office of the Committee for European Integration,

The European Commission is represented by DG Regio, DG Employment. Full list of the Group’s members including their address data is available here (dowlnload a file >>).

The National Evaluation Unit plays a role of the Group’s secretariat. Activities of the Group are co-financed from the Technical Assistance Operational Programme.

So far, there were three meetings of the Group. During the last year meeting in December, the scope and tasks of Group’s works were agreed on, work schedules for 2005 for all units were discussed and a paper regarding the scope and methods for carrying out evaluation studies by managing authorities of different operational programmes were discussed.

During meetings in the current year (February, April), the scope and methods for evaluation studies, that the NEU and operational programmes managing authorities (transport, fishery and IROP) are going to start in the nearest future, as well as remarks for Evaluation of the National Development Plan and Operational Programmes in Poland – Manual were discussed. Furthermore, procedural and organisational problems related to outsourcing evaluation according to the Public Procurement Act were discussed.

Work schedule of NDP/CSF Evaluation Steering Group is available here (dowload a file >>).

CONSULTATION GROUP FOR THE SYSTEM OF EU FUNDS EVALUATION IN POLAND

Set up in July 2004, Consultation Group that includes employees of the NEU, other OP evaluation units, Polish (potential external evaluators) and EU (twinning, DG Regio Evaluation Unit) experts is a cooperation forum between units involved in commissioning evaluation and experts (Polish and foreign ones), working on the development of an effective evaluation system in Poland. Exchange of information and experience useful in improving the quality of carried research and in facilitating their implementation is possible via working discussions within the Group.

Two meetings of the Consultation Group were held so far. During the first one, methods, techniques and ways of gathering data for evaluation purposes were presented and the coordination system for planned evaluation activities was discussed. A meeting held in April 2005 was focused on consultations regarding Evaluation of the National Development Plan and Operational Programmes in Poland – Manual and on discussing a support for developing an evaluation potential outside public administration.

The next meeting of the Consultation Group for the system of EU funds evaluation in Poland will be held during autumn this year.

DOCUMENTS

• NDP 2004-2006 Evaluation Plan
• NDP/CSF Evaluation Steering Group – tasks and operation rules
• Scope and way of conducting common evaluations for operational programmes managing authorities – National Evaluation Unit recommendations