[Publication] The Role of Evaluation in Cohesion Policy

Over the years the European Commission (EC) has made considerable effort to deploy an ambitious evaluation framework for Cohesion Policy (CP), the most evaluated EU policy. Its building blocks are the definition of three types of evaluations (ex-ante and ongoing evaluation under the responsibility of Member States, and ex-post evaluations mostly realised by the EC) and institutional arrangements in the Member States structured around a Managing Authority (MA) and Monitoring Committee.

During the 2014-2020 programming period, all three types of evaluations have been mandatory to ensure their completion at different stages of the policy process, across Member States. Mandatory Evaluation Plans encourage MAs to adopt a long-term strategic approach to CP evaluations. Monitoring indicators are closely linked to the programme’s intervention logic and reinforce result orientation. Specific indicators are expected to give evidence on implementation progress necessary for MAs to introduce adjustments, and common indicators show CP achievements at the EU level. Substantial efforts have been made by the EC to support Member States and MAs by providing guidance documents and soft support (e.g. promoting impact evaluation approaches).

How this framework is actually implemented in practice at the EU and Member State levels shows a mixed picture. The CP evaluation framework facilitates an increasingly accurate analysis of CP achievements at the EU level, with improved indicators and steady progress in the realisation of ex-post evaluations by the EC. Some limitations remain concerning the possibility to aggregate indicators at EU level while mainstreaming evaluation findings in policy making needs further consolidation at EU level.

The Member State level presents more difficulties. Despite progress, and evidence that an evaluation-based learning process is taking root in some Member States, the quality of these evaluations remains mediocre and it is difficult for evaluation findings to feed into policy process at this level. The reasons for this include some requirements, which are too-strict (e.g. in terms of timing or coverage of evaluations), a lack of MA resource and capacity, and a weak ‘evaluation culture’ in some Member States. As a result, CP evaluations are sometimes seen as an exercise generating more ‘administrative burden’ than benefit and arrangements are often set formally to merely comply with requirements.

In this context, the Commission’s post-2020 proposals aim at simplifying rules by reducing mandatory provisions in the CPR and fund-specific regulations, and limiting written guidance. For example, ex-ante evaluations are no longer required, programme-specific indicators are not mandatory and the dedicated approval procedures for major projects is removed. Also, the legislative proposals do not refer to the obligation for MAs to ensure evaluation capacity and for the EC to provide guidance. Some new obligations are introduced, such as the need for MAs to use evaluation criteria as defined by the Better Regulations framework, and more frequent data reporting instead of compiling Annual Implementation Reports.

The rationale underlying the Commission’s proposal to simplify the evaluation framework is to grant more flexibility to Member States in order to improve their ‘ownership’ and commitment. However, as shown by past programming periods, the risk is that without a legal basis, some Member States and regions (especially those most behind) will not autonomously implement arrangements at the core of the evaluation practices that the EC has contributed to consolidate over the years. At best, a fragmented system of country-specific practices and approaches would emerge. This could undermine the considerable effort made so far in raising quality standards and harmonising practices and approaches.

It is therefore necessary to strike a balance between simple, effective regulatory provisions that show what needs to be done, and giving MAs the flexibility to organise and implement requirements in accordance with local specificities. This should form the basis for a sound partnership between the EC and Member States. The European Parliament has an important role. It should adopt a proactive approach to law-making as this is an important pre-requisite for effective evaluation. It should take stock of evaluation findings on Cohesion Policy, among other evidence, to raise the political dimension of the latter, and it should contribute to an evaluation culture in Member States and regions.