Current projects, Projects

Evaluation Helpdesk 2023-2027

The Evaluation Helpdesk has the central objective of increasing the quality of evaluations carried out on Cohesion policy across the EU by strengthening evaluation capacity in Managing Authorities as well as in DG REGIO and DG EMPL. This goal is in line with Art. 35(2)(h) of Cohesion policy regulations to consolidate the strategic value of evaluations in the policy cycle. To this end the activities of the Helpdesk are to:

  • collect and review all evaluations of programmes funded by the ERDF, Cohesion Fund, JTF and ESF+, carried out by the EU Member States, whether they relate to the current 2021-2027 programming period, to the previous 2014-2020 one or to periods before that;
  • collect and review evaluations of Cohesion policy published in the academic literature;
  • provide structured information and reports based on the reviews of evaluations to support the Commission’s own reports on evaluation findings and also make available selected information via dedicated tools, which are published on Commission websites.
  • provide on-site support to Member States on specific issues relating to evaluation of measures or programmes financed by the ERDF, Cohesion Fund, JTF and ESF+, through advice, continued support during the evaluation process, guidance and training on specific issues or other activities agreed with the Commission;
  • provide methodological support on evaluation activities carried out by the Commission including reviews of specific texts, advice and training on particular issues;
  • organise each year a training course for participants from MAs and others involved in the evaluation of ERDF and Cohesion Fund programmes on a topic agreed with the Commission.
Current projects, Projects

Ninth Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion

The aim of the contract is to assist the European Commission with the preparation, production and translation of the Ninth Cohesion Report which reviews regional developments in the EU over the past few years.

The main tasks include advising on the content and the socio-economic analysis, drafting, editing, designing the page lay-out as well as coordinating the translation into all EU-languages and providing support with the preparation of data stories.

Current projects, Projects

Ex post Evaluation of Cohesion Policy Programmes 2014-2020 financed by the ERDF and CF: WP1

The ex post evaluation is aimed at assessing the achievements and effects of all programmes co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund (CF) in the 2014-2020 period, including territorial cooperation programmes.

Work Package 1 will synthesise the findings of the various WPs and integrate them with those of the analysis carried out under WP1 itself. The aim is to present these findings in a coherent way so that the overall results of the ex post evaluation and the implications for policy which can be drawn from them can be clearly seen.

Projects

EU-JAPAN joint study on demographic change and territorial policies

DG REGIO and the Japanese City Bureau of Ministry of Labour, Infrastructure and Transport launched a joint study to analyse – including through case studies – common demographic challenges, and to provide forecasts of population for regions and cities. The study identifies policies and tools that can help regions and cities respond to these challenges, in particular those related to demographic ageing. Applica is involved in the analysis related to the EU.

Projects

Eighth Report on Economic, Social and Territorial Cohesion

The aim of the contract is to assist the European Commission with the preparation, production and translation of the Eighth Cohesion Report which reviews regional developments in the EU over the past few years. The main tasks include advising on the content and the socio-economic analysis, drafting, editing, designing the page lay-out as well as coordinating the translation into all EU-languages.


View Eighth Cohesion Report

 

Current projects, Projects

Evaluation Helpdesk 2019-2023

The aim of the contract is to provide the European Commission (DG Regional Policy and DG Employment) with an “Evaluation Helpdesk” that identifies and reviews the evaluations completed in Member States over the 2014-2020 period, the ex-post evaluations of the 2007-2013 programmes and the ex-ante evaluations relating to the 2021-2027 period; and provides support to Managing Authorities in designing and managing evaluations of Operational Programmes co-financed by the ERDF, Cohesion Fund and ESF (including the YEI – Youth Employment Initiative). In addition, the Helpdesk provides structured information on the outcome of the reviews of evaluations to support the European Commission’s syntheses of evaluation findings.

Projects

Public consultation on Cohesion Policy

The purpose of the project is to analyse the replies received in the public consultation on Cohesion Policy, in line with the procedures described in the Better Regulation Guidelines. The results will be used for preparation of post-2020 cohesion policy programmes and their impact assessment.

Projects

Ex post evaluation of Cohesion Policy programmes 2007-2013, Work Package One

The objective of the contract is to synthesise the work packages of the ex post evaluation of the ERDF and CF in the 2007-2013 programming period, to support Commission services in the organisation, coordination and quality assurance of all the work packages of the ex post evaluation and to produce concise reports on the developments and achievements in each of the 28 Member States which were in receipt of financial support over the period.
View report

Projects

International Jury – competition for the best evaluations of EU Cohesion Policy

The objective of the contract was to assist DG Regional and Urban Policy and DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion in identifying the best submissions to the competition for best evaluations of EU Cohesion Policy. The submitted evaluations had to assess the effectiveness of operations co-financed by Structural or Cohesion Funds and use at least one of the following three methods: Ex-post cost benefit analysis (CBA), Theory-based evaluations (TBE), Counterfactual evaluation (CIE). The winning evaluations were presented at the 7thevaluation conference on “Effectiveness of EU Cohesion Policy” on 16-17 June 2016 in Sofia (Bulgaria).

Projects

Economic Challenges of Lagging Regions

The aim of this project is to deepen understanding of the factors limiting investment, growth and convergence in the lagging regions of the EU, and which policy measures could be taken to overcome these limitations and fully exploit the lagging regions’ development potential.This study will assess the degree to which these regions are held back by the fiscal and macroeconomic conditions under which they operate, as well as the primary requirements of these regions in terms of the need for structural reforms.

Projects

Review of evaluations of Cohesion policy 2007-13 and of structured approach to the review of the 2014-20 evaluation plans

The central aim of the contract is to develop an approach which will support a future ‘Evaluation Helpdesk on Cohesion policy’, i.e. to compile a list of the evaluations undertaken by the Managing Authorities and other research produced within the Member States in 2013 and 2014; to review a sample of evaluations, and to develop a structured approach to the quality review of the 2014-2020 evaluation plans.

DG Regional and Urban Policy, 2015 (with Ismeri Europa).

Projects

DG Regio – Evaluation Helpdesk

The aim of the contract is to provide an “Evaluation Helpdesk” to the Commission that reviews the 2014-2020 evaluation plans, identifies evaluations undertaken by Managing Authorities in 2015-2019, reviews a sample of evaluations, and provides support to Member States in refining their evaluation plans and designing and managing evaluations. In addition, the Helpdesk provides structured information on the outcome of the reviews of evaluations to support the European Commission’s syntheses of evaluation findings.

Projects

Sixth Report on Economic and Social Cohesion

The aim of the contract is to assist with the preparation, production and translation of the Sixth Cohesion Report which will review regional developments in the EU over the past few years. The main tasks include advising on the content and the socio-economic analysis, drafting, editing, designing the page lay-out as well as coordinating the translation into all EU-languages.
View report

Projects

Expert Evaluation Network delivering Policy Analysis on the Performance of Cohesion Policy 2007-2013

The general purpose of the contract is to coordinate an expert evaluation network. The network has the objective to deliver policy analysis and evidence on the performance of Cohesion Policy, based on the monitoring and evaluation work underway in the Member States and the analysis of these results in the context of statistical and policy research available.

DG Regional Policy, 2010 and 2011-2013 (with Ismeri Europa, IT).

Projects

Fifth Report on Economic and Social Cohesion

The aim of the contract is to assist with the preparation, production and translation of the Fifth Cohesion Report which will review regional developments in the EU over the past few years. The main tasks include advising on the content and the socio-economic analysis, drafting, editing, designing the page lay-out as well as coordinating the translation into all EU-languages.
View report

Projects

Analysis of the Main Factors of Regional Growth: An in-depth study of the best and worst performing European regions

The primary aim of the study is to deepen understanding of economic development in the EU regions through identifying the regions that have performed well and those that have performed poorly over recent years, to analyse the factors underlying these differences in performance by econometric means as well as through case studies of selected regions and to draw our the policy implications.

Projects

Fifth Report on Economic and Social Cohesion

The aim of the contract is to assist with the preparation, production and translation of the Fifth Cohesion Report which will review regional developments in the EU over the past few years. The main tasks include advising on the content and the socio-economic analysis, drafting, editing, designing the page lay-out as well as coordinating the translation into all EU-languages.
View report

Projects

Ex post evaluation of cohesion policy programmes 2000-2006 co-financed by the European Fund for Regional Development (Objective 1 and 2); Work Package 1: coordination, analysis and synthesis

The overall aim of the project is to coordinate the various studies being undertaken to assess the effects of cohesion policy over the period 2000-2006, to produce summary analyses of regional developments in all the Member States and to provide support to DG Regional Policy in carrying out the evaluation.

 

Projects

Needs of Objective 1 regions in the accession countries and in existing EU15 Member States in areas eligible for Structural Funds

Assessment of development needs of (present and future) Objective 1 regions in the various areas (or sectors) which were eligible for Structural Fund support with the aim of identifying a list of priority actions. The study was concerned with identifying the nature and scale of the regional problems both in the accession countries and in the existing EU15 Member States.