Performance, monitoring and evaluation of the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the Just Transition Fund in 2021-2027- Staff Working Document SWD(2021)198
The document is intended primarily for national and regional programme authorities. It illustrates how the new rule book provides for a systematic approach to performance and sets out the context in which the common output and result indicators in the fund regulations will be used. The descriptions of the common output and result indicators are annexed to the working document in order to guide the programmes in the use, collection and reporting of reliable performance monitoring data. The indicator targets will be made public on the Cohesion Open Data platform in 2022, after the adoption of the first wave of programmes.
Performance, monitoring and evaluation
ERDF/CF/JTF Common Indicators
Cohesion policy categorisation system
November 2020: Ad Hoc seminar on GHG methodologies 2021-2027 with EIB
January 2020: Ad Hoc seminar Transport result indicators 2021-2027 with JASPERS
The European Commission has suggested a more results – oriented approach for EU cohesion funding in its legislative proposals for 2014 - 2020.
In any programme, the crucial questions are "what do you want to change?" and "how would you know if you have changed it?" These evaluation questions are not just bureaucratic requirements, but the essence of good programming. Impact evaluation mobilises scientific and statistical tools to follow up on these questions.
Impact evaluation in DG Regional Policy falls into two broad categories:
The two approaches are complementary and the most useful impact evaluations draw on a mix of methods: counterfactual methods to quantitatively estimate an impact, theory-based methods to understand the underlying mechanisms and the context of an intervention thus helping to modify or generalize it to other contexts.
Conterfactual approachFor further information, support or training opportunities, please contact regio-eval@ec.europa.eu
Evalsed – the Guide and the Sourcebook on Methods and Techniques were updated in September 2013. The new versions take account of the Commission's latest Guidance documents for the 2014-2020 funding period and in particular the Working Paper on Concepts and Recommendations. The Sourcebook has major new sections on Impact Evaluation – Counterfactual and Theory Based – and out of date material has been deleted.
