Ex-ante evaluation takes place at the beginning of the cycle before a programme has been adopted.
This form of evaluation helps to ensure that the programme is as relevant and coherent as possible. Its conclusions are intended to be integrated into the programme when decisions are taken.
Ex ante evaluation focuses primarily on an analysis of the strengths, weaknesses and potential of the Member State, region or sector concerned. It provides the relevant authorities with a prior judgement on whether development issues have been diagnosed correctly, whether the strategy and objectives proposed are relevant, whether there is incoherence in relation to Community policies and guidelines, whether the expected impacts are realistic, and so on. It also provides the required foundations for monitoring and for future evaluations, by ensuring that there are explicit and, where possible, quantified objectives. It helps to specify selection criteria for the selection of projects and to ensure that Community priorities are respected. Finally, it helps to ensure the transparency of decisions by allowing for a clear explanation of choices made and their expected effects.
Ex ante evaluations are performed at the time when public authorities are involved in discussions and negotiations on the future programme. They are therefore subjected to strong constraints: pressure of deadlines, vague formalisation of the proposed programme to be evaluated, amendments to this proposal while the work is underway, demands for confidentiality, etc. The evaluation team must therefore be able to intervene flexibly and rapidly and be able to apply techniques for analysing needs and simulating socio-economic effects.