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31/01/2013 – 2012 Focus Groups deal with Monitoring and Evaluation of RDPs on the way to the next programming period

01/12/2012 – Rural Evaluation News - Issue n°10 – December 2012

01/08/2012 - Rural Evaluation News - Issue n°9 - August 2012

07/05/2012 – 2011 Focus Groups talk about MTE recommendations on monitoring and evaluation

03/05/2012 – Rural Evaluation News - Issue n°8 – May 2012

19/04/2012 – Methodological assessment of mid-term evaluation reports published

14-15/03/2012 – Programming, monitoring and evaluation framework for RDPs post-2013 takes shape

02/03/2012 – New “Thematic Working Group on ex ante evaluation” kicks off

01/03/2012 – Finding practical solutions for the ex ante terms of reference

20/02/2012 – Good practices to assess High Nature Value farmland

07/02/2012 - Stakeholders share approaches about the evaluation of National Rural Network Programmes

19/01/2012 – Delegates examine the future intervention logic for monitoring and evaluation at the 9th Evaluation Expert Committee

08/01/2012 - eCourse to learn about the Evaluation of Rural Development Programmes

25/10/2011 - Rural Evaluation News - Issue n°7 - October 2011

20-21/09/2011 - “Monitoring and Evaluation for CAP post-2013” stakeholder conference

NEWS ARCHIVES : 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009

31/01/2013 – 2012 Focus Groups deal with Monitoring and Evaluation on the way to the next programming period

In the last quarter of 2012, 464 persons participated in the Helpdesk’s annual Focus Group meetings in 25 Member States. This year’s focus concerned Monitoring and Evaluation of Rural Development Programmes (RPDs) on the way from the current to the next programming period. The participants had to reflect on the following questions:

• What are the main changes?
• How well are rural development stakeholders prepared for them?
• What are the consequences for ongoing, ex post and ex ante evaluation?

Synthesis report on Focus Group results – the Evaluation Expert Network – January 2013 [PDF ]

01/12/2012 – Rural Evaluation News - Issue n°10 – December 2012

In this issue, you can read about:

• EVALUATORS’ PERSPECTIVE
  5 key steps to move towards more evidence-based evaluation and targeted data management
• CAPACITY-BUILDING
  Read how “Evaluation in action” workshops in Wales helped improving the use of monitoring and evaluation in RDP.
• MONITORING AND EVALUATION OF RURAL DEVELOPMENT POLICY 2014-2020
  Discover the 10 key developments for the next programming period compared to the current one.
• OPINIONS
  Celebrate with us the 10th issue of our newsletter and read the interviews on the added value of the Evaluation Expert Network!

Newsletter Issue N° 10 – the Evaluation Expert Network – December 2012 [PDF ]

01/08/2012 – Rural Evaluation News - Issue n°9 – August 2012

In this issue, you can read about:

• Draft guidelines for the ex ante evaluation of Rural Development Programmes 2014 – 2020.
• The “customer satisfaction”method in Italy that actively involved stakeholders in the evaluation of the National Rural Network Programme.
• Ongoing evaluation system in the Flanders region (BE).
• News in brief about the outcomes of the fourth good practice workshop “From ongoing evaluation towards the evaluation plan” (Vienna 14 May), a meeting of National Rural Networks (Ähtäri, Finland 7-9 May) that reflected on networking as a rural development policy tool, including the evaluation of networks and 11th meeting of the Evaluation Expert Committee (Brussels, 12 June).

Newsletter Issue N° 9 – the Evaluation Expert Network – August 2012 [PDF ]

07/05/2012 – 2011 Focus Groups talk about MTE recommendations on monitoring and evaluation

In late 2011, the Helpdesk organised Focus Groups in Member States involving 370 stakeholders with an interest in the evaluation of Rural Development Programmes. The aim of these gatherings was to explore how the many recommendations related to monitoring and evaluation delivered by the mid-term evaluations of Rural Development Programmes in 2010 are being addressed.

During the discussions, more than one hundred recommendations related to M&E have been extracted from the MTE reports. Two tendencies have emerged among the Member States: one group is primarily concerned with result and impact challenges (i.e. developing an adequate evaluation approach; assessment of results and impacts), whereas another is still focusing primarily on organisational challenges (i.e. organisational settings, steering of the process, management of the monitoring system).

	Synthesis report on Focus Group results – the Evaluation Expert Network – March 2012 [PDF ]
	“Focus Groups talk about how to put evaluation recommendations to good use” by Andreas Resch, Angelos Sanopoulos. Article published in Rural Evaluation newsletter, no 8, May 2012, p.5 [PDF ]

03/05/2012 – Rural Evaluation News - Issue n°8 – May 2012

In this issue, you can read about:

• The concept of rural environmental public goods and some of the challenges of evaluating their contribution to EU Rural Development.
• The findings of the Focus Groups that took place late 2011 and involved 370 stakeholders across the EU.
• 2012 work programme of the Evaluation Expert Network.
• Findings about the implementation of the ongoing evaluation systems in the Member States as reported in the Annual Progress Reports for 2010.
• News in brief about the 8th, 9th and 10th meetings of the Evaluation Expert Committee, an e-learning course, the methodological assessment of mid-term evaluation reports and a new page on EUROPA about monitoring and evaluation for the CAP post-2013.

Newsletter Issue N° 8 – the Evaluation Expert Network – May 2012 [PDF ]

19/04/2012 – Methodological assessment of mid-term evaluation reports published

The mid-term evaluation reports of the Rural Development Programmes 2007-2013 could be categorised into four types i.e. “Researchers”, “reviewers”, “advisers” and “all-rounders”, according to how they conform with the CMEF, their degree of technical complexity and policy orientation. This is one of the findings in the “Methodological Assessment of Mid-Term Evaluation Reports of 2007-2013 Rural Development Programmes”, published by the Evaluation Helpdesk.

The report is mainly based on information processed and conveyed by the Desk Officers at the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development of the European Commission who carried out an assessment of the 92 MTE reports and delivered feedback to the Managing Authorities during 2011. The study is divided into four parts: 1) Thematic findings 2) Typologies 3) Findings about the MTEs of 4 National Rural Network Programmes 4) Good practice quality standards.

It should support the Managing Authorities in the further development of their evaluation approaches and instruments for ongoing and ex post evaluation of the current implementation period and provide pointers for the European Commission on how to improve the monitoring and evaluation framework for the 2014-2020 period.

Methodological Assessment of Mid-Term Evaluation Reports of 2007-2013 Rural Development Programmes – the Evaluation Expert Network – March 2012 [PDF ]

14-15/03/2012 – Programming, monitoring and evaluation framework for RDPs post-2013 takes shape

To further progress the preparations for the next generation of Rural Development Programmes, a joint workshop “Strategic Programming and Monitoring and Evaluation for RDPs 2014-2020” with members of the Coordination Committee for Rural Development and Evaluation Expert Committee took place in Brussels on 14-15 March 2012. This was a follow-up activity of the stakeholder conference on “Monitoring and Evaluation of the CAP post-2013” which took place September 2011.

The first day dealt with programming at the level of the Partnership Contracts, consultation and coordination mechanisms and the place of community led local development. The discussions during the second day were aimed to deepen the understanding of the envisaged intervention logic and the corresponding draft indicator framework.

The discussions between the Member States and stakeholders will continue during future meetings of the Coordination Committee for Rural Development (14 June), the Leader subcommittee (31 May) and the Evaluation Expert Network (12 June). A stakeholder seminar on successful programming is planned to take place in December 2012.

A newsletter and record of the conference will be published shortly on the workshop website.

	Website of “Website of “Strategic Programming and Monitoring and Evaluation for RDPs 2014-2020 - Coordination Committee and Evaluation Expert Committee workshops”, Brussels, 14-15 March 2012”, Brussels, 14-15 March 2012
	Newsletter of the conference presenting the outcomes

02/03/2012 – New “Thematic Working Group on ex ante evaluation” kicks off

During recent meetings of the Evaluation Expert Committee (October 2011, January 2012), the Member States have explicitly called for adequate guidance to prepare the ex ante evaluation of the next generation of Rural Development Programmes 2014-2020. In response, the Commission asked the Evaluation Helpdesk to set up a “Thematic Work Group on ex ante” with the mission to produce draft guidelines for the evaluations by June 2012, (with finalisation after the approval of the legal texts by the European Parliament and the Council). The Thematic Working Group held its kick-off meeting on 2 March in the premises of the Helpdesk in Brussels. The meeting was preceded the day before by a Good Practice workshop on the drafting of the terms of reference for the ex ante evaluations, the results of which will feed into the process (see “Finding practical solutions for the ex ante terms of reference”).

	Proposal for a Regulation (EU) COM 2011) 627 final/2 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD), (see Article 84) [PDF ]
	Proposal for Regulation (EU) No COM (2011) 615 final laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund… (see Article 48) [PDF ]
	Multiannual Financial Framework 2014-2020

01/03/2012 – Finding practical solutions for the ex ante terms of reference

To share experiences about the new requirements of the ex ante evaluation and to discuss good practice in drafting terms of references for the upcoming tendering process in the Member States, a workshop was organised by the Evaluation Helpdesk on 1 March 2012. The event was attended by over thirty experts, representatives of the Managing Authorities and research organisations from 21 EU countries, EC officials and the Helpdesk. It included presentations about the legal proposals and requirements for the ex ante evaluation and Strategic Environmental Assessment and the challenges from different points of view (Managing Authority, ex ante evaluator, SEA expert). A check-list for the drafting of the ex ante ToR was presented.

	Newsletter of the Good Practice Workshop “Drafting Terms of Reference for ex ante evaluations” - Brussels, 1 March 2012 – [PDF]
	Good Practice Workshop on drafting terms of reference for ex ante evaluations

20/02/2012 – Good practices to assess High Nature Value farmland and forestry

To learn about approaches that have been used for the HNV indicators, identify good practices from the Member States and draw lessons for the future of the indicator, a workshop took place on 20 February 2012 in Edinburgh. It was organised by the Evaluation Helpdesk, in partnership with the Scottish Government, Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services.

A presentation on the policy context and current approaches to monitoring HNV Farmland across the EU delivered by an EC official was followed by case studies on evaluation approaches by practitioners from Scotland, Austria and Estonia. The participants explored questions such as: What are the main problems in identifying/delivering HNV farmland? What actions can we identify to improve the quality of HNV Farmland and Forestry? How effectively can HNV-change be attributed to RDP measures?

	Newsletter of the Good Practice Workshop “High Nature Value” - EdinburghBrussels, 20 February 2012 – [PDF]
	Good Practice Workshop on High Nature Value farmland and forestry

07/02/2012 - Stakeholders share approaches about the evaluation of National Rural Network Programmes

In the wake of the Mid-Term Evaluation of the National Rural Network Programmes - NRNPs - (Germany, Italy, Spain and Portugal) a workshop on 7 February was an occasion to reflect on the evaluation approaches, strengths and weaknesses of the methodologies used so far and draw key lessons for ongoing and ex post evaluation. This event took a critical look at the intervention logics of the NRNPs, identified the added value of the networks and teased out possible impacts and the methods that could be used for the assessment of the NRNPs. The event was attended by delegates from the Managing Authorities of three of the four NRNPs, evaluators, Commission desk officers, Contact Point and the Evaluation Helpdesk.

	Newsletter of the Good Practice Workshop “Evaluation of National Rural Network Programmes” - Brussels, 7 February 2012 [PDF]
	Good Practice Workshop on Evaluation of National Rural Network Programmes
	Working Paper on the Evaluation of National Rural Network Programmes – the Evaluation Expert Network – July 2010 [PDF]

19/01/2012 - Delegates examine the future intervention logic for monitoring and evaluation at the 9th Evaluation Expert Committee

At the last meeting of the Evaluation Expert Committee (19 January 2012), the members were updated about the state of play of discussions on the post-2013 legal proposals. To move forward the discussions on evaluation and monitoring, a workshop on “Strategic Programming and Monitoring and Evaluation for RDPs 2014-2020” (jointly organised by the Coordination Committee of the European Network for Rural Development and the Evaluation Expert Committee) will take place on 14 and 15 March.

A draft intervention logic for the Rural Development post-2013, worked out by the EC Internal CMEF review group, was also presented. The relationships between the needs (SWOT), objectives (EU 2020, Community Strategic Framework and Common Agricultural Policy), 6 rural development priorities and measures (23 and Leader approach) were explained and also the related indicators.

The Evaluation Helpdesk presented their 2012 work programme, which includes a series of good practice workshops on key thematic topics, a new Thematic Working Group on the ex ante guidance, and visits to Member States and Focus Groups. And finally, the delegates were informed about the findings of the last Focus Groups, involving 370 evaluation stakeholders in the Member States.

08/01/2012 - eCourse to learn about the Evaluation of Rural Development Programmes

To spread knowledge about evaluation and improve the skills of actors directly involved in rural development processes, the Italian National Rural Network has launched E-VALPROG, a free e-learning course on “Evaluation of Rural Development Programmes”. The course consists of ten modules including general principles, methods, evaluation and monitoring of rural development policy etc. Each module includes an entry test, one or more tutorial lessons, and bibliographic references.

The course may be used in university and other training courses and is intended for different target publics (officials, socio economic partners, teachers, farmers etc). The course is currently only available in Italian, however an English version is planned and would be updated in view of the new rules for evaluation proposed post-2013.

For further information, contact Martina Bolli: INEA Researcher– RRN Task force Monitoring and Evaluation: bolli@inea.it or Vincenzo Fucilli: Researcher and professor at the Faculty of Agriculture of Bari University: v.fucilli@agr.uniba.it

Course is accessible via the websites of: Italian National Rural Network Agriregionieuropa

25/10/2011

Rural Evaluation News - Issue n°7 - October 2011

20-21/09/2011

“Monitoring and Evaluation for CAP post-2013” stakeholder conference

On 20 and 21 September 2011, more than 200 representatives of ministries of agriculture, paying agencies, statistical offices, evaluators, NGOs and academics from all 27 Member States met together with representatives of the European Commission and other EU institutions in Brussels for the first “Monitoring and Evaluation for CAP post-2013” stakeholder conference, organised by the Directorate General for Agriculture and Rural Development.

The conference took place as part of an ongoing process of preparing the monitoring and evaluation system for post-2013. For information about themes raised by the participants, read the Conference newsletter, full record (to be published shortly) and the Rural Evaluation Newsletter N°7 [PDF ].

A preparation and debriefing meeting took place at the premises of the Evaluation Helpdesk with the conference organizers, Commission officials and Helpdesk staff to prepare for the event, draw conclusions afterwards and harvest results.