Staff Working document - 2016 Synthesis of Evaluation Results and Plans under the ESIF Programmes 2014-2020

In the 2014-2020 programming period a stronger emphasis is placed on the need to evaluate the effectiveness of the policies co-financed through the programmes of the European Structural & Investment Funds (hereafter ESI Funds). The regulatory framework of the ESI Funds and in particular Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 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 and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (hereinafter referred to as 'CPR', i.e. 'Common Provisions Regulation') has reinforced the focus on results already at the level of programme design. The programmes now require the definition of specific objectives, which articulate the change sought by the policy, result indicators to monitor and measure this change and output indicators characterizing the concrete actions implemented.

Evaluation is understood as the tool to disentangle the effects attributable to the policy from those of other factors that also influence the development of result indicators and achievement of specific objectives. As part of the reinforced result orientation Managing Authorities are required for the first time to conduct evaluations of the results or contribution of the programmes to the objectives (impact evaluations) in order to better understand the contribution of the programmes to the specific change targeted. In the Annual Implementation Reports, the Managing Authorities synthesise and present the findings of all evaluations of the of the results or contribution of the programmes to the objectives (impact evaluations) in order to better understand the contribution of the programmes to the specific change targeted.

In the Annual Implementation Reports, the Managing Authorities synthesise and present the findings of all evaluations of the programme that have become available during the previous financial year (Article 50 CPR).