In the international context, the assessment framework for the development of public policies is steadily gaining increased importance.
Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 June 2021 lays down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund and the ESIF. It sets out the regulatory framework governing the monitoring, evaluation and reporting of ESIF, specifically the requirements for evaluation by Member States, as set out in Articles 18 and 44.
In accordance with Article 18, the Member State shall review each programme considering several elements, including the socioeconomic situation of the Member State or region concerned, considering any major goals achieved. The Member State shall submit an assessment for each programme on the outcome of the mid-term review, including a proposal for the definitive allocation of the flexibility amount, to the Commission by 31 March 2025.
In addition, Article 44 requires the Member State, or the managing authority shall carry out evaluations of the programmes related to one or more of the following criteria: effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence, and Union added value, with the aim to improve the quality of the design and implementation of programmes. Evaluations may also cover other relevant criteria, such as inclusiveness, non-discrimination, and visibility, and may cover more than one programme.
Furthermore, according to paragraph 5, the Member State or the managing authority shall draw up an evaluation plan which may cover more than one programme. The evaluation plan will detail the compulsory evaluations mentioned above, as well as any other evaluation that the Managing Authority may wish to include. They should consider the specificities of the programmes, or the recommendations of the European Commission. The Member State or the managing authority shall submit the evaluation plan to the monitoring committee no later than one year after the decision approving the programme.
Article 8 of the same Regulation also states that the Member State shall involve partners in the preparation of the Partnership Agreement and throughout the preparation, implementation, and evaluation of programmes, including through participation in monitoring committee.
In line with these regulatory requirements, the Subdirectorate General for Planning and Evaluation will prepare an Evaluation Plan before the end of 2023. The partnership process for this Plan was started in the first quarter of the year, with consultations with the relevant partners.