'Ex post' evaluation of cohesion policy programmes 2007–2013 financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and Cohesion Fund (CF)
Project description:
The project (evaluation study) aims at performing an ex-post assessment of the effectiveness and overall impact of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in supporting SME innovation and development throughout the European Union (EU) over the 2007-2013 programming period.
The evaluation study is part of a comprehensive programme of ex post evaluations of ERDF and Cohesion Fund (CF) in 2007-13 taking place in the context of the Commission’s efforts to fulfil commitments in terms of transparency and accountability and to foster evidence-based and result-oriented policy-making. It takes on a specific strategic importance for two reasons: the relevance of measures dedicated to SMEs in the overall ERDF budget, and the importance of SMEs for the European economy in general and European regions in particular.
General Objectives of the Project:
The general objective of the study is to collect important evidence and build up cases concerning the conditions under which SME business and innovation support deployed in the context of the ERDF is effective, as emerging from a sample of 50 Operational Programmes.
Involvement of CASE:
The project revolves around six tasks:
1) Establishing the main instruments funded;
2) Literature review;
3) Case studies in selected regions;
4) Theory-based impact evaluation;
5) Seminar;
6) Final report.
CASE’s experts will carry out the analysis of the Operational Programmes and related documents in Task 1; will carry out case studies in Task 3; will assist in carrying out the surveys for policy instruments in Task 4 in the following countries: Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria and Hungary.
Project Output:
The project outcomes (divided according to the tasks performed):
1) Detailed Workplan and methodology; 50 OP fiches and cross-comparison; preliminary selection of 8 case studies; preliminary selection of 7 policy instruments Inception Report, Sections of the 1st Intermediate Report. These outputs will be a basis for the creation of the Inception Report as well as for the Sections of the 1st Intermediate Report.
2) Classification of SMEs and related drivers of growth and innovation; taxonomy of policy instruments and underlying intervention logic. These outputs will be a basis for the creation of the Theoretical Framework included in the 1st Intermediate Report.
3) 8 case studies; a synthesis report. These outputs will be a basis for the creation of the Sections included in the 1st intermediate Report (pilot case and toolkit) as well as for the 2nd Intermediate Report.
4) 3 theory-based impact evaluations. These outputs will be a basis for the creation of the Third Intermediate Report.
5) Report on seminar findings. This output will be a basis for the creation of the Section on Third Intermediate Report.
6) Study findings and recommendations. This output will be a basis for the creation of the Draft Final and Final Report.
Sponsor: European Commission
Partners: CSIL: Centre for Industrial Studies, CSES: Center for Strategy and Evaluation Studies
