Transcript NDP Evaluation Process - Dublin City University

NDP Evaluation Process
Presentation by David Hegarty,
NDP/CSF Evaluation Unit
Irish Evaluation Network
21 March 2003
Presentation Structure
About the NDP
About the NDP/CSF Evaluation Unit
NDP Evaluation Approach
The Evaluation Cycle
What difference has it made?
Some Features of NDP/CSF
 How big?
• NDP : €50 billion in public (EU and exchequer)
investment 2000 to 2006
• 7% of 2002 GNP, 20% of total gross public
expenditure
• CSF: €5.4 billion of which EU €3.2bn.
 6 Operational Programmes
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Economic and Social Infrastructure (€23 billion)
Employment and Human Resources (€14.2 billion)
Productive Sector (€5.8 billion)
S&E region (€4.1 billion)
BMW region (€3 billion)
Peace (€.14 billion)
NDP Objectives
 4 High Level Objectives
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Sustainable economic and employment growth
Consolidation/improvement of competitiveness
Balanced regional development
Social inclusion
 Also 4 horizontal objectives
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Equality of opportunity
Environmental protection
Rural development
Poverty
 Diversity of NDP and different objectives pose
significant evaluation challenges
The NDP/CSF Evaluation Unit
 Independent Unit under Dept. of Finance,
established in 1996
 Work programme set by committee
 What do we do?
– Assist departments with performance indicators
– Responsible for interim evaluation of NDP (see
later)
– Advisory role in relation to wider evaluation issues
– Advisory/standard-setting role re. CBA
 5 evaluator (contract) staff, 2 administrative
 Budget of €4.6 million over 2000 to 2006
Evaluation Approach
 Approach developed over previous CSF
– Based on analysis of significant volume of
evaluation work carried out
 Main problem
– No common understanding of purpose or focus of
evaluation
– What are we trying to find out?
 Led to adoption of 5 key evaluation questions
framework
 Agreed approach for 2000 to 2006
5
Evaluation
Questions
 Rationale
– Is there a market failure?
 Continued relevance
– What are the implications of external developments?
 Effectiveness
– Are we meeting our objectives?
 Efficiency
– Are benefits commensurate with costs?
– Could it be delivered more economically?
 Impact
– What difference, if any, has it made?
 Overall question: are we getting value for
Evaluation Cycle
Cycle built around EU requirements
– Ex-ante evaluation
– Interim evaluation
– Mid-term evaluation
– Ex-post evaluation
Ex-Ante Evaluation
 2 stages in NDP process
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Needs analysis (ESRI); preceded NDP
Formal evaluation of NDP (Evaluation Unit)
 Key issues are rationale and relevance
 Crucial stage in evaluation process
Interim evaluation
 Evaluation between ex-ante and mid-term
 Responsibility of Evaluation Unit
 7 evaluations carried out over 2001/2003
 Key evaluation issues: effectiveness,
relevance, efficiency
 Thematic, cross programme character
 Strong focus on management and
implementation issues
 Important input to mid-term evaluation
Mid-Term Evaluation
 Evaluation of each OP and NDP
– Externally commissioned
– For completion by Autumn 2003
 Focus – should changes be made on basis of
– Performance to date (effectiveness)
– Changes in socio-economic situation (continued
relevance)
 Evaluations input to mid-term review decisions
– Govt. and Commission decide on EU money
• Allocation of EU performance reserve (€130 million)
– Non co-financed in estimates/budgetary context
Evaluation Impact
 Evaluation an important element in EU
Structural Funds implementation system
– EU impetus has led to improvement in capacity
and expertise
– Ireland seen as good evaluation performer by
Commission
 Current NDP marks major extension of
process
 Impact probably still limited in terms of
influencing allocations of resources
 Changing public finances position may
provide a window of opportunity
More Information
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At www.eustructuralfunds.ie for:
Review of 1994 to 1999 evaluation process
Ex-ante evaluation, 2000 to 2006
CSF performance indicator guidelines
Cost-benefit analysis working rules
Interim NDP/CSF evaluations, 2000 to 2006
At www.esri.ie for Investment Priorities
report, 2000 to 2006
 At www.ndp.ie for more information on NDP