About the National Evaluation System - Objective 1
The National Evaluation System (NES) is described by the Community Support Framework for Objective 1 Regions as a set of activities to provide support and technical and methodological guidance in order to improve and enhance evaluation activities. The Objective 1 CSF and the CIPE implementing resolution assign the coordination and implementation of these activities to UVAL, which to this end must work together with other national structures for the appraisal of interventions in the
European Social Fund (ESF) (ISFOL – ESF national evaluation unit) and
the European Agriculture Guidance and Guarantee Fund (EAGGF) (INEA), as well as the Evaluation Unit Network pursuant to Law 144/1999. The NES is therefore structured as a collective entity in the implementation of its activities.
The NES is charged with proposing methodologies, offering guidance and monitoring evaluation activities involving the Structural Funds. In particular, the NES supports the operations of the evaluation sub-group of the "Evaluation and Monitoring" working group of the CSF Monitoring Committee.
UVAL and the National Evaluation System
UVAL is responsible for the coordination of the National Evaluation System. This includes organizational responsibilities as well as the provision methodological and guidance support in evaluation activities.
With the start of unitary planning of additional resources for 2007-2013, work on reorganising the NES to meet the new requirements also began. As part of its support to government entities and evaluation units for the ex-ante evaluation of 2007-2013 planning, on 6 June 2006 the NES coordinated a meeting on ex ante evaluation processes (pdf, 36 Kb) - in italian .
Guidelines for the preparation and updating of evaluations of 2000-2006 Obj. 1 Operational Programmes
The Guidelines are a modular resource, essentially involving the preparation and dissemination of documents containing methodological guidance and operational suggestions for mid-term evaluations of 2000-2006 Obj.1 Operational Programmes. Within the NES, the documents prepared by the working groups, whose membership varied in relation to the issues to be assessed, were presented and discussed in the evaluation subgroup of the CSF Monitoring Committee. The preparation of guidelines by the NES concerns the mid-term evaluation phase (concluded in December 2003), the updating of the mid-term evaluation (2003-2005) and the dissemination and use of the findings of the mid-term evaluation.
The programme indicator system
In order to help government entities responsible for Operational Programmes in identifying indicators for each programme, methodological documents have been prepared that contain proposed result and impact indicators and possible data sources and explanatory notes. These are thematic documents and refer to each Operational Programme priority (Guidelines on OP result and impact indicators) and a number of specific National Operational Programmes (Guidelines on result and impact indicators of Fishing NOP, Guidelines on result and impact indicators of Technical Assistance and System Actions NOP).
The second-level evaluation of 2000-2006 Obj. 1 Operational Programmes
The CSF and CIPE implementing resolutions assigned the National Evaluation System responsibility for the active monitoring and appraisal of mid-term evaluation processes and products for 2000-2006 Obj. 1 Operational Programmes.
The results of this activity second-level evaluation are published in the Periodic Reports to the CSF Monitoring Committee on the progress of the mid-term evaluation . This activity involves the observation of evaluation processes and the analysis of mid-term and final documents with the aim of producing feedback on evaluation activities under way and suggestions for their improvement to the benefit of the different parties involved. This second-level evaluation is carried out in accordance with the document
Quality criteria for the evaluation of 2000-2006 Obj. 1 Operational Programmes and the second-level evaluation (pdf, 558 Kb).
Seminars and discussion meetings on evaluation methodologies and experiences
The National Evaluation System periodically organises meetings and discussions with the various parties involved in the evaluation of Operational Programmes co-financed with European Structural Funds: government entities responsible for Operational Programmes (Managing Authorities), evaluation units, independent evaluators, central government entities. All the programmes and presentations are available in italian.
Copies of presentations made on the occasion of these seminars and presently not available on the website can be requested from UVAL at valutazione.uval@tesoro.it
About the evaluators of Programmes co-financed with European Structural Funds
The task of conducting the mid-term evaluation of programmes co-financed with European Structural Funds for Objective 1 and Objective 2 Regions has been assigned to non-government evaluators. The following is a list of the contractors.
Independent Evaluators of 2000-2006 Obj. 1 Operational Programmes
Mid-term evaluation 2001-2003
Mid-term evaluation update 2003-2005 (pdf, 6 Kb)
Independent Evaluators of 2000-2006 Obj. 2 Single Planning Document
(pdf, 62 Kb)
Independent Evaluators of 1994-1999 Obj. 1 Operational Programmes
Evaluations of Programmes co-financed with European Structural Funds available on the Internet
The evaluation reports prepared by the independent evaluators of Operational Programmes (see About the evaluators of Programmes co-financed with European Structural Funds ) are working documents for the government entities and social partners involved in programme planning and implementation. They are, however, also an opportunity to inform the public about programme contents, implementation approaches and evaluators’ assessments and opinions. The Structural Funds Regulation (Reg. (EC) 1260/99 Art. 40) establishes that evaluation results must be available to the public upon request. The following is an updated list of websites from which it is possible to download evaluation results.
The National Evaluation System
