Evaluation is a requirement of the EU Regulations governing the Structural Funds, which are co-financing elements of the National Development Plan (NDP) through the Community Support Framework (CSF). Because the Irish Government is concerned to ensure the best possible return to the resources committed to the Plan, the evaluation arrangements apply to all expenditure under the Plan, regardless of funding source. Ireland has built its NDP evaluation arrangement around the evaluation framework set out in EU Council Regulation No. 1260/99.

• The N.D.P. / C.S.F. Evaluation Unit
• Evaluation Procedure
• When Is Evaluation Undertaken?
• Evaluation Reports

The NDP/CSF Evaluation Unit

The N.D.P./C.S.F. Evaluation Unit is the key body involved in evaluation of the National Development Plan (N.D.P.) and Community Support Framework (C.S.F.) for Ireland 2000 - 2006. The Unit is an independent unit under the aegis of the Department of Finance. The Unit undertakes or commissions evaluations of the N.D.P./C.S.F. Operational Programmes and also provides advice and assistance to the European Commission, Government Departments, regional assemblies and other bodies on programme monitoring and evaluation issues generally. The Unit is part funded by the European Union Structural Funds.

For further information please contact:
N.D.P./ C.S.F. Evaluation Unit,
Frederick Buildings,
South Frederick Street,
Dublin 2,
Ireland.
Tel: +353 1 6045333
Fax: +353 1 6045334
Email: evaluation@csfunits.gov.ie

Evaluation Procedure

The N.D.P. is evaluated using an approach developed under the Community Support Framework 1994-1999. This approach is made up of 5 key evaluation questions, as follows:

• Questions about the rationale or justification for programmes under the N.D.P.
• The question of programme effectiveness (i.e., are programmes meeting their financial and physical performance targets?).
• Questions of programme relevance (i.e., what are the implications for programmes of changes in the socio-economic environment?).
• Are the programmes efficient (could more be achieved for the resources invested?).
• What impact have the programmes had (i.e., what differences have they made in terms of socio-economic development?).

When is Evaluation Undertaken?

In line with the provisions of the EU Regulations, the NDP/CSF is subjected to ex-ante, ongoing (including mid-term) and ex-post evaluation.

• Ex-ante evaluation is carried out before programmes are agreed with the main focus being on the question of programme rationale. The ex-ante evaluation of the 2000-2006 NDP/CSF was a two-part process. Firstly, the ESRI was commissioned to prepare an independent analysis of investment needs for the Irish economy for the 2000 to 2006 period. The report, entitled National Investment Priorities for the Period 2000-2006, was published in March 1999 and informed the preparation of the Plan. At a later stage, a formal ex-ante evaluation, entitled Ex-Ante Evaluation of the National Development Plan 2000-2006, was carried out by the CSF Evaluation Unit (now NDP/CSF Evaluation Unit) in November 1999 and submitted to the European Commission with the NDP.
  

Download Ex-Ante Evaluation of the National Development Plan 2000-2006 Word doc (420KB)

• Ongoing (including mid-term) evaluation. Mid-term evaluation of each Operational Programme, as well as of the NDP/CSF, is a requirement under the EU regulations. The main objective of these evaluations, which fed into the mid-term review process, was to assess the need for changes to the programmes at the half way stage in the light of progress to date and changes in the socio-economic situation. These evaluations were commissioned from external consultants. To view these reports, visit our ‘Evaluation Reports’ 2000-2006 section.
• In addition to the mid-term reports, other evaluations are also carried out of particular areas or themes under the different operational programmes. These reports are commissioned or undertaken by the N.D.P./C.S.F. Evaluation Unit, under an agreed work programme. Evaluation reports prepared under the 2001 to 2003 work programme can be downloaded below. (Where studies were contracted out, the names of the external consultants appear in brackets. All other reports were prepared internally in the N.D.P./C.S.F. Evaluation Unit). To view these reports, visit our 'Evaluation Reports' 2000-2006 section.
• Ex-post evaluation is carried out after the completion of the programming period. The main focus is on the question of the impact of the programmes. Details of the results of the ex-post evaluation for the 1994-1999 N.D.P./C.S.F. are available on the European Commission website. Visit the European Commission website.
  

Evaluation Reports

Once an evaluation report is complete, the Managing Authority for the programme concerned submits the report for discussion to the operational programme monitoring committee. The Monitoring Committee is required to consider and take a position on all recommendations made in the evaluation (It does not, of course, have to accept the recommendations). The Managing Authority is required to report back to the committee on progress made in implementing agreed recommendations.

All publications, reports, conference and guidance papers can be downloaded from this website. To view documents, visit our 'N.D.P./C.S.F. Evaluation Unit Publications' section.