The AIR submitted in 2019 requires not only an update of the evaluation findings that were previously reported in 2017, but more importantly, information regarding:
- the findings from the assessment of the RDP’s impacts, obtained through the calculation and interpretation of the net values of the CAP impact indicators;
- the RDP’s contributions towards the EU’s strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth, as well as towards the biodiversity strategy; and
- the answers to the CEQs for RDPs 2014-2020 in relation to the EU level objectives (i.e. CEQs 22–30).
In 2019, some new challenges may appear, most prominently, in the estimation and netting out of the various effects of the RDP. This is due to the fact that often times data availability is scarce and establishing the counterfactual is problematic. Furthermore, capturing and upscaling effects can be methodologically demanding.
Against this background the Evaluation Helpdesk’s EvaluationWORKS! 2018, yearly capacity building events were offered on two thematic topics:
- Assessing RDP Achievement and Impacts in 2019
- Evaluation of LEADER/CLLD
Events on the first thematic topic, provided a forum for the discussion of what needed to be reported on evaluation in the AIR 2019 and approaches and methods for assessing RDP impacts in 2019. The Helpdesk’s, Guidelines: Assessing RDP Achievements and Impacts in 2019, served as an important framework for these events.
Events on the second thematic topic focused on discussing LEADER/CLLD evaluation at both the RDP and local levels and used approaches developed in the, Guidelines: Evaluation of LEADER/CLLD, as a basis.
Participants of the capacity building events had the opportunity to have structured discussions with evaluation stakeholders in which they drew from their individual experiences to exchange on what has worked well and what potentially needs to be improved at the RDP level.
These events were carried out in the local languages across the Member States by the Helpdesk’s network of Geographic Experts and were adapted to meet the needs and specificities of each Member State.
Guidance on these thematic topics
