Appraisal of the intervention strategy, targets and milestones

 

 

  • Tool 3.1 – Examples of guiding questions for the appraisal of the intervention strategy, targets and milestones: provides suggestions of what questions evaluators may wish to explore while appraising the intervention strategy, targets and milestones of the CAP Strategic Plan. 

          Tool 3.1: Guiding Questions EN PDF icon (520.89 KB)

  • Tool 3.2 – Working steps for the appraisal of the intervention strategy of the CAP Strategic Plan: hypothetical examples serve to illustrate possible working steps of an ex ante evaluator in appraising the intervention strategy, targets and milestones of the CAP Strategic Plan. 

          Tool 3.2: Intervention Strategy EN PDF icon (593.27 KB)

  • Tool 3.3 – Appraisal of quantified target values and milestones: provides evaluators with a structured approach for assessing the quality of the calculation of target values and milestones taking into account various critical factors. 

           Tool 3.3: Targets EN PDF icon (650.94 KB)

  • Tool 3.4 – Working steps for supporting the appraisal of the rationale for the use of financial instruments: proposes examples of working steps showing how the ex-ante evaluator can assess the rationale for the use of financial instruments financed by the EAFRD in the CAP Strategic Plan. 

          Tool 3.4: Ex Ante Financial Instruments EN PDF icon (519.57 KB)

 

 

The ex ante appraisal of the intervention strategy of the CAP Strategic Plan focuses on the relevance and coherence of the intervention strategy. It explores if the interventions designed and grouped around specific objectives are capable of addressing the identified needs, are based on evidence from the SWOT analysis and are able to achieve the CAP objectives. The ex ante evaluation assesses if the interventions are consistent and work in synergy (internal coherence) and looks at their relationship with other relevant policy instruments (external coherence).

In the ex ante stage, effectiveness and efficiency can be examined with regard to whether the overall design and distribution of the funds, the conditionality and the targets set are likely to make a noticeable impact. For this purpose, the chain of effects between the budgetary inputs for the designed interventions and their expected outputs, results and impacts is assessed. The assessment of the expected effects helps to check if the target values and annual milestones of the result indicators have been calculated properly and realistically based on the amount of allocated inputs, planned outputs and results.

 

The scope and tasks of the ex ante evaluation are specified in the legal proposal for the CAP Strategic Plan, regulation (COM/2018/392 final), Article 125(3).

The assessment areas covered in the following sections include the appraisal of the:

  • contribution to the CAP specific objectives, taking into account lessons learned from the implementation of the CAP in previous programming periods (Article 125(3)(a));
  • internal coherence and relationship with other relevant instruments (Article 125(3)(b));
  • consistency of the allocation of budgetary resources with the specific objectives of the CAP Strategic Plan (Article 125(3)(c));
  • contribution of expected outputs to results (Article 125(3)(d));
  • realistic quantified target values for results (Article 125(3)(e));
  • suitability of the milestones selected for the performance framework (Article 125(3)(h));
  • rationale for the use of financial instruments financed by the EAFRD (Article 125(3)(j)).

 

  • Defining what must be covered by the appraisal of the intervention strategy, targets and milestones of the CAP Strategic Plan.
  • Understanding what constitutes a robust appraisal of the intervention strategy, targets and milestones.
  • Assessing the extent to which the CAP Strategic Plan demonstrates greater overall contribution to environmental and climate related objectives.
  • Checking the coherence, synergies and balance between interventions across all specific objectives.
  • Appraising causal relationship between inputs, outputs, results and target values.
  • Checking the role of enhanced conditionality in the intervention design and its financial allocation.
  • Checking if the target values and annual milestones have been realistically established and properly calculated taking into account various critical factors.
  • Appraising plausibility of the justification for using or not using financial instruments financed by the EAFRD to implement the CAP Strategic Plan.