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These non-binding Guidelines aim to examine the challenges in relation to the evaluation activities for the AIR in 2019 by:

• Presenting practical approaches to estimate the RDP’s net contributions to the common CAP impact indicators and assess the progress in achieving the EU level objectives; 
• Providing support for answering the common evaluation questions (CEQs) 22-30 and for reporting on evaluation findings to the European Commission in the AIRs submitted in 2019.

The Guidelines are structured in four parts (presented in three documents):

• PART I (primarily for Managing Authorities): informs about the legal requirements and outlines how to report in 2019 on the CEQs 22-30. Part I contains references to other existing guidance. 
• PART II (primarily for evaluators): offers methodological support for assessing the common impact indicators of Pilar II (sectoral, environmental and socio-economic impacts). This part explains each intervention logic, the use of additional evaluation elements, explains the data requirements, the units of assessment and guides the reader through choosing the most appropriate evaluation approaches for netting out the RDP’s contributions to the values of the CAP impact indicators. Furthermore, Part II also suggests approaches to assess RDP contributions towards achieving the EU 2020 strategy and innovation. 
• PART III: contains the fiches for answering the CEQs 22–30.
• PART IV: contains the technical annex including more detailed information on the approaches to assess the CAP impact indicators and the glossary of terms.

The main objective of the Guidelines is to provide a non-binding complement to other guidelines and offer advice to RDP evaluation stakeholders on how to carry out the evaluation activities for answering the common evaluation questions related to innovation. Since the RDP’s effects on innovation in rural areas can be expected to take place, most likely, in the long-term, the guidelines focus in particular on those evaluation related activities, which will be reported in the AIR in 2019 and in the ex post evaluation. The Guidelines are structured in three parts:

• Chapter 1: explains the innovation system in rural areas and the concept of the evaluation of innovation in rural development. The concept introduces the EU and RDP policy framework and how they interrelate with each other, as well as the overview of the common evaluation elements.
• Chapter 2: informs Managing Authorities about specificities linked to managing the evaluation of innovation and reporting requirements. Chapter 2.2 explains the approaches to answering the innovation related evaluation questions and provides specific guidance for each of the common evaluation questions: numbers 1, 2, 21, 23 and 30 concerning those aspects which relate to innovation.
• Chapter 3 (Annexes): includes the glossary and the steps for identifying the RDP innovation potential.

The Guidelines: Evaluation of LEADER/CLLD is a non-binding document, which serves to complement the legal requirements relating to LEADER/CLLD evaluations. The document clarifies the common elements related to LEADER/CLLD evaluations and gives a wider set of recommendations on how to formulate and manage LEADER/CLLD evaluations, both at the RDP and LAG levels. The Guidelines are drafted to be a practical, hands-on guide for LEADER/CLLD evaluation stakeholders. They include step-by-step recommendations on the process and available methodologies for the evaluation of LEADER/CLLD. The Guidelines are divided into four parts:

• Part 1: introduces LEADER/CLLD as part of the rural development policy and shows its links with other CLLD instruments financed by the ESI Funds.
• Part 2: explains the evaluation cycle at the RDP level and describes how to assess the contributions of LEADER/CLLD towards fulfilling the EU, national and RDP objectives. 
• Part 3: provides recommendations for LAGs on how to conduct evaluation activities at the local level, and what support the MA, NRN and other stakeholders may provide to LAGs for this purpose.
• Part 4: glossary. 

The Guidelines: Assessment of RDP Results: How to Prepare for Reporting on Evaluation in 2017, is a non-binding document, which serves to complement the legal requirements relating to the AIR submitted in 2017. The document leads stakeholders through the phases of planning, preparing, conducting and reporting on evaluation for the AIRs to be submitted in 2017.

Updated fiches for Complementary Result Indicators No 13, 14, 15, 18 and 19

The Guidelines: Evaluation of National Rural Networks 2014-2020 is a non-binding document, which serves to complement the legal requirements relating to NRN evaluations. The document clarifies the common elements related to NRN evaluations and gives a wider set of recommendations on how to formulate and manage NRN evaluations, both as a stand-alone exercise and as a part of RDP evaluations. 

The evaluation plan (EP) is a new element within the rural development monitoring and evaluation system for the programming period 2014-2020, and is a formal requirement for Rural Development Programmes (RDP). In previous years programme authorities have used various planning tools to structure, manage and steer the evaluation of their Rural Development Programmes, to strategically build-up evaluation capacity, and to ensure that necessary prerequisites are in place for the assessment of the results and impacts of rural development interventions. The evaluation plan of 2014-2020 provides an opportunity to build up on existing experiences in planning of evaluation and sets the corner-stones for the Rural Development Programme’s evaluation system.

These guidelines focus on the mandatory elements which should be addressed in all the ex ante evaluations. However they should not be seen as exhaustive. There may well be additional issues linked to an individual programme or territory, which a Managing Authority may wish to include in order to gain the most from the ex ante exercise. Where this is the case, Managing Authorities are encouraged to expand the scope of the ex ante to meet their specific needs.