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This report assesses the contribution of the RDP to Focus Area 4A to the conservation and development of biological diversity. 

This document addresses challenges in preparing and conducting the assessment of RDP impacts in the ex post evaluation with consideration for multiple intervening, confounding or external factors related to a changing socio-economic, environmental or health context (as recently experienced) which may influence the intended programme effects.

Discover articles on:

• Evaluation Activities in 2019
• Towards the New Delivery Model: From the Croatian National Agriculture and Rural Development Strategy to the country’s CAP Strategic Plan
• Using evaluations as a way for strategic learning: Interview with the Lithuanian NRN
• The Eleventh Good Practice Workshop: Appraising the intervention strategies under the CAP: experiences and outlook

The funding measure ‘Creating transparency - from the shop counter to the producer’ (EAFRD code 16.9) is intended to support both the cooperation and networking of different actors in rural areas and the development of a knowledge base. In this report, the first implementation period, in which from November 2016 to June 2018 a total of 43 regional educational institutions (two of them in Bremen) were funded, is examined in more detail. The focus is on the recognised regional educational institutions and their (network) activities as well as the farmers who open their business as a ‘learning place farm’.

The study focuses on how habitats have changed under Higher Level Stewardship Scheme (HLS) and whether changes are influenced by agreement or agreement holder characteristics. A total of 173 HLS agreements were resurveyed in 2015 and 2016 which were widely distributed across England and followed a baseline survey in 2009-2011. Additionally, 137 agreement holders were interviewed face-to-face using a semi-structured questionnaire.

This report summarises the major outcomes of the Good Practice Workshop, 'Appraising Intervention Strategies Under the CAP: Experiences and Outlook', which was hosted by the European Evaluation Helpdesk for Rural Development and the Italian National Rural Network. 

The eleventh Good Practice Workshop 'Appraising Intervention Strategies Under the CAP: Experiences and Outlook' took place in Rome on 15-16 October 2019.The overarching aim of this Good Practice Workshop is to raise awareness for evidence-based policy making by showing practical examples of how to approach and use the ex ante evaluation. This workshop focuses on the appraisal of the intervention strategy and target setting 

This report summarises the major outcomes of the Good Practice Workshop, “Targeted data management for evidence based evaluation of RDPs 2014-2020”, which took place on 5 - 6 December 2016 in Bordeaux, France. This Good Practice Workshop provided a forum for the discussion and exchange of practices used in different RDPs in 2014-2020. The workshop was hosted by the Region Nouvelle Aquitaine and was well attended by more than 60 participants.

This Good Practice Workshop provided a forum for Managing Authorities, Paying Agencies, LAG-representatives, data providers and evaluators, to:

• discuss the approaches for data management in RDPs 2014-2020;
• exchange on the availability and quality of the data to be used for the AIR to be submitted in 2017 and beyond;
• reflect about potential data gaps and bottlenecks in data management in order to find solutions to overcome them.

Case studies from France, Finland, Italy, Austria and Denmark were presented during this workshop and are summarised in this report.

This report first gives an overview of the problems in agriculture and the relevance of agricultural investment support in Lower Saxony and Bremen. In order to obtain up-to-date information on the funded projects and their effects with regard to the main funding goals, a written survey of the grant recipients (beneficiaries) for the funding years 2014 to 2016 was carried out in 2018. Together with the approval data and the investment concepts, before and after comparisons could be carried out. The results obtained allow some conclusions and recommendations.

This report looks to:

• assess the impact of Environmental Stewardship (ES) on landscape character and quality in selected areas to be agreed with Natural England at the inception of the contract;

• allow potential comparative research into landscape change over time on holdings where agri-environment agreements cease;

• further develop the survey work undertaken during 2014 to provide a comprehensive baseline to underpin the future monitoring of the landscape outcomes of both ES and CS schemes. This will involve utilising field monitoring techniques developed by ‘BD5303 (Annex 2) and further refined during 2014 in a rapid field survey approach; to propose any further refinements to the rapid assessment methodology where these are identified including provision of recommendations for improvements to future field work undertaken in terms of logistics, potential for co-ordination with other survey teams, recording and reporting mechanisms;

• analyse the field survey results and compare findings with those of the 2014 survey, BD5303 and the NCA threshold results of the LM0429 project (LM0429)

In order to explore the Member States’s approaches on HNV farming in the new programming period the European Evaluation Heldpesk for Rural Development has (1) carried out an HNV survey in May-July 2016 and (2) organised an HNV Good Practice Workshop in June 2016, which provided a platform for representatives of DG Agri, Member States and HNV practitioners to discuss examples of good practices in identifying, monitoring and assessing HNV farming. This Working Document highlights the outcomes of this survey and the conclusions from the Good Practice Workshop organised in Bonn, Germany.