An evaluation plan sets out the relevant details of the planned evaluations for the period 2021-2027. It is an important tool to ensure the implementation of quality evaluations and to improve the performance of the programmes.

Hence, it is recommended to establish an evaluation plan before the programme starts to make sure that the evaluation questions, methods and the data align with the evaluation's goals. In addition, the Member State or the managing authority shall draw up an evaluation plan in accordance with Article 35 of the Interreg Regulation.

In this event, you will have the opportunity to discuss with Interreg colleagues what factors to consider for a good and practical evaluation plan based on commitment of the MC and actually guiding the evaluation work. Based on lessons learned in 2014-2020 experience on how to draft and implement an evaluation plan we will explore the main parts of an evaluation plan. In more detail, we will discuss how to:

• identify the evaluation(s) including contributions to territorial strategies, mainstreaming of climate change and other horizontal principles;
• define an evaluation strategy in consultation with relevant stakeholders;
• decide on the evaluations to carry out, the main questions to be asked, the approach and methods to be used, the timing of the evaluations and the budget to be set aside;
• identify the data to be used, the data available, data to be collected, the indicators to be defined; quality assuring/’cleaning’ indicator/secondary data.

As a background information, we encourage you to read the chapter (p.17-19) of the “Staff Working Document on performance, monitoring and evaluation of the European Regional Development Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the Just Transition Fund in 2021-2027, that the Commission has recently produced.

The target group of the meeting are evaluation managers from Joint Secretariats and Managing Authorities. Throughout the event David Alba from the Evaluation Unit (EC, DG REGIO will be present.

Please kindly note that the event will take place online-only and not in hybrid format which was the initial plan. (Update 21.12.2021)