Strengths and weaknesses of European Union policy evaluation methods: Ex-post evaluation of objective 2, 1994-99

Maurice Baslé

Regional Studies, 2006, vol. 40, issue 2, 225-235

Abstract: Basle M. (2006) Strengths and weaknesses of European Union policy evaluation methods: ex-post evaluation of Objective 2, 1994-99, Regional Studies 40, 225-235. The paper considers ex-post evaluation of Objective 2 at the regional level, focusing on the experience of France over 1994-99. These evaluations were ambitious, and when looking at the reports it identifies both strengths and weaknesses. The paper considers issues that are problematic in the case of the Structural Funds - such as adjustment lags, causality, measurement and 'cross-checking' of results using national data - which are explored both through a case study of an ex-post evaluation for the Brittany region, and through examination of the mid-term evaluations for France in 2003. While the paper does find some improvements in the quality of evaluation in the recent mid-term reports, it also identifies continuing problems. These include a weakness in the 'logical diagram of impact', tracing the chain of causality from actions to impacts, so that the paper argues for a more-detailed model of intervention. Objective 2 Ex-post evaluation Regional development France Basle M. (2006) Strengths and weaknesses of European Union policy evaluation methods: ex-post evaluation of Objective 2, 1994-99, Regional Studies 40, 225-235. The paper considers ex-post evaluation of Objective 2 at the regional level, focusing on the experience of France over 1994-99. These evaluations were ambitious, and when looking at the reports it identifies both strengths and weaknesses. The paper considers issues that are problematic in the case of the Structural Funds - such as adjustment lags, causality, measurement and 'cross-checking' of results using national data - which are explored both through a case study of an ex-post evaluation for the Brittany region, and through examination of the mid-term evaluations for France in 2003. While the paper does find some improvements in the quality of evaluation in the recent mid-term reports, it also identifies continuing problems. These include a weakness in the 'logical diagram of impact', tracing the chain of causality from actions to impacts, so that the paper argues for a more-detailed model of intervention. Objectif 2 Evaluation ex-post Amenagement du territoire France Basle M. (2006) Strengths and weaknesses of European Union policy evaluation methods: ex-post evaluation of Objective 2, 1994-99, Regional Studies 40, 225-235. The paper considers ex-post evaluation of Objective 2 at the regional level, focusing on the experience of France over 1994-99. These evaluations were ambitious, and when looking at the reports it identifies both strengths and weaknesses. The paper considers issues that are problematic in the case of the Structural Funds - such as adjustment lags, causality, measurement and 'cross-checking' of results using national data - which are explored both through a case study of an ex-post evaluation for the Brittany region, and through examination of the mid-term evaluations for France in 2003. While the paper does find some improvements in the quality of evaluation in the recent mid-term reports, it also identifies continuing problems. These include a weakness in the 'logical diagram of impact', tracing the chain of causality from actions to impacts, so that the paper argues for a more-detailed model of intervention. Ziel 2 Ex-post-Evaluierung Regionalpolitik Frankreich Basle M. (2006) Ventajas e inconvenientes de los metodos de evaluacion de la politica de la UE: evaluacion ex-post del Objetivo 2, 1994-99, Regional Studies 40, 225-235. En este articulo analizo la evaluacion ex-post del Objetivo 2 a nivel regional, centrandome en la experiencia francesa durante el periodo 1994-99. Estas evaluaciones fueron ambiciosa y observando los informes, se identifican sus fortalezas y debilidades. En este documento se estudian los problemas que afectan a los Fondos Estructurales - tales comoretrasos en los ajustes, causalidad, medicion y comprobacion de resultados usando datos nacionales - y que se analizan poniendocomo ejemplo un caso practico de una evaluacion expost para la region de Bretana y examinando las evaluaciones intermedias para Francia en 2003. Aunque se observan algunas mejoras de la calidad de evaluacion en los ultimos informes intermedios, tambien seidentifican problemas que ocurren de un modo continuo. Este seria el caso de las flaquezas en el 'diagrama logico de impacto'. Analizando la cadena de causalidad desde las actuaciones a los impactos, se arguye que es necesario un modelo de intervencion mas detallado. Objetivo 2 Evaluacion ex-post Desarrollo regional Francia

Date: 2006
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DOI: 10.1080/00343400600600595

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