ESF 2000 – 2006 EX POST EVALUATION I nternational E valuation & M ethodology C onference

1. ESF 2000 – 2006EX POST EVALUATION International Evaluation & Methodology Conference 6-7 May 2010Budapest Anna Galazka European Commission,DG Employment, Social Affairs & Equal Opportunities,Evaluation and Impact Assessment Unit

2. EX POST EVALUATION OF THE ESF (2000-2006) • Context • Mandate, Design • Key facts • Main findings • Impact on labour market institutions • Impact on social inclusion • Conclusions and further challenges

3. The Obligation • Article 43 of Council Regulation 1260/1999: the ex post evaluation shall cover: ■ the utilisation of resources ■ the effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of ESF interventions ■ the factors for success and failure of implementation • shall be the responsibility of the Commission, in collaboration with the MS and MA • shall be carried out by independent evaluators

4. Evaluation Design • Preliminary study • Quality of available information • Main evaluation • Thematic evaluations • ESF & Social Protection and Social Inclusion • ESF support to labour market systems and structures • Effects of EQUAL

5. Key facts • 2000-6 ESF expenditure: 120 bln € • ESF 62 bln € (52%) • MS 58 bln € (48%) • 3 objectives • Number of OPs: 238 • Number of measures: 2136 • 15 MS in 2000-2004 and 25 MS in 2004-2006

6. 5 policy fields of ESF interventions • developing and promoting active labour market policies to combat and prevent unemployment; • promoting equal opportunities for all in accessing the labour market, with particular emphasis on those exposed to social exclusion; • promoting and improving training, education, counselling and as part of lifelong learning policy to facilitate and improve access to the labour market; • promoting a skilled, trained and adaptable workforce; • specific measures to improve women's access to and participation in the labour market

7. Impact on labour market institutions ESF was an important instrument promoting/ enabling structural changes in labour market institutions • Mediterranean MS: fundamental reforms of existing systems • Eastern/new MS: development of systems which are not yet fully developed often combined with elements of modernisation • The other MS: experimentation and piecemeal improvement

8. Impact on labour market institutions ESF support to systems & structures was • relevant • addressing significant policy challenges • consistent with national policies • effective • increasing effectiveness of support to people • around 2/3 of working age population can benefit from improved PES and/or better training organisation • bringing different actors together

9. Impact on labour market institutions ESF support to systems & structures was • sustainable • new ways of functioning are often retained – but specific follow-up is required. More effective in objective 3 regions • important • the 7-year programming periods allow for a strategic approach to institutions

10. Further structural impacts • Strong institutional impact of ESF and in particular EQUAL (mainly indirect/spill-over/ mainstreaming effects) • ESF improved situation of women in the labour market

11. Main Findings Social Inclusion and Equal Opportunities • ESF recognised as financial instrument able to cope with the multidimensionality of social exclusion - notably through its ability to implement complex projects (even more so in the case of EQUAL) • mainly assistance to persons, but proper balance with assistance to systems and structures more effective • social inclusion mainly used to facilitate access to employment and to provide training to disadvantaged groups • but also contributing to wider OMC objective of fighting against poverty

12. Main Findings Social Inclusion and Equal Opportunities • No correlation could be found between ESF expenditure and the major macro-level indicators of social inequalities • At final recipient level • social inclusion brings disadvantaged persons closer to the labour market and empowers them • mainly: young unemployed people and long-term unemployed persons • less: disadvantaged women, socially disadvantaged persons and/or with low educational attainments and people with disabilities • not very effective for other categories

13. Conclusions from the processGeneral challenges • Diversity of the EU25 • Comparability of data • Context analysis crucial • Country groupings • Aggregation to EU level impossible • Strong reliance on case studies • High requirements towards the evaluation consortia

14. Conclusions from the processGeneral challenges • Problems with data collection • Overlapping themes • “Intangibility” of results • Large number of factors determining macro-level processes • Timing • Too late for outputs too early for impacts

15. Conclusions from the processAn approach for the future • Some improvements introduced for 2007-2013 • Further improvements needed • Put evaluation more upfront • Stronger cooperation with MS • Ensure more comparability • Make better use of MS evaluations • Stronger focus