1. EVALUATIONS in the EU External Aid

2. What is Evaluation?
Evaluation consists in judging the results of an action in order to check their conformity with set objectives. It has two core purposes:  Learning and Accountability.
The European Commission uses evaluations both at project/programme level as well as on a more strategic level (sector, country, horizontal).

3. Core purposes
Learning – to improve the effectiveness of EU interventions.
By learning from successes and failures, evaluation generates knowledge about what has worked under which conditions, enabling those who develop strategies, design projects and implement actions to improve its effectiveness.
Accountability – to programme stakeholders and taxpayers.
Evaluation contributes to providing accountability for the use of resources and the results delivered by comparing the performance of the action to its original objectives.

4. Evaluations
Projects and programmes: These evaluations are conducted at the intervention level. They provide an in-depth understanding of project/programme performance and lessons learned for the future.
Strategic evaluations assess the results of geographic, sector / thematic policies over a significant period of time. They contribute to accountability by assessing the quality of financial interventions as a whole and provide recommendations and lessons for policy formulation and programming. They are managed by the central Evaluation Unit.

5. Projects and programmes evaluations
Has a programme reached its stated objectives? Where there any unforeseen positive or negative effects? What could be learned from the experience and how can implementing parties do an even better job next time? How can an on-going actions be improved to maximize its results?
Evaluations on programme level are used to improve on-going operations and to learn from experience. Good practice but also negative experience can help to design and manage better actions in the future.

6. Types of evaluations
There are three types of evaluations: mid-term, final and ex-post.
Mid-term evaluations (performed mid-way during implementation of an Action) are focused on progress to date and -by explaining why progress is happening or is not happening as planned- provide recommendations on how to improve the Action in order to achieve the expected objectives, taking into account problems and opportunities.

7. Evaluators
Independent external experts are hired to conduct the evaluation.
Reference Group composed on interested stakeholders and, if applicable, donors active in related programme accompany the evaluation and ensure that the recommendations are taken up.

8. Evaluators
Evaluations are conducted by a team of independent professional evaluators which use classical 5 evaluation criteria in their work:
Relevance
Efficiency
Effectiveness
Impact
Sustainability
Additional criteria could be added

9. Reference Group
Evaluation contracts are managed by the PM with steering of the evaluation's narrative by the Evaluation Reference Group.
Reference Group functions include: definition of evaluation questions, discussions and validation of findings, conclusions, lessons and recommendations

10. Phases of the evaluations
Inception phase: initial data collection and definition of methods of analysis; background analysis; reconstruction of intervention logic, kick-off
Desk phase: in-depth documents analysis, methodological design of the Field phase
Field phase: meeting at country level, data collection and analysis
Synthesis phase: final analysis of findings, formulation of conclusions and recommendations
Evaluation phases could be merged, descriptions - adapted

11. Contracting of evaluators
FWC SIEA 2018: Framework Contract Services for the Implementation of External Aid 2018
FWC BENEF 2013: expired 31 March 2018

12. Six thematic lots
Sustainable management of Natural Resources and resilience
Infrastructure, sustainable growth and jobs
Human Rights, democracy and peace
Human development and safety net
Budget Support
Innovative financing for Development

13. Contract award procedures
Request for services to be sent to 4 eligible FWC contractors
Deadline for submission of offers is minimum 14 days
Evaluation of offers: 14 days
Assessment of offers is done on the basis of a best value for money, 80/20 weighting technical quality/price
Specific contract signature: 1 week
Reporting at the end of implementation