Learning Portal: Ex post evaluation of the RDPs 2014-2022

The ex post evaluation is a summative evaluation conducted after the completion of policy interventions to demonstrate the achievements of policy objectives, impacts and results to stakeholders and the general public, and to increase transparency and learn how to do policy better in the future. It is conducted at a point where it is possible to assess impacts and the added value of the programme funding, both at EU and programme level.

The ex post evaluation is a policy learning tool, which enables the use of evaluation results to improve the design, quality and implementation of the policy in the future. Utilising evaluation in policy design, by drawing relevant conclusions and lessons, is an important aspect of evidence-based policymaking.

Even though the ex post evaluation is conducted at the end of a programming period, when the new policy is already designed and partly implemented, it has an important role in bridging the old and new programming periods. Relevant information and recommendations can be used to improve the implementation of the new programme, especially for measures which continue across programming periods.
 

Article 78 of Regulation (EU) 1305/2013 obliges Member States to carry out an ex post evaluation for each of their RDPs.
Article 79 of the same regulation requires the Commission to undertake a synthesis at Union level of the ex post evaluation reports.

The transitional Regulation (EU) 2020/2220 requires Member States to submit an ex post evaluation report for each RDP by the end of 2026. 

The syntheses of the evaluation reports shall be completed by 31 December of the year, at the latest, following the submission of the relevant evaluations.

The legal basis on the scope of evaluation, including the ex post, is covered in the following:

The following figure shows the intervention logic for Pillar II including the General Objectives, priorities and focus areas.

The CMES for Pillar II ensures that a common evaluation approach is applied across the RDPs and by all Member States, that progress and achievements of the rural development policy are demonstrated and assessed, taking into account the policy´s impact, effectiveness, efficiency and relevance (see Implementing Regulation (EU) 834/2014).

There are 30 ‘Common Evaluation Questions’ (CEQ) defined in Annex V of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 808/2014 and – as in the enhanced AIR submitted in 2019 – all 30 CEQs should be answered by the Member States.

The Commission places particular emphasis on the quantification of the common indicators, including the Complementary Result Indicators (CRI).
Additional programme-specific evaluation questions/evaluation criteria may arise from the involvement of the EU Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) and possibly from new measures included in the programme, or also with regard to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
 

This technical template has been developed as a basis for preparing structured reporting of the Member States’ evaluation findings in relation to the ex post evaluation of RDPs 2014-2022. It is used by DG AGRI as a basis to prepare the electronic SFC 2014 reporting format for the ex post evaluation.
All CEQs.