These activities provide the Commission with hard evidence about how actions (projects/programmes) are implemented, to improve their design, efficiency and accountability.
Monitoring
Monitoring uses systematic collection of data on specified indicators to provide the management and the main stakeholders of an on-going intervention with indications of the extent of progress and achievement of objectives and progress in the use of allocated funds (OECD).
It can be internal (performed by Commission staff or implementing partners, such as agency’s staff, government’s personnel, other donors, non-state actors (private sector companies, NGOs, etc.)) or external (Results Oriented Monitoring).
Internal monitoring includes:
- analysing action's reporting documents & data
- attending action's steeringcommittee meetings & reviews of budget support operations
- meetings/contacts with the action's team, beneficiaries, authorities, other stakeholders
- on the spot checks
External monitoring (ROM)
This provides an independent view and focuses on problematic actions pinpointed by operational managers in their annual risk assessment exercise. It consists of a quick review, based on standard criteria, designed to give a brief snapshot of the quality of a project/programme and recommendations for EUDs/HQ services on how to improve it.
Evaluation
Systematic and objective assessment of on-going or completed interventions (actions/policies), their design, implementation and resultsaccording to the following criteria: relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability, impact, coherence and EU added-value.
It assesses how well a specific measure has worked (or is working) and whether it is still justified or should be changed.
Evaluation plan
Evaluations are planned on a multi-annual basis. DG NEAR updates this plan every year.
Strategic evaluations
These are launched by DG NEAR's Thematic Support, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit. They assess EU support, over a significant time period, looking at specific sectors/themes, country support, aid modalities, financial instruments. They help understand why, in a specific context, the policy dialogue and financial assistance have been successful or not, and provide recommendations to decision-makers for the future programming and implementation.
To ensure objectivity, DG NEAR's Thematic Support, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit usually contracts independent experts and supervises their work (with the help of a steering committee), to ensure that they apply a robust methodology in a transparent way and deliver high quality products.
Actions (project/programmes) evaluations
These are launched by the Delegation or the HQ operational unit in charge of the action and provide an in-depth understanding of the action's performance and lessons learned for the future.
Strategic evaluations – 2006 - 2024
Evaluation of the European Union’s External Financing Instruments (2014-2020 and 2021-2027)
This instrument evaluation is the mid-term evaluation of the EFIs forming the basis for the EU external cooperation under the MFF covering 2021-2027 and at the same time it encompasses the final evaluation of the EFIs under 2014-2020 MFF.
- Evaluation of the EU cooperation with Ukraine
- Evaluation of the EU cooperation with Albania
- Evaluation of DG NEAR Blending Instruments
- Evaluation of the EU cooperation with Palestine
- Evaluation of the TAIEX instrument
- Evaluation of EU cooperation with North Macedonia
- Evaluation of the EU's cooperation with Georgia - Publications Office of the EU (europa.eu)
- Evaluation of EU support to climate change and environment
- Evaluation of EU cooperation with the UN
- Evaluation of the European Union’s cooperation with Republic of Moldova (2014-2020)
- Evaluation roadmap
- Evaluation Report
- Annex Volume I
- Annex Volume II - Evaluation des opérations d'appui budgétaire au Maroc de 2013 à 2019
- Evaluation roadmap
- Final Report - Evaluation de la coopération de l’Union européenne avec la Tunisie (2011 – 2019)
- Evaluation roadmap - Evaluation of the European Union’s cooperation with Montenegro (2012 – 2019)
- Evaluation roadmap
- Final report: English and Montenegrin
- Factsheets: Evaluation Conclusions and Recommendations, Lessons learnt applied to the Policy cycle, EU Rule of Law projects – innovative approaches for capacity development and Innovation policy
- Case studies: EUROL I and EUROL II, EU POLICY DIALOGUE IN SUPPORT OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REFORM, EU SUPPORT FOR INNOVATION STRATEGIES AND POLICY and EU SUPPORT FOR AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING
- Annexes - Evaluation of the EU's external action support in the area of gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment
- Evaluation roadmap
- Executive summary
- Factsheet: Lessons learnt and Best practices
- Final report: EN | FR | ES | AR
- Annexes
- Follow up Action Plan - Mid-term evaluation of cross border cooperation programmes between IPA II beneficiaries
- Evaluation roadmap
- Final report
- Information sheet
- Annexes
- Evaluation of the EU's external action support in the area of migration
- Evaluation roadmap
- Executive summary - EN
- Factsheet: Lessons learnt & best practices
- Final report - Evaluation of EU support to local authorities in enlargement and neighbourhood regions (2010-2018)
- Evaluation roadmap
- Executive summary - EN
- Résumé - FR
- Final report
- Case studies
- Evaluation Matrix
- Annexes - Strategic, country-level evaluation of the EU's cooperation with Serbia over the period 2012-2018
- Evaluation roadmap
- Final Report - English
- Final Report - Serbian
- Annexes to the Final Report
- Follow up action plan - Evaluation of the European Union's engagement with Civil Society in the Neighbourhood and Enlargement regions (2007-2018) – Thematic Level Evaluation
- Evaluation roadmap
- Executive summary
- Final report
- Follow up action plan - Evaluation of the European Union's co-operation with Armenia - Country Level Evaluation
- Evaluation roadmap
- Consultation Strategy
- Final report: English | Armenian | Annexes 1-8 | Annex 9 - Thematic Evaluation of EU support for Rule of Law in neighbourhood countries and candidates and potential candidates of enlargement (2010-2017)
- Evaluation roadmap
- Consultation Strategy
- Executive summary
- Final report
- Follow up action plan - Evaluation of the Twinning instrument in the period 2010-2017
- Evaluation roadmap
- Executive Summary
- Volume I
- Volume II - Annexes
- Follow up action plan - Evaluation of performance of EU Info Centres in the enlargement and neighbourhood regions (2012-2017)
- Evaluation roadmap
- Executive summary
- Final evaluation report
- Ex post evaluation of 2007-2013 ENPI CBC programmes
- Executive summary EN | FR
- Final report Volume I: Main report | Volume II: Annexes 1-3 | Volume III: Annexes 4-16 - Ex-post evaluation of EU assistance to Croatia in the period 2007-2013
- Evaluation roadmap
- Final Report Vol I
- Final Report Vol II - Annexes
- Follow up action plan - Evaluation of Sector approach under IPA II assistance
- Evaluation roadmap
- Final report
- Follow up action plan - External Evaluation of the European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI) (2014 – mid 2017)
- Evaluation roadmap
- Executive summary
- Final report
- Follow up action plan - External Evaluation of the Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance (IPA II) (2014 – mid 2017)
- Evaluation roadmap
- Executive summary
- Final report
- Follow up action plan - Evaluation of the European Union's co-operation with Azerbaijan
- Evaluation roadmap
- Final report
- Follow up action plan - Evaluation of EU support to social protection in external action (2007-2013)
- Evaluation roadmap
- Executive summary
- Final report - Evaluation of EU support for Security Sector Reform in enlargement and neighbourhood countries (2010-2016)
- Evaluation roadmap
- Executive summary
- Final report
- Follow up action plan
- Evaluation of IPA - Information and Communication Programmes
- IPA II Monitoring, Reporting and Performance Framework
- Evaluation of IPA Cross-border Cooperation Programmes 2007-2013
- Thematic evaluation on support to Economic Governance in enlargement and neighbourhood countries
- Thematic evaluation on support to Public Administration Reform in enlargement and neighbourhood countries
- Evaluation on support to SME Competitiveness in Enlargement and Neighbourhood Countries
- Evaluation of the European Union’s Cooperation with the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan - Country Level Evaluation
- Thematic Evaluation on IPA Support to Roma Communities
- Third interim evaluation of IPA assistance
- Evaluation of PHARE financial assistance to Bulgaria (BG), Cyprus (CY), Czech Republic (CZ), Estonia (EE), Hungary (HU), Latvia (LV), Lithuania (LT), Malta (MT), Poland (PL), Romania (RO), Slovakia (SK), Slovenia (SI)
- Thematic evaluation on IPA support to the fight against corruption
- Evaluation of TAIEX Instrument
- Evaluation of EU assistance to Turkey in the Field of Health and Safety at Work
- Evaluation of Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF)
- Evaluation of information and communication activities towards the EU Member States in the area of EU Enlargement
- Evaluation des opérations d’appui budgétaire au Maroc
- Evaluation of the European Union’s Cooperation with the occupied Palestinian territory and support to the Palestinian people
- Thematic Evaluation of EU's Support to Refugees in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Montenegro and Serbia
- Ex post evaluation of the assistance provided by the EU’s Turkish Pre-Accession instrument, 2002-2006
- Evaluation of the EU-Turkey Customs Union
- Mapping of Sector Strategies
- Meta-evaluation co-operation instruments – works and supplies
- Evaluation of the Eastern Partnership Youth in Action Window
- The political economy of donor intervention in Western Balkans and Turkey: mapping and potential for stronger synergies
- Thematic Evaluation of Rule of Law, Judicial Reform and Fight against Corruption and Organised Crime in the Western Balkans
- IPA - interim evaluation and meta evaluation of IPA assistance
- IPA - interim evaluation and meta evaluation of IPA assistance - Evaluation of Multi Beneficiary Programmes
- IPA - interim evaluation and meta evaluation of IPA assistance –Country report Serbia
- IPA - interim evaluation and meta evaluation of IPA assistance –Country report Montenegro
- IPA - interim evaluation and meta evaluation of IPA assistance –Country report Kosovo*
- IPA - interim evaluation and meta evaluation of IPA assistance –Country report Bosnia and Herzegovina
- IPA - interim evaluation and meta evaluation of IPA assistance –Country report Albania
- Ex-post evaluations of CARDS programmes in the Western Balkans
- Thematic evaluation of EU's support to civil society in the Western Balkans and Turkey
- Strategic/Interim evaluation of support for improvement in governance and management (SIGMA) programme
- Evaluation of governance, rule of law, judiciary reform and fight against corruption and organised crime in the Western Balkans'
- Thematic evaluation on judiciary and fundamental rights in Turkey
- Evaluation to support the preparation of pre-accession financial instruments beyond 2013
- Mid-term Meta Evaluation of IPA Assistance
- Interim Evaluation of Cross-Border Programmes between Candidate/Potential Candidate Countries (Intra-Western Balkan Borders) under the Cross-Border Cooperation Component of IPA
- Review of Twinning in Turkey
- Strategic/ interim evaluation of EU IPA Pre-Accession Assistance in Montenegro
- Strategic/Interim Evaluation of EU IPA Pre-Accession Assistance to Albania
- Strategic / Interim Evaluation of EU IPA Pre-Accession Assistance to Kosovo*
- Strategic / Interim Evaluation of EU IPA Pre-Accession Assistance to Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Strategic/ interim evaluation of EU IPA Pre-Accession to Serbia
- Ad Hoc Interim Evaluation of the European Union Pre Accession Assistance: Review of Phare Assistance to Preparation for Structural Funds in Croatia
- Evaluation of the CARDS Programmes – Country: Montenegro – Sectors: Public Administration Re-form, Justice and Civil Society Development
- Retrospective Evaluation of the CARDS Programmes - Country: Kosovo* -Sectors: Justice, Energy, Economic development and Rural development
- Retrospective evaluation of CARDS programmes in the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia
- Retrospective evaluation of CARDS programmes in Serbia
- Thematic Interim Evaluation of the European Union Pre-Accession Assistance - Review of Twinning in Croatia
- Ad-hoc evaluation of the CARDS regional programmes in the Western Balkans
- Ad Hoc Evaluation of the CARDS Programme - Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina -Sectors : Democratic Stabilisation, Good Governance, Economic and Social Development
- Ad Hoc Evaluation of the CARDS Programmes – Country: Albania – Sectors: Justice and Home Affairs, Administrative Capacity, Building Economic and Social Development, Environment and Natural Resources, Civil Society Development
- Ex-post evaluation of Phare support allocated between 1999-2001, with a brief review of post-2001 allocations
- Phare Ex post Evaluation - Phase 2, National Programmes: Bulgaria
- Phare Ex Post Evaluation - Phase 1, Multi- Beneficiary Programmes: Sigma
- Phare Ex Post Evaluation - Phase 1, Multi-Beneficiary Programmes: TAIEX
- Phare Ex post Evaluation - Phase 1, Multi-Beneficiary Programmes: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprise Finance Facility
- Phare Ex Post Evaluation - Phase 3, Thematic Evaluation: Environment
- Phare Ex Post Evaluation - Phase 3, Thematic Evaluations – Cross-Border Cooperation
- Phare Ex Post Evaluation - Phase 2, National and CBC Programmes: The Czech Republic
- Phare Ex Post Evaluation - Phase 2, National and CBC Programmes: Lithuania
- Support to the Justice and Home Affairs Acquis
- Support to the Agriculture Sector
- Phare Support to Economic and Social Cohesion in Bulgaria and Romania
- Support to Public Administrative and Judicial Capacity in Bulgaria and Romania
- Phare Ex Post Evaluation - Phase 1, Multi-Beneficiary Programmes: Statistics
- Phare Ex post Evaluation - Phase 2, National Programmes: Romania
- Phare Ex-Post Evaluation - Phase 2, National Programmes: Slovenia
- Phare Ex-Post Evaluation - Phase 2, National Programmes: Slovak Republic