In 2019, while the Member States are submitting their second enhanced Annual Implementation Reports (AIRs) they will at the same time begin preparing their new CAP Strategic Plans for the post-2020 programming period.
The legal proposal on the support for the CAP Strategic Plans marks a shift from a compliance-oriented approach to a more performance-based approach. This will be achieved through the establishment of the new Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (PMEF), which will allow the European Commission and the Member States to assess and monitor the performance of the policy in the next-programming period more effectively.
With a view to help improve the evaluation cycle, the ex ante evaluation plays a crucial role. The ex ante will be carried out by the Managing Authority responsible for the preparation of the CAP Strategic Plan and will help to improve the quality of the design of the CAP Strategic Plan.
The European Evaluation Helpdesk for Rural Development has launched its 7th Thematic Working Group on ‘Preparing for the ex ante evaluation of the CAP Strategic Plan’, which aims to:
- collaboratively draw lessons from the experiences and challenges in implementing the Common Monitoring and Evaluation System (CMES) of the current programming period;
- develop practical tools and solutions to support stakeholders in the ex ante evaluation (including SEA) of the CAP Strategic Plan 2021-2027.
The process and outputs of the Thematic Working Group have been structured along the process of a typical ex ante evaluation, which is structurally linked to the programming of the CAP Strategic Plan.
The Thematic Working Group will consist of four Working Packages:
- preparing the ex ante evaluation,
- appraisal of the SWOT and needs assessment,
- appraisal of the intervention strategy, targets and milestones,
- appraisal of the planned monitoring, data collection and implementation arrangements of the CAP Strategic Plan.
(Click on the open toolbox to see the corresponding Working Package)
Each working package will focus on the development of practical tools that will be aimed at supporting Managing Authorities and evaluators at each step of the ex ante evaluation. Selected Thematic Working Group evaluation experts will be involved in different Working Packages and will contribute to the development of these practical tools.
To ensure that each working package meets the objectives of the 7th Thematic Working Group, ongoing consultations will take place with evaluation stakeholders through a Sounding Board.
The participation in the Sounding Board is open to all Managing Authorities, evaluators, EU-level representatives and stakeholders interested in the preparation and implementation of the ex ante evaluation of the CAP Strategic Plan.
