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Incorporating New Concepts into Programme Planning:

the Experience of the Horizontal Principles in the NDP

Friday 24th September 2004

IEN Conference

Workshop C: Evaluation and Public Policy

Robert Murphy and Hilary Curley

OVERVIEW

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Background

MTE issues and approach

Key MTE findings on the HPs

NDP/CSF Unit’s approach and methodology

Results of prioritisation

Embedding the HPs

Lessons for planning and evaluation

BACKGROUND

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Investment of €52bn under the NDP 2000-06

Integration of four Horizontal Principles

equal opportunities social inclusion

rural development the environment

Mid-term evaluations of Operational Programmes

Mid-term review process

MTE ISSUES TO BE EVALUATED

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Assess how the HPs are addressed

Assess how the HPs are reported on

Examine the extent to which the HPs are captured by indicators

Express a view as to the likely impact on the HPs

APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

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Reviewed programme literature

Examined monitoring indicators and other data

Consulted with relevant stakeholders

Assessed Measures/Sub-measures against TOR criteria

KEY MTE FINDINGS ON THE HPs

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Integration Difficulties

Poor quality and unclear ex-ante analysis of the relevance of the HPs

Poor quality and formulaic reporting of progress on HPs

Absence of indicators or other data to capture progress

Lack of understanding of goals and how to integrate

Lack of guidance or support to implementing bodies

Difficult to make substantive conclusions on impact

Way Forward

Prioritise a smaller number of Measures for greater integration effort

UNIT’S APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY

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Assessed each Measure against five criteria

Produced an initial list of measures most relevant to each principle

Held consultations

Re-examined certain Measures

Refined prioritisation lists

UNIT’S RESULTS

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Most Measures selected meet at least three of the five criteria

Few Measures were selected under more than two principles

All the measures under the NDP/CSF are selected for examination

under at least one horizontal principle.

ELEMENTS TO EMBEDDING THE HPs

Measure Review

Integration of principles into the programme complement

Reporting

Role of Co-ordinating Committees

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PROGRESS TO DATE

Review process underway

Meetings held to assess progress

Reporting templates prepared

Programme complements currently being revised

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LESSONS

Need to undertake detailed ex-ante analysis

Relevance, prioritisation, objectives, possible actions, measurement

Need to effectively incorporate into programme design and monitoring

arrangements

Reporting procedures, indicators, capacity (data collection, analysis), “stick and

carrot”

Need to plan for future evaluations

Appropriate evaluation framework, evaluate “process” and “impacts”.

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