The evaluation will cover all the support provided by JASPERS under the 2022-2027 Contribution Agreement, assessing its impact based on the mandate (ERDF/CF, JTF, and CEF) and the type of assignment (horizontal/strategic, project-related, and capacity-building).

Formez has entrusted Ismeri Europa with the implementation of a feasibility study on the recruitment capacity of local authorities in the Abruzzo Region. This initiative is part of a broader effort aimed at strengthening the administrative capacity of cohesion policy beneficiaries, with particular reference to the management of resources from the Fund for Development and Cohesion (FSC). The primary objective of the study is to provide an in-depth analysis of the current situation of local authorities in Abruzzo regarding recruitment, identifying potential issues and proposing solutions to enhance the institutional and administrative skills necessary for the implementation, monitoring, evaluation, control, and communication of initiatives financed within the framework of the regional unitary programming.

This intervention is a strategic step to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the public administration in Abruzzo, ensuring optimal use of available resources and promoting greater capacity for planning and managing territorial development interventions.

The limited response capacity of the European Union to the challenges of the global context is mainly attributable to the constraints imposed by its institutional architecture. However, the recent reorganization of the long-term budget represents a sign of change, suggesting an attempt to make the EU’s financial priorities more flexible and better align available resources with emerging challenges.

On Thursday, September 19th, Carlo Miccadei and Giovanna Campanella from Ismeri Europa participated in a training day on gender impact assessment. The course was organized by ISFORM and promoted by the Puglia Region, with the aim of raising awareness and improving the skills of public managers and officials on the topic of gender equality in policies.
 During the day, Ismeri addressed the technical and methodological issues of evaluation within cohesion policies, emphasizing the importance of integrating a gender perspective to make public policies more effective and inclusive.
 Gender-sensitive evaluation aims to rethink policy processes with the awareness that the needs—and thus the objectives—of women differ from those of men, which are culturally predominant. Recently, the EU has highlighted the importance of evaluation results and its role in identifying unintended effects. These effects become crucial, as policies that do not adequately consider gender implications may unintentionally widen rather than reduce the gender gap in terms of access to opportunities and the differing effectiveness of results and impacts achieved. For example, a strategy investing in higher education without considering gender disparities in STEM fields: men would be more likely to benefit, and what might be a globally positive impact on human capital could reveal a different outcome when viewed through a “gender lens.”
 The course thus allowed for presenting evaluation as an analytical perspective, highlighting how it would be reductive to compare it to a mere analytical method.

We are pleased to announce the publication of the Final 2022 Report of the PON Inclusione, prepared by Ismeri Europa as part of the independent evaluation of the PON INCLUSIONE ESF 2014/2020, managed by the Ministry of Labour. This report provides a comprehensive overview of the planned interventions and key cross-cutting issues, such as social innovation and communication of social policies supported by the European Social Fund (ESF). The Programme pursued significant structural objectives, including the improvement of the Italian institutional system for social policies, introducing essential levels of civil and social rights guaranteed at the national level. Through systemic actions and innovative intervention models, the PON has significantly contributed to innovating the social protection system across all Italian regions, regardless of their level of development.

One of the most important aspects highlighted in the report is the positive effect the PON had on introducing new services, especially in less developed regions, and enhancing existing ones. In particular, the programme supported the implementation of innovative services for poverty reduction and the establishment of new organizational and management practices, involving a wide network of beneficiaries and stakeholders. The report also emphasizes the central role of innovative actions in strengthening governance processes and the links between public institutions and services, such as Employment Centers and social-health services, with the valuable contribution of Third Sector organizations. Among the most notable results are the strengthening of service management methods and increased involvement of users in personalized inclusion pathways. Of particular note is the PON’s commitment to combating gender and ethnic origin discrimination, with particular attention to the LGBT+ population and Rom, Sinti, and Caminanti communities, through projects carried out by UNAR. These initiatives promoted social innovation and strengthened impactful pilot actions, such as Anti-Discrimination Centers and local and regional plans for the inclusion of Rom communities. In continuity with the PON, the new Inclusion Programme 2021-2027 addresses a broad range of conditions leading to social exclusion, extending its scope to all vulnerabilities, from those well-established to emerging vulnerabilities. Certainly, the experience of the PON Inclusione in 2014-2020 laid the foundations for addressing these new challenges, fostering the establishment of a wealth of institutional and administrative capacity and partnership relationships, which will be essential for achieving the social objectives that characterize ESF+ during the 2021-2027 programming period. For more details and to consult the full report, we invite you to visit the official PON Inclusione website: https://poninclusione.lavoro.gov.it/programma/Pagine/Valutazione

Il Sole 24 Ore recently published an article in which Enrico Wolleb discusses the findings from the study “Challenges for Cohesion: Looking ahead to 2035” promoted by the European Commission. Wolleb, founder and director of Ismeri Europa, highlights the issues related to the European Union’s cohesion policies. Although these policies were designed to support the competitiveness and integration of less developed regions, they risk increasing disparities due to new challenges related to the green and digital transitions. The article emphasizes how the complexity of the new tasks assigned to these policies does not align with the original objectives, stressing the need for coordinated and targeted intervention to avoid further inequalities.

On June 26 and 27, 2024, the 19th International Exhibition of Research and Skills for Innovation took place at @BolognaFiere, an internationally significant event that brought together numerous experts to discuss new technologies and research to better address the digital and ecological transitions. The participants focused on three main themes: 

– Policy: Policies supporting innovation, development, and cohesion

– People: Tools that various territories implement to attract talents and skills to foster growth and well-being

– Partnership: The role of large European public-private partnerships

Professor Enrico Wolleb addressed the topic of innovation processes in public administration and the crucial role in managing European funds. In his speech, Professor Wolleb emphasized how the architecture of European funds has become increasingly complex, requiring significant commitment from administrations. He highlighted the need to move away from the traditional principle of vertical management, instead promoting horizontal organizational methods. This approach aims to integrate different offices and skills, fostering collaboration and innovation.

The city of Bologna hosted the 2024 Summer School organized by the Evaluation Helpdesk on behalf of the European Commission. The event took place at the headquarters of the Emilia-Romagna Region’s Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy of the European Commission. The Summer School offered intensive training on key topics related to policy evaluation:

– Ensuring that evaluations are relevant and useful for policy makers.

– Operationalizing Evaluation Plans by addressing feasibility challenges, new tools, and integrating related evaluations.

– Evaluating different types of interventions, policy instruments, and programs.