Evaluating administrative and
institutional capacity building
International Evaluation & Methodology Conference
6-7 May 2010 Budapest
Anna Galazka
European Commission,
DG Employment, Social Affairs & Equal Opportunities,
Evaluation and Impact Assessment Unit
1
Outline

Rationale for the evaluation

Purpose and evaluation questions

Analytical framework and methodology
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What is administrative capacity?

“the process through which individuals, organizations
and societies obtain, strengthen and maintain the
capabilities to set and achieve their own development
objectives over time” UNDP

“the capacity to manage the complex processes and
interactions that constitute a working political and
economic system” World Bank
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Rationale for the Evaluation
4
General aspects

Importance of administrative capacity for the
economy and for the people;

Administrative and institutional reforms in the last
20 years;

Role of the EU in the administrative capacity
building.
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ESF Regulation – the legal basis

Strengthening institutional capacity and the
efficiency of:
public administrations and public services at
national, regional and local level;
and, where relevant, of the social partners and
non-governmental organisations,

with a view to reforms, better regulation and good
governance especially in the economic,
employment, education, social, environmental and
judicial fields.
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Purpose of the Evaluation & Evaluation
Questions
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Purpose of the evaluation

To assess the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency
and sustainability of the ESF 2007-13 interventions
in the administrative and institutional capacity
building;

To provide recommendations on the priority for
2014-2020 programming period, particularly the role
of the Commission.
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Evaluation questions

What was the context in which administrative and
institutional capacity building interventions have
taken place?

What is the perceived impact of the EU preaccession and ESF support to administrative and
institutional capacity building in the Member
States?

How could a future ESF priority on administrative
and institutional capacity building look like? - What
could be the role of the Commission?
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Analytical framework and methodology
10
Methodology step by step

Scoping analysis – identifying issues and
interventions relevant for administrative
capacity building – literature review

Context analysis - inventory of administrative
capacity building interventions in 10 MS national reports

Mapping of the relevant ESF interventions
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Scoping – dimensions of administrative
capacity building

Policy – organisational development
 legislation;
 management;
 cooperation.

Human Resources – individual capacity
development
 people;
 competences/skills;
 operating budget.

Systems and tools - development of instruments,
methods, guidelines, manuals, procedures, forms
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Issues/
Interven
tions
Capacity
Structures
Legislation
Management
Human Resources
Cooperat
ion
People
Skills
Systems
& tools
Budget
Preparation Implementation Monitoring/
evaluation
Policy Management Cycle
13
Context analysis – problem factors in MS
administrations

an inherited political culture

weak structures and cooperation

skills and competence gaps amongst civil servants
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Mapping of ESF Administrative
Capacity Building Activities
Types of activities
Countries where
this activity is
implemented
National (N) /
Regional (R) /
Local (L)
Main indicator
used
Implementation of
strategic plans
and/or
organisational
development plans
Romania
Hungary
Lithuania
Greece
N, R, L
N, L
N, R, L
N
Number of
administrative
bodies affected by
organisational
development
measures
Activities to
enhance
modernisation of
financial
management
Poland
Greece
N
N
Number of
institutions receiving
support for
performance-based
budgeting
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Example: Challenges to Human Resource
Development Strategies in National Administrations
Can not be addressed by ESF interventions as
presented in the OPs:
 Outdated strategy (RO);
 Lack of responsibility (RO);
 Lack of awareness on importance HR (RO).
Can be addressed by ESF interventions as presented
in the OPs:
 Lack of sound analysis for HRD development (BG);
 Lack of trained staff in HR departments (BG);
 Lack of integrated strategy (HU/SL/BG).
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Difficulties for the evaluation

Lack of proper indicators

Most of the capacity-building projects have
just started

Limited transparency, dependency from
political decisions
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Next steps

Case studies - selected projects

Validation of findings through national focus
groups

Interviews with key experts from international
organisations

Developing recommendations

Central workshop on the future role of ESF

Final report planned for September 2010
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