The European Commission has the quality of its cohesion policy evaluations reviewed systematically and supports Member States in improving them. Since 2011 we have contributed to this work as an expert on quantitative methods, first in the Expert Evaluation Network of the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy, and since then in several rounds of the Evaluation Helpdesk, currently the round running until 2027. The consortium is led by Applica in Brussels. At the beginning, there were peer reviews: a small group of experts assessed completed evaluations from the Member States and judged whether their research questions, design and methods held up. We were responsible for the counterfactual studies. Over time, the focus has shifted to an earlier stage. Today we advise managing authorities before they commission an evaluation: on evaluation plans, on drafting terms of reference, and on the choice of suitable methods. Training on theory-based and counterfactual impact evaluation is also part of the work. The aim is to bring methodological knowledge to the bodies that implement European funding policy on the ground and have to prove its impact. The scope has broadened as well: what began as work for the Directorate-General for Regional and Urban Policy now equally covers the Directorate-General for Employment, from regional development to the European Social Fund. To date, we have reviewed evaluations and advised authorities in around fifteen Member States, from Denmark and Ireland via Germany, Austria, France, Spain and Italy to Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, and Malta.
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