Policy Evaluation  -  Public Affairs & Brexit


Our Services :

Our services range from evaluations of all types (ex-post, interim, etc.) of policies, programmes, projects, and agencies; to impact assessments; through to performance monitoring; research; public tenders preparation; as well as teaching and training on evaluation. 

We also provide public affairs advisory services to private and non-profit clients, particularly in the context of Brexit. 

- Policy Evaluation -

Evaluation

Evaluating the execution of policies and monitoring their implementation is key to efficient and accountable policy-making. 

We have experience of a wide range of policy areas, and our team have led or contributed to several evaluations and impact assessments of EU policies and projects, for various DGs of the European Commission (Home Affairs, Justice, Economy & Finance, Enterprise, Education & Culture, Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection, Environment, Fisheries, etc.), as well as for the European Parliament, the European Investment Bank, EU agencies, and international organisations. 

Through our academic teaching experience and working relations with universities and other evaluation partners, we constantly enhance our intellectual capital and knowledge-base in these areas.

Performance monitoring

Monitoring is a continuous process, that verifies the sound management of interventions and informs on their progress and use of funds (or other inputs), and on the progress of the intervention's results. 

Monitoring produces systematic information with a short periodicity, unlike auditing and evaluation.  

Monitoring is an essential first step in an evaluation as it provides key factual data.

Our team have experience in designing and implementing monitoring and evaluation systems at EU and international organisations level, and based on their results, advising on relevant changes to bring to existing programmes.

Impact Assessment

According to the European Commission’s definition, Impact Assessment (also called Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA) by the OECD) is “a process that prepares evidence for political decision-makers on the advantages and disadvantages of possible policy options by assessing their potential impacts.” 

It is essentially a forward-looking exercise, putting an economic or monetary value on the impacts of legislative initiatives, assessing its likely costs and benefits, and accepting the idea of trade-offs, something that owes more to the traditions of economics and management than to law. 

An IA answers a number of questions related to a regulatory proposal (or a non-legislative initiative, with potentially significant impacts), ahead of the legislative process:

• What is the nature and scale of the problem, how is it evolving, and who is most affected by it?

• What are the views of the stakeholders concerned? (IA are usually integrated with a public consultation process)

• Should the public authority be involved (‘E.U. right to act’/ subsidiarity principle)?

• If so, what objectives should it set to address the problem?

• What are the main policy options for reaching these objectives?

• What are the likely economic, social and environmental impacts of those options?

• How do the main options compare in terms of effectiveness, efficiency and coherence in solving the problems?

• How could future monitoring and evaluation be organised?

IA is an aid to decision-making, not a substitute for political judgement.  It contributes to improving the regulatory environment, by increasing transparency, communication and information on regulatory proposals and, ultimately, the quality of legislation. 


- Public Affairs & Brexit Advisory -

Brexit challenges

The UK’s vote in 2016 to end its then 43-years membership of the European Union represents a turning point in British history. Britain will have to deal with its political, constitutional, diplomatic and, notably, economic consequences probably for a decade or more.  Crucial questions arise in this regard, such as: 

What will the future relationship between Britain and the EU look like?

What will be the access of British businesses to the EU internal market and its 450 millions customers, and the access of European companies to the UK market?

What are the post-Brexit economic freedoms the UK should aim to exploit?

When negotiating trade agreements, how should the UK spread its efforts between breaking new ground in global services trade and winning new markets for its goods and manufacturing products?

Could Brexit be turned into an opportunity, to “reindustrialize” the UK (whose manufacturing base decline has continued in the last twenty years, from 17.5% of GDP in 1995 to 9.7 percent in 2016)

What are the risks and opportunities of Brexit for the UK’s thriving technology sector, notably with regard to immigration legislation and the investment climate?

What can be done do to minimize the damage and maximize the rewards of Brexit for the financial sector?

How is Brexit likely to impact on the regulatory framework of your economic sector?

In this challenging context, businesses need the information, evidence and expertise to manage the risks and get positioned to seize opportunities, whilst continuing to operate successfully. 

The ongoing period is also the time for businesses to have their views communicated and represented in Brussels, London and other capitals in Europe. 


How can we help you?

Evaluation Partners is able to competitively draw on the expertise of its network of contacts in Brussels, London, Paris and other EU capitals, and its nimble research capabilities, to gather political insight, intelligence and analysis, designed to help you:

 Understand assess potential risks to your business and organisation;

 Structure and analyse the different possible scenarios affecting your sector, markets and stakeholders, and how each of them might impact you; 

 Engage with policy makers at national and EU level to advocate your concerns.


© Evaluation Partners 2016