Final evaluation of programmes "Community Based Approach for Local Development Phase III" and Support to Ukraine's Regional Development Policy - LOT 7

ARS Progetti has been awarded this assignment by the EC.The final evaluation will provide the Ukrainian authorities, implementers, the relevant external co-operation services of the European Commission and the European External Action Service, and the wider public with: - an overall independent assessment about the relevance of the action; - key lessons learned and recommendations on the management of ongoing actions in the area of regional/local development (in particular U-LEAD); and - advice on the main issues to be taken into account for the design and implementation of future interventions in the area of Decentralisation and local/regional development. The specific objectives of this final evaluation are: a) to assess the performance and impact of the two actions (CBA and SURDP): b) SURDP: to assess if and to what extent the project has contributed to the regional policy reform (especially State Regional Policy including State Fund for Regional Development), to assess the relevance of the EU intervention in this context; c) CBA: to assess if CBA has contributed and to what extent had impact on the success of the local self-government reform and administrative territorial reform (especially amalgamation of territorial entities), while pursuing its original objectives. d) to make an assessment of the two projects' visibility, information and communication; e) to identify and document key lessons learned by the two projects; f) to produce a set of recommendations that will assist the EU on the main issues to be taken into account the implementation of the recently launched programme U-LEAD as well as for the design and implementation of future interventions for regional and local development/ community mobilization.