EVALUATION, ASSESSMENT AND MONITORING
1.47 The system for
evaluating, assessing and monitoring specific programmes and the
Framework Programme as a whole has recently been improved. DG XII
A4 of the Commission is now dedicated to evaluation of FP4. Each
specific programme is now evaluated in three ways: continuous
and systematic monitoring of progress by external panels; external
assessment of each programme and its management every five years;
and external assessment on completion. The Framework Programme
as a whole is monitored continuously, with annual reports; the
first of these, by an international high-level panel serviced
by a United Kingdom consultancy, came out in March 1996. The
Programme is also to be externally assessed every five years;
the first five-year assessment, by a panel chaired by Vicomte
Davignon, is just completed. The criteria for assessment are
scientific quality, quality of management, and achievement of
objectives. These procedures are currently being rationalised,
as part of the Commission's financial management initiative "SEM
2000". The Commission has also conducted multi-programme
evaluations of Framework fellowships, of the impact of the Programmes
on industry and on "cohesion", and of impact in particular
Member States, and "meta-evaluations", or evaluations
of the process of evaluation itself. More detail is given in
POST 5.2.
THE COMMITTEE'S INQUIRY
1.48 This report was
prepared by Sub-Committee I, whose members are listed in
Appendix 1. They received evidence from the witnesses listed
in Appendix 2; we are grateful to all the witnesses for their
time and trouble. The call for evidence is set out in Appendix 3,
a list of acronyms in Appendix 4, and a list of European
research policy organisations in Appendix 5. The evidence
is printed separately, in HL Paper 49-I.
10 The only new theme in FP4
compared with FP3 was targeted socio-economic research, although
transport, which was only a minor topic in previous Programmes,
has been greatly expanded. Back
11
UK Government's Response to the Commission's Green Paper on Innovation,
DTI, 1 May 1996. Back
12
For these purposes, a SME is an independent company with no more
than 500 staff and an annual turnover of no more than 38 MECU
(£28 m). Back
13
"In order to promote its overall harmonious development,
the Community shall develop and pursue its actions leading to
the strengthening of its economic and social cohesion. In particular,
the Community shall aim at reducing disparities between the levels
of development of the various regions and the backwardness of
the least-favoured regions, including rural areas." Treaty
of Rome as amended, Article 130a. Back
