System of evaluation of the National Development Plan and of the National Strategic Reference Framework
Two parallel processes will be implemented during the period 2007-2013
In view of the necessity to coordinate the above mentioned processes, a system to integrate evaluation processes for the NDP and the NSRF has been devised. Following are the most important documents that determine the evaluations process for the NDP and the NSRF:
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Evaluation system for the National Development Plan for the period 2004-2006 and the National Strategic Reference Framework for the period 2007-2013
download document in Polish 
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Below you will find a description of the evaluation system at the level of the National Development Plan for the period and the National Strategic Reference Framework.
Evaluation at the level of NDP and NSRF is performed In the following strategic thematic areas (that correspond to the NSRF objectives):
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Socio-economic development of Poland
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Development and modernisation of technical and social infrastructure of fundamental importance for the increase of competitiveness
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Innovativeness of the economy
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Human resources development
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Regional and territorial development
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Public administration capacity building and the implementation of the “good governance" principle.
The National Evaluation Unit is the main element of the system of implementation of the evaluation process. This function is performed by the Department of Structural Policy Coordination of the Ministry of Regional Development (its Evaluation Unit being responsible for organising the work of the NEU).
The evaluation process of the NDP and the NSRF is being coordinated by the Steering Committee for Evaluation of the National Development Plan and the National Strategic Reference Framework.
The above Steering Committee will consist of the Director of the Department of Structural Policy Coordination (the Group’s Chairman) and Directors of those Departments that perform the functions of the Community Support Framework Managing Authority, NSRF Coordinating Authority, Managing Authorities of Operational Programmes and Regional Operational Programmes Coordinating Authority.
The principal tasks of the Steering Group for the Evaluation Process of NDP and NSRF are the following:
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coordination of the evaluation process of NDP and NSRF,
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ensuring consistency of the evaluation process of NDP and NSRF,
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taking decisions as to the way in which the results of evaluation studies are to be used.
The system of implementation of the evaluation process at the level of NDP and NSRF will be organised based on 6 thematic Steering Groups appointed for this purpose within the structure of the Department of Structural Policy Coordination reflecting in their scope of responsibilities the main thematic areas subject to evaluation in the National Development Plan and the National Strategic Reference Framework.
- Impact of NDP and NSRF on socio-economic development
- Development and modernisation of infrastructure
- Innovativeness of the economy
- Human resources development
- Regional and local development
- Public administration capacity building and the implementation of the “good governance” principle
The principal objective of the functioning Steering Groups is to ensure high quality of the evaluation process of the National Development Plan for the period 2004-2006 and the National Strategic Reference Framework for the period 2007-2013 through implementation of the partnership principle.
National Evaluation Unit
In the period of the years 2007-2013 evaluation will be conducted at two main levels. At the level of the National Strategic Reference Framework (NSRF) it will concern the horizontal and transversal issues concerning more than one operational programme. Moreover, evaluation studies will be commissioned in the framework of all operational programmes.
The totality of evaluation work conducted at both level is coordinated by the National Evaluation Unit (NEU). Furthermore, it is responsible for the development of evaluation standards, so as to improve the quality of the conducted analytical studies.
NEU performs the tasks entrusted to it in cooperation with the European Commission and the NSRF Coordination Institution, as well as the Institution Coordinating the Regional Operational Programmes (ROP), and also the institutions at the level of management and implementation of all operational programmes. The respective details are determined by Guidelines No 6 concerning the evaluation of operational programmes approved by the Minister of Regional Development on 30 May 2007.
The scope of activities entrusted to NEU is very broad and comprises, in particular, the following:
- coordination of the NSRF evaluation process;
- preparation of the NSRF Evaluation Plan for the years 2007-2013;
- propagation of knowledge concerning the generally accepted standards of evaluation of the structural funds applied in the European Union and assurance of compliance with such standards;
- assurance of the performance of ex ante NSRF evaluation;
- submission to the NSRF Coordination Committee and the NSRF Coordination Agency (and to the European Commission upon its request) of information concerning the planned evaluation activities and the findings of evaluation studies;
- assurance of the performance of strategic and operational evaluations at the NSRF level;
- assurance, in cooperation with the Management Bodies, of the performance by 30 June 2011 of evaluations of the degree of completion of the operational programmes (in order to allocate the national implementation reserve accordingly);
- cooperation with the European Commission on ex post evaluation;
- monitoring of the process of implementation of the recommendations formulated as a result of the conducted evaluations;
- coordination of evaluation capacity building at the institutions engaged in the NSRF evaluation process and the process of evaluation of operational programmes for the years 2007-2013;
- collaboration with the experts in order to improve the quality of the conducted studies and the entire evaluation process;
- public disclosure of the findings of evaluation reviews.
The implementation of the above indicated tasks coincides in time with the conclusion of the work concerned with the evaluation of the National Development Plan (NDP) for the years 2004-2006. In order to assure the consistency of the modes of organisation of NDP and NSRF evaluations, the document on the System of Evaluation of the National Development Plan for the years 2004-2006 and the National Strategic Reference Framework for the years 2007-2013 has been drafted – link. Thereafter evaluation is carried out in the determined subject areas corresponding with the objectives foreseen in both of these planning documents.
All of the work done by the NEU is financed from the Technical Assistance Operational Programme.