All the previous phases are carried out by the national agency or by the European agency, as appropriate, internally. The verification of the formal requirements is preordained for the evaluation of the merits of the project. The evaluation then concludes with the preparation of a final ranking to which the funds available for that specific activities are assigned. If we take an Erasmus plus project on international mobility, for example, we see first of all that the following criteria are adopted:
1. 30 points for the relevance of the project for the objectives of the program;
2. 20 points for the validity of the composition of the proposing consortium;
3. 20 points for the quality of the project and the design of the activities;
4. 30 points for the impact and dissemination of results.
Let’s see more specifically.
1. The relevance of the project: here it is a question of assessing how much the project is in line with the objectives of the program, and in particular with the objectives of that specific action; to what extent the needs analysis was deepened by the proposers both at the level of individual participants and at the level of organizations; how much the activity produces an added value in terms of learning and consolidation of cooperation; what is the European added value, that is, that extra value that individual organizations alone would never have achieved.
2. The composition of the consortium: how the composition of the partners has been decided if it is complementary and how the roles have been divided within the partnership. Previous experience of organizations in carrying out projects. The coordinator’s experience in managing similar projects. The balanced distribution of tasks among the partners. The clarity of the roles and administrative rules that govern the consortium. If there are new partners without experience.
3. This is the part where the structure of the project as a whole is assessed, how the phases of the project are organized, from preparation to follow up. The quality of the planned activities. The quality of monitoring, coordination, and communication between partners. If relevant, what are the tools for recognizing the learning envisaged by the project? By what criteria are the participants selected and to what extent social inclusion criteria for the eventual disadvantaged participants are taken into account?
4. Here, on the other hand, the control measures are assessed concerning the results obtained, and whether monitoring tools are envisaged. The impact of the project is also assessed both on individual participants and organizations and in a broader sense on the entire community to which they belong, at local, regional, national, and European levels. Finally, if strategies are envisaged to promote the visibility of the project and its results through a real communication plan.
The evaluation work is an exciting challenge, it allows you to have a close observatory on the spirit of innovation and capacity in project design, in a specific field of activity. It is also an opportunity for collaboration with a team of experts at an international level, which is of sure value for the richness of comparison and cultural diversity and approaches to work. It is an activity that requires the development of a certain critical spirit and autonomous thinking, as well as an experience in project design. It requires knowing how to meet deadlines and the ability to speak in English, or other languages of the European Union. It is a gym where you train and work in groups, and individual results are linked to those of the team because your delay slows down everyone’s work. These are tasks to be carried out with a lot of dedication, but commitment and curiosity are absolutely rewarded!
article by Giuseppina Rossi, Senior project evaluator for the European Commission