Monitoring and Evaluation

MONITORING AND EVALUATION 

Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and the Structure in Türkiye

Monitoring function performed by the Ministry for EU Affairs for the projects and programmes developed under the following five components is carried out at operational level especially for the projects under the first component. 

1- Transition Assistance and Institution Building;
2- Cross-Border Cooperation;
3- Regional Development;
4- Human Resources Development;
5- Rural Development. 

According to responsibilities of National IPA Coordinator (NIPAC) the monitoring activities held by the institutions in other components are being evaluated in IPA Evaluation Committee by the co-chairmanship of European Commission and NIPAC.

The monitoring activities in IPA period can be classified as contract, project, component, sector, sub-sector and IPA level monitoring activities. In IPA II (2014-2020) period, EU funds to be provided as grants for Türkiye will be made available in the framework of the Regulation (EU) No 231/2014 of the European Council establishing an Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 447/2014 for implementing the Regulation. During this period, the content of the secretariat services of Ministry for EU Affairs as National Pre-Accession Assistance Coordinator (NIPAC) shall be provided and extended. NIPAC is in charge of identifying the priorities of the Programme and Strategy Paper for Türkiye and ensure that they complement each other; and also ensure the coordination of the work with stakeholders and the consistency between   the programme practices and Indicative Strategy Paper for Türkiye; to ensure overall coordination of programming; monitoring, evaluation and reporting of the implementation. Furthermore, NIPAC is responsible for performing the activities with a view to identifying the financial priorities of IPA II period; conducting the negotiation process with regard to the contents of the IPA II Framework Agreement, Sectoral Agreements and Financing Agreements; signing and submitting these agreements to the European Commission and submitting the finalized Sectoral Operational Programmes, Sector Planning Documents and Action Documents to the European Commission. Furthermore, National IPA Coordinator performs programming, monitoring and evaluation activities for the Cross-Border Cooperation Programmes and ensures the coordination of the implementation process.

In IPA II period, implementation of programming is based on Multi-Annual Programme Authorities and Annual Programme Authorities.

Institutions acting as Multi-Annual Programme Operating Structure

Institutions acting as Annual Programme Operating Structure

Ministries in charge of each sector / sub-sector act as a Lead Institution under the Annual Programme Operating Structure. Lead Institution, under the overall coordination of the NIPAC, carries out the tasks as the preparation of Action Documents, technical implementation, monitoring and evaluation thereof and submission of information, documents and reports to the relevant institutions and authorities regarding the projects and the activities to be supported, and other related duties, within the scope of the Acquis and the related legislation.

The monitoring structure in order to fulfil monitoring activities for IPAII period has been established in 2015. In this period, Ministry for EU Affairs, as National IPA Coordinator (NIPAC), will be the responsible of the coordination of the monitoring activities conducted by lead institutions.

The monitoring activities will be conducted by the monitoring committees as well as in activity/action and contract level in accordance with the EU legislation and Framework Agreement.

IPA Monitoring Committee 

IPA Monitoring Committee is responsible for ensuring the coherence and coordination between the programmes and operations implemented under the different components, the general efficiency, quality and conformity towards achieving aims and targets stated in financing agreements and Multi Indicative Planning Documents during the implementation of all programs and operations. The Committee, which is co-chaired by National IPA Coordinator and the European Commission, consists of National Authorizing Officer, the representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the National Authority, the Central Finance and Contracting Unit, Programme Authority institutions and the Strategic Coordinator. Secretariat services of the Committee are pursued by the Financial Cooperation Directorate of the Ministry for EU Affairs. 

IPA Monitoring Committee has been established For IPA II period. Under the co-chairmanship of the NIPAC and the European Commission, it is composed of the representatives of the National Authorizing Officer, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Finance, the Central Finance and Contracts Unit, the Coordinator of Economic and Social Cohesion as well as the Annual and Multi-annual Programme Operating Structures. Where appropriate, related public institutions and organizations and international financing institutions and organizations join the committee. The secretariat services of the Committee are provided by the Ministry for EU Affairs. The Committee convenes at least once a year.

The Committee is obliged to ensure efficiency and quality of the Pre-Accession Assistance, and the compliance of all practices under the sectors and the sub-sectors with the objectives specified in the Financing Agreements and the Strategy Paper for Türkiye. To this end, the Committee shall base its assessment on the information reported by the Sectoral Monitoring Committees.

Sectoral Monitoring Committees (SMC)

For IPA period, Sectoral Monitoring Committees are established by the institutions responsible for the sectors or sub-sectors in order to elaborate on the issues to be discussed at the IPA Monitoring Committee by sectors and sub-sectors and to ensure the efficient and targeted use of the funds.

Pre-Accession Assistance Coordinator is responsible for the coordination of Sectoral Monitoring Committees. However, secretariat services of the committees are provided by the institution in charge of the sector or the sub-sector. 

Sectoral Monitoring Committee meetings are chaired by the related Head of Annual/Multi-annual Programme Operating Structures. The meeting calendar of the sectoral monitoring committees is determined in coordination with National IPA Coordinator and reported to the European Commission. The SMCs convene at least twice a year. Following each committee meeting, the institution in charge of the sector or sub-sector shares the minutes of meeting including the issues discussed, the decisions adopted and state of play in the use of fund to the participants.

Tools for Monitoring 

Progress and Monitoring Reports

One of the tools used for the monitoring of the projects is Progress and Monitoring Reports (PMR) which are prepared by the beneficiaries at three months intervals. Those reports contain information about the activities realized and unrealized as well as problems and risk encountered during the reporting period and mitigation measures for the envisaged/ encountered risks. 

Project Level Steering Committee Meetings

Conducted at least two times a year and chaired by the beneficiary institution, the project steering committees are composed of representatives of NIPAC, CFCU, relevant institutions, relevant sector/s and NGO and the EUD.

Established in IPA period, this platform continue to exist in line with the IPA II requirements with the name of “activity steering committee”. 

Result-Oriented Monitoring (ROM)

At the beginning of 2011, establishment of “Result Oriented Monitoring System in Türkiye" project was commenced. The project aimed to establish a system within the Ministry for EU Affairs, which enable the monitoring of projects under the Component I of IPA according to five criteria of relevance & design, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability. By ROM, sector based reports have been created.    

Result Oriented Monitoring activities will support the works on evaluation and will continue during IPA II (2014-2020) period.

Evaluation

Evaluation constitutes the second phase of the follow-up process of the project. It is the phase in which results achieved from the monitoring process are evaluated. While monitoring seeks the answers of what, how and why something was happened; evaluation researches what kind of a difference or impact was emerged at the end of the project. Evaluation activities of the projects pursued under IPA 1 are also conducted by the Ministry for EU Affairs.

Monitoring ensures data/info at operational level while evaluation provides data/info at strategic level to decision makers.

Each program authority, indicated in the tables above, prepares an evaluation plan on the activities under sectors and sub-sectors. The stage at which the evaluation activity is carried out is indicated in the plan. The country evaluation plan that is composed of the evaluation plans is submitted to the European Commission by the National IPA Coordinator.