Ex post evaluation of the ESF
(2000-2006)
Gender Equality
10th meeting of the High Level Group on Gender Mainstreaming in
Structural Funds
Suvi Aarila – DG EMPL Unit 03 Evaluation and Impact Assessment
Financial
Financial weight weight of of gender gender equality equality
Specific Specific actions actions
– – ESF: ESF: 7 7 434 M (11,9% of total expenditure) 434 M (11,9% of total expenditure)
– – EQUAL: EQUAL: 353 M (14,7% of EQUAL total exp.) 353 M (14,7% of EQUAL total exp.)
Mainstreaming Mainstreaming
Estimation not possible
Estimation not possible because because of absence of of absence of
monitoring
monitoring systems systems capturing capturing gender gender mainstreaming mainstreaming
KEY FINDINGS
KEY FINDINGS - - Results Results
ESF gender oriented and gender supportive measures ESF gender oriented and gender supportive measures
improved situation of
improved situation of ♀ ♀ in labour market in labour market
–– Creation of employment opportunities at local levelCreation of employment opportunities at local level
–– Creation of opportunities for reconciling family/work life, hence Creation of opportunities for reconciling family/work life, hence facilitating facilitating
♀access in labour market♀access in labour market
–– Empowerment Empowerment →→ strengthened employability →strengthened employability → strong LT impact potentialstrong LT impact potential
ªª new work skillsnew work skills
ªª ability to better manage work and family responsibilities ability to better manage work and family responsibilities
ªª higher self confidence and motivationhigher self confidence and motivation
EQUAL successful in terms of generating relevant and useful EQUAL successful in terms of generating relevant and useful
innovations and promoting their take up in other contexts
innovations and promoting their take up in other contexts
–– 141 out of 924 innovations linked to gender141 out of 924 innovations linked to gender –– 71 cases of successful mainstreaming71 cases of successful mainstreaming
KEY FINDINGS
KEY FINDINGS – – Success Factors Success Factors
Positive results mainly attributed to political commitment Positive results mainly attributed to political commitment
For EQUAL, success attributed to the programme design For EQUAL, success attributed to the programme design
–– focus on innovationfocus on innovation
–– principles of partnership and empowermentprinciples of partnership and empowerment –
– mainstreaming (and to some extent mainstreaming (and to some extent transnationality)transnationality)
ªª THE COMBINATION of the principlesTHE COMBINATION of the principles
ª
ª THE INTEGRATED APPROACH (not focusing on employment alone)THE INTEGRATED APPROACH (not focusing on employment alone)
ªª THE HOLISTIC APPROACH (programming, implementing, validating, THE HOLISTIC APPROACH (programming, implementing, validating, mainstreaming
mainstreaming…….).)
KEY FINDINGS
KEY FINDINGS – – Success Factors Success Factors
Innovative ESF projects show best results Innovative ESF projects show best results
–– Highest employment outcomesHighest employment outcomes
–– ♀♀ accessing labour market both as employed or self-accessing labour market both as employed or self-employedemployed –
– Small projects, integrated (“Small projects, integrated (“holisticholistic””) approach (as in EQUAL)) approach (as in EQUAL) Important link with EQUAL evaluation results:
Important link with EQUAL evaluation results:
Success attributed to appropriateness of integrated approach Success attributed to appropriateness of integrated approach
ESF projects with high engagement of civil society and ESF projects with high engagement of civil society and
interaction with stakeholders also show more positive results
interaction with stakeholders also show more positive results
Important link with EQUAL evaluation results:
Important link with EQUAL evaluation results:
Partnership and Empowerment important success factors in EQUAL Partnership and Empowerment important success factors in EQUAL for innovation and impact
for innovation and impact
KEY FINDINGS
KEY FINDINGS – – Limiting factors Limiting factors
Persistence on conventional approaches (“Persistence on conventional approaches (“safe strategysafe strategy””) and very little ) and very little experimentation in ESF
experimentation in ESF
Complexity of bureaucratic processesComplexity of bureaucratic processes
Lack of expertise: shortage of skills; inexperience with gender Lack of expertise: shortage of skills; inexperience with gender mainstreaming mainstreaming
Inability to assess progress in absence of indicators, follow-Inability to assess progress in absence of indicators, follow-up systems and up systems and integrated data bases
integrated data bases
Unexploited potential of good practices/innovation Unexploited potential of good practices/innovation
KEY FINDINGS
KEY FINDINGS - - Impact Impact
Overall modest Overall modest employment impact employment impact of ESF of ESF
– Cautious conclusions, in absence of adequate monitoring systems
– Possible long term impact
ª gender mainstreaming takes time to materialise
ª empowerment outcomes create strong potential
– Mass of conventional activities generating very limited impact
ª more training activities (positive output), more women trained (positive results) but no higher numbers securing employment (impact)
ª child care vouchers as isolated activities, not addressing issue of beneficiaries finding work
ª Innovative projects were the exception, showing high employment impact
KEY FINDINGS
KEY FINDINGS - - Impact Impact
Policy impact Policy impact of ESF and EQUAL of ESF and EQUAL
ªª Indirect/spill-Indirect/spill-over impact of ESF. More direct links, strong impact in case of over impact of ESF. More direct links, strong impact in case of EQUAL.
EQUAL.
–– Legislation (new initiatives, revisions, accelerated process)Legislation (new initiatives, revisions, accelerated process)
–– New policy frameworks (e.g. national action plan for gender equality)New policy frameworks (e.g. national action plan for gender equality)
–– Sectoral policy decisions and adaptation of existing policy Sectoral policy decisions and adaptation of existing policy frameworks/instruments (
frameworks/instruments (e.ge.g OPs) OPs)
–– New policy making processesNew policy making processes
¾¾ Issue remains on top of political agendaIssue remains on top of political agenda
KEY FINDINGS
KEY FINDINGS - - Impact Impact
Institutional impact Institutional impact of ESF and EQUAL of ESF and EQUAL
ªª Indirect/spill-Indirect/spill-over impact of ESF. over impact of ESF.
More direct links, significant impact in case of EQUAL.
More direct links, significant impact in case of EQUAL.
–– Changes in education and training systemsChanges in education and training systems
–– Changes in labour market intermediation structuresChanges in labour market intermediation structures
–– Collective agreementsCollective agreements
–– New institutionsNew institutions
–– New social partner networksNew social partner networks
KEY FINDINGS
KEY FINDINGS - - Impact Impact
Organisational impact Organisational impact of ESF and EQUAL of ESF and EQUAL
ª ª Some evidence for ESF specific actions and EQUAL gender activities Some evidence for ESF specific actions and EQUAL gender activiti es
– – Awareness and capacity building for MAs and other stakeholders Awareness and capacity building for MAs and other stakeholders
– – Increased commitment for future efforts Increased commitment for future efforts
– – Facilitation of different working methods, e.g. working from hom Facilitation of different working methods, e.g. working from hom e e
(mainly EQUAL)
(mainly EQUAL)
– – Tools to enterprises, e.g. management and monitoring tools for Tools to enterprises, e.g. management and monitoring tools for
gender mainstreaming (EQUAL)
gender mainstreaming (EQUAL)
– – Changed employers’ Changed employers ’ attitudes (EQUAL) attitudes (EQUAL)
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS – –
Community
Community Added Added Value Value
Focused resources (volume and scope effects) Focused resources (volume and scope effects)
Influenced political and civil society spheres (process Influenced political and civil society spheres (process
effects)
effects)
New approach of addressing inequalities in the labour New approach of addressing inequalities in the labour
market in case of EQUAL (role effects)
market in case of EQUAL (role effects)
Recommendations
Recommendations
¾¾
More resources into innovative projects More resources into innovative projects
¾¾
Application of integrated approach and EQUAL principles Application of integrated approach and EQUAL principles
¾¾
Guidance on mainstreaming to feed innovation into policy Guidance on mainstreaming to feed innovation into policy
development
development
¾¾
Utilisation of EQUAL results Utilisation of EQUAL results
¾¾
Incorporation of gender focused skills Incorporation of gender focused skills
¾¾
Comprehensive tracking of women employment paths Comprehensive tracking of women employment paths
¾¾