Assessing the impact of rural development policies (RuDi)
CCRI is one of the lead partners in a ten-country consortium which is conducting a major analysis of the design, implementation and emerging impacts of Rural Development Programmes (RDPs) funded under the so-called second pillar of the EU’s Common Agricultural Policy over the period 2007-13.
The study is funded under the EU’s Seventh Framework programme (FP7) for Research and Technological Development (RTD). RuDI: Rural Development Impacts, aims to provide complementary and in-depth, qualitative research to understand and evaluate these programmes, alongside the more restrictive and formal programme monitoring and evaluation procedures that are now required under EU legislation. Whereas the official EU ‘Common Monitoring and Evaluation Framework’ (CMEF) emphasizes the measurement of initial funding and the capture of quantitative indicators of impact, RuDI places its emphasis upon examining and thereby understanding how the policy process – from context and initial design through to implementation, including ongoing refinement, evaluation and reform – can have direct effects upon programme performance.
Janet Dwyer is leading the CCRI team for this 30-month study which started in February 2008, with core support from James Kirwan, Damian Maye, Sandrina Pereira and Ken Thomson. The other project partners include IfLS (Germany), INEA (Italy), Nordregio (Sweden), Wageningen University (NL), IUZE (Czech republic), the Agricultural Universities of Thessaloniki (Gr) and Ljubliana (Sl), the Austrian Mountain Institute BABF, and CEET in Estonia. More information can be found on the RuDi website http://www.rudi-europe.net/index.html
The final conference for the project will take place on Tuesday 15 June 2010, at Representation of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia to the European Union, Rue Montoyer 47, 1000 Brussels, Belgium.
The conference is entitled 'Beyond Indicators: Evaluating the Processes of EU Rural Development Policies', and provides a stage for the main findings and policy recommendations to be presented. View Press Release.
Participation is free of charge. You can register online at http://www.rudi-europe.net/rudi_conference.html or send an e-mail to: conference@rudi-europe.net
