Annex I: Terms of reference

• Pages: 42-44

42

ANN EX I: TE RM S OF REFERENCE

A meta-evaluation of interventions for Roma inclusion

Background

The situation of Roma in E urope is a cause of concern for the EU. Roma are often exposed to individual and

structural discrimination and many of them suffer from social exclusion and poverty.

This is why the situation of the Roma has been the object of major political attention at EU level and

increasingly so in the wake of the 2004/2007 enlargement. The Decade for Roma inclusion (2005 -2015)

marked a coordinated effort by national authorities, international organisations and ci vil society to address

the issue through policy action and support to projects in s upport of Roma com munities. In 2011, the EU

Framework for National Roma Integration Strategies, in line wi th the goals of the Decade of Roma Inclusion,

required Member States to submit national Roma integration strat egies for the period up to 2020, and to

establish National Roma Cont act Points (NRCP). The impact of the Framework has recently been the object of

a mid-term evaluation (ref).

Nevertheless, progress co mes slowly. Indeed, supporting the inclusion of people w ho have been marginalised

and discriminated for centuries i s an enormous challenge. The mentioned significant efforts toward t he

inclusion of the Roma population have sometimes had to come to terms with a widesp read sense of dismay

regarding the seemingly scarce evidence of success.

Identifying what works and why, as well as the rea sons for failure, may be crucial to renew and sustain the

efforts. The effectiveness of actions in support of Roma inclusion (either at project or at national, regional or

local policy level) has in many cases been evaluated retrospectively. An aggregation of the findings in the

various evaluations (or in relevant grey literature, such as reports on results of projects) will provide useful

insight to help strategically direct future actions and projects in the most promising and efficient directio ns.

Against this background the Joint Research Centre (JRC) would like to carry out a meta-evaluation of the

findings of a series of relevant project, programme and measures evaluations completed in the past with the

help of a small group of recognised experts in the field of policies and projects fo r social integration and

Roma inclusion. The results of such analysis could feed the planned impact assessment on a policy proposal

for a post-2020 initiative on Roma inclusion.

Objectives and scope

The purpose of this meta-analysis is to establish a consolidated view of the outcomes of evaluations

conducted and completed i n the past (initial list i n annex), so as to condense knowledge on what works, what

does not and why.

The outcome of the meta-analysis should:

 Identify measures and projects with a measurable positive outcome;

 Identify the key elements of the projects and meas ures that are working, and outline reasons for

failure

 Identify contextual and other factors that might promote/hinder the s uccess of Roma integration

measures in the EU; (for instance: characteristics o f the target group, socio-economic context; roles

and features of agents of the projects; working methods etc)

 Make recommendations for the design of future Roma integration interventions (inclu ding

improvement of evaluating interventions, data needs etc.)