Purpose and objectives of the study

• Author: Cambridge Econometrics, Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (European Commission), Eurocentre, ICF
• Pages: 35-36

Study supporting the 2020 evaluation of promoting social inclusion, combating pove rty

and any discrimination by the European Social Fund (Thematic Objective 09)

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1. PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The European Social F und (ESF) is the main financial instrument for operationali sing the

European Un ion's pol icies rel ated to employment, skills and social inclusion. It sup ports

four of the eleven thematic objectives defined in the Common Provisions Regulation15, one

of which is Thematic τbjective ф гTτфдз which was d efined as “promoting social inclusionз

combating poverty and any discrimination” in the нлмп-2020 programming period. The

ESF contributes to TO9 by supporting the following six Investment Priori ties:

(i) Active inclusion, including with a view to promoting equal opportunities and active

participation, and improving employability;

(ii) Socio-economic integration of marginalised communities such as the Ro ma;

(iii) Combating all forms of discrimination and promoting equ al opportunities;

(iv) Enhancing access to affordable, sustainable and high-quality services, including

health care and social services of general interest;

(v) Promoting social entrepreneurship and vocational integration in social enterprises

and the social and solidarity economy in order to facilitate access to employment;

and

(vi) Community-led local development strategies.

This study aims to support an evaluation of ESF support to social inclusion (Thematic

Objective 9). Its scope cov ers the six Investment Priorities and the 28 EU Membe r States

in 2014-201816. The purpose of the study is three-fold:

 Take stock of the results generated by ESF support to social inclusion so far

in the 2014-2020 programming period;

 Generate findings and lessons learned to support the negotiati on of the

Programmes for the European Social Fund plus; and

 Provide inputs to the Commission's ex-post evaluation of the European Social

Fund due by December 2024.

The evaluation of ESF support to social inclusion was carried out foll owing the Better

Regulation Guidelines of the European Comm ission. More specifically, the study asse ssed

the effectiveness, efficiency relevance, coherence and EU added value of ESF actions

support to social inclusion during t he 2014-2020 programming period. The assessment of

the evaluation criteria was guided by a set of sub-evaluation questions listed in the Terms

of Reference. Substantiated responses to each question we re developed through

triangulation of evidence from a wide range of sources inclu ding ESF monitoring data,

research publications and national evaluations, a public consultation, country based

15 Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 laying down common provisions on the Europe an

Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fun d, the Cohesion Fund, the

European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Mari time and

Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Reg ional

Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European

Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC).

16 The study covers the UK, which was a Member State i n 2014.