Planning and regional development
The complexity of the territorial development in its various dimensions – economic, social, environmental, institutional – the sustainability of development processes and the role played by public and private actors, as well as the planning process associated with them have become research areas of FUNDEUROPA and have resulted in a large portfolio of studies and plans prepared for central, regional and local Administration institutions, and for public interest entities, both in Portugal and abroad.
The work carried out encompasses several types of outputs:
- Studies of territorial and sectoral diagnosis, including SWOT analysis
- Strategies of economic and social development, including definition and quantification of objectives and prioritization of actions
- Plans for economic and social development at national, regional and sub-regional levels
- Territorial development programmes
- Multi-annual investment programmes
- Operational programmes to be financed by EU funds
- Programme complements, specifying the content of operational programs
In fact, these instruments cover the entire cycle of development planning and investment programming, both of territorial and sectoral scope.
They involve analysis and diagnostics, key partner mobilisation, consensus-making, goal-setting, strategy delineation, selection of priority measures and investments, preparation of financial plans and identification of funding sources, and design of institutional set-up for implementation and monitoring of outcomes.
Socio-economic studies
The area of social and economic research has received particular emphasis among the activities of FUNDEUROPA and covers a diversified set of categories of studies, sometimes requiring the mobilisation of skills and areas of expertise not present in the Company, through a network of partners and regular collaborators.
Priority has been given to studies of a more strategic or structural nature, albeit marginally the company has also addressed requests for individual investment projects, both in the field of economic and financial feasibility and as applications for EU funds.
The set of studies carried out cover the following types:
- Strategic sectoral studies
- Studies to substantiate negotiations with the European Commission
- Feasibility studies for public policy measures
- Feasibility studies for investment projects
- Design of financial instruments to support development
- Studies of access to EU funds for sectors, organisations and projects
- Strategies of collective efficiency
- Methodological studies for the implementation of Structural Funds
- Applications for EU Structural Funds
Management, monitoring and control of EU funds
Support of managers and managing authorities in implementing instruments of public intervention with EU co-financing has been one of FUNDEUROPA’s areas of excellence, based on the vast experience of its staff in this area, partly gained in Public Administration itself.
Since 1997 this area of expertise has permanently occupied a significant place in FUNDEUROPA’s portfolio, both in Portugal – at national, regional, and local levels – and abroad, as a result of clear competitive advantages of the company.
Technical assistance to management and monitoring of operational programmes usually involves:
- an element of reorganisation and restructuring of work processes aiming at higher efficiency of public action,
- a second element linked to the design, implementation and refining of policy instruments in order to achieve greater effectiveness, and
- a third element addressed to the ongoing negotiation process with the European Commission services regarding programmes under shared management with the national authorities.
Among the tasks directly supporting programme managers, the following may be highlighted:
- Design and operation of technical and methodological tools for programme management
- Design of systems for programme monitoring and evaluation
- Advice on eligibility of projects and their compatibility with EU rules
- Reprogramming of operational programmes;
- Reporting tools (annual progress reports, …)
To complement these activities, FUNDEUROPA has been cooperating with various entities managing operational programs regarding control and audit processes and procedures, mainly addressing beneficiaries of the public sector where accumulated experience is more significant.
In this context, the Company’s portfolio comprises the following types of services:
- Accounting and financial audits on expenditure incurred in projects co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) under the framework of operational programmes
- Audits for formal closure and final certification of accounts of operational programs financed by the ERDF
Evaluation of public policies and of Structural Fund implementation
Evaluation of public policies and more particularly of instruments of those policies financed by the Structural Funds of the European Union has been an area of growing importance in the activities of FUNDEUROPA, as requirements have increased at Community level.
The active involvement in this area of expertise has forced the company to keep up with developments and progress that have been made in Europe and in the world regarding the improvement of methodologies that can objectively evaluate performance, achievements and impacts of public policies and their instruments.
The increasing need for transparency in the use of public funds and for measuring their results in order to convey to the taxpayer an objective picture of the use of public resources and its impacts, led to significant progress in this field of research and specifically to stronger and improved measurement tools.
Given the size, complexity and multi-disciplinarity of most evaluation studies related to development processes and to operational programmes, FUNDEUROPA has regularly collaborated with national and international partners in joint consortia whenever the nature, scope and requirements of the evaluation exercises justify it.
The categories of evaluation studies in which the Company has participated are:
- Studies evaluating the performance of public institutions implementing the Structural Funds
- Evaluation studies of institutional and regulatory models of Structural Fund implementation
- Ex-ante evaluation studies of operational programs financed by EU Structural Funds
- Mid-term evaluation studies of operational programs financed by EU Structural Funds
- Evaluation studies of investment projects financed by the Structural Funds and Cohesion Fund
Capacity and competence building of Civil Society organisations
The strengthening of Third Sector organisations, a pillar of democracy and rule of law that promotes and defends the values and principles pursuing a more just, tolerant, inclusive and solidary community, has been deserving increasing attention from FUNDEUROPA.
The studies and analyses carried out on this Sector have revealed significant weaknesses in the areas of governance, management, communication and evaluation and a strong financial dependence on the State of most of the organisations that compose it, while pointing to an insufficient preparation for the challenges of the future, particularly taking into account the digital revolution. The improvement of the effectiveness of the actions and the sustainability are very dependent on a reinforcement of skills and capacities that allow them to continue to play an irreplaceable role in the Portuguese Society.
Among the activities developed, the management and impact assessment of projects and programmes of Civil Society organisations stand out.