Case Studies Expectations of the Commission Veronica Gaffey

Case Studies: Expectations of the Commission Veronica Gaffey Head of Evaluation Directorate General for Regional Policy 1

A New Approach to Ex Post Evaluation • Thematic not national • Selectivity – not everything would be evaluated • Therefore, space for case studies to deepen analysis 2

Case Studies within the Evaluations • Conceptual Basis • Statistical and administrative data – financial and physical • Case Studies – mostly regional – to deepen analysis • Mini case studies • Conclusions on the performance of the policy 3

What is a Case Study? In-depth study of data on a specific case (e. g. a project, beneficiary, town). The case study is a detailed description of a case in its context. […] Case study results are usually presented in a narrative form. A series of case studies can be carried out concurrently, in a comparative and potentially cumulative way. A series of case studies may contribute to causal and explanatory analysis. Evalsed • Three types of case study so far for DG REGIO: – Regional Case Studies – Sectoral Case Study – Mini-Case Study 4

Case Study Guidance • Data Gathering: – Template – Role of core team and local expert – Clarity on who and how many to be interviewed • Reporting – telling the story: – Not a dump of all information on paper – Insights into reality of policy measures on the ground and their interaction with other policies – Validation of hypotheses – Expect interaction within team and several iterations • Cross case analysis – not generalisation 5

Case Study Expectations • A coherent analysis in narrative form, which explains a complex case: – How is policy decided – How is it co-ordinated with other policies – How it is implemented – The effects of the policy and – Reasons for those effects • A concise text which includes information ONLY if it is relevant to the case 6

Experiences to Date • More complex and time-consuming than might be perceived • A valuable tool which delivers real insights • Needs indepth local knowledge AND an external validation – an iterative process • Narrative is essential and challenging – a good drafting style is under-rated these days in evaluation! 7

Thank you for your attention 8