Since 2016, the IfLS has been evaluating the implementation and effectiveness of its rural development programme MEPL III for the Ministry of Food, Rural Areas and Consumer Protection Baden-Wuerttemberg. The IfLS partners are "Forschungsgruppe Agrar- und Regionalentwicklung Triesdorf" and "Unique land use" aus Freiburg.
On 10 October, the evaluation team met online with around 20 representatives of the Ministry and the Federal State Institute for Agriculture, Food and Rural Areas to discuss the final steps leading up to the ex-post evaluation. After seven years in the programme, some framework conditions and thus needs for the promotion of rural areas have changed, which in part led to changes in MEPL III and is also relevant for the evaluation. The evaluation team has therefore prepared an update of its evaluation concept in 2022 which further evaluation steps it plans for the final ex-post evaluation. According to the requirements of the EU Commission, this must be completed by 2026, four years after the end of MEPL III. The client welcomed the fact that the evaluation team plans to conduct many surveys and analyses as early as possible in 2022 and 2023, so that findings can be drawn early on for the new funding period starting in 2023.
Contact person at the IfLS: Jörg Schramek (schramek[at]ifls.de)
