Project details

Following an EU-wide invitation to tender, the Baden-Württemberg Ministry of Rural Affairs and Consumer Protection (MLR) commissioned the IfLS with the ongoing evaluation of the Rural Development Plan of Baden-Württemberg 2014-2020 (MEPL III) in December 2015. The IfLS executes the project in well-proven collaboration with the research group "Agricultural and Regional Development Triesdorf" (ART) and the "UNIQUE forestry and land use GmbH" in Freiburg. The consortium can use its experience gained by consulting and evaluating the previous development program MEPL II, which had begun in 2008.

The assignment includes various reviews that have to be carried out during the whole MEPL III funding period, allowing a demand and target-oriented management of the development program:

1. In parallel with the submission of the MEPL III concept to the EU Commission at the beginning of 2015 the IfLS created at the end of the accompanying programming process the ex ante evaluation. It focused on evaluating the relevance of the funding measures in view of the challenges that had been identified earlier in the rural areas of Baden-Württemberg.
   In addition first forward-looking assessments were carried out regarding the potential contribution of the development program to certain target areas - for example in terms of sustainable management of natural resources, climate protection, the improved competitiveness of agriculture and rural development.
2. The evaluation in 2017 focuses on implementation-related aspects. Its purpose is to assess the reasons for a good or bad implementation of the measures of MEPL III and whether the originally intended target groups and areas are reached with the funding.
3. With the evaluation in 2019 the IfLS executes a comprehensive mid-term evaluation of results and impacts of the funding.
4. A final ex post evaluation of MEPL III takes place in 2024. Based on the funded projects and achieved results should amongst others the efficient use of funds be assessed.

We are looking forward to the exciting task, which began on January 25, 2016 at the kickoff meeting of the evaluators with the respective experts in the Baden-Württemberg Ministry.