This will be an ongoing/interim/mid-term type evaluation with a strong peer review component. The method combines programme performance information (provided to the experts) with the many years of cumulative experience of the subject-matter held by the external evaluation experts. It focuses their expertise and experience towards answering key questions about the projects supported under PA 1&2 of the OP RDI.

The project evaluation has three distinct elements. The first element evaluates the current state of project implementation. The second assesses the prospects for the project achieving its planned objectives and its sustainability. The final element comprises the evaluators’ recommendations for future action, both for the project beneficiary as well as the MA.

The objective of the evaluation is to assess the actual state of project delivery for the purpose of improving its implementation and to enable learning. The evaluation itself is carried out by external experts (see above). In the first phase of the evaluation each expert conducts preparatory work individually based on analysis of documentation submitted to him/her by the Evaluation Unit of the MA OP RDI and the project beneficiary (principally the Self-assessment Report developed by the beneficiary according the instruction given in Annex No. 4 of the Guide for Evaluators) ). This is followed by approx. 3 day site visit conducted by the evaluation team to verify the information already provided as well as to gain additional insights of the project’s status and performance.

The evaluation team under the leadership of the Lead Evaluator should, on the basis of the information gathered, produce a joint evaluation report, which is the principal output of the evaluation activities. Furthermore, a member of the evaluation team is required to deliver a presentation of the evaluation results to key stakeholders (principally the beneficiary and MA OP RDI). This will be done either at the MA offices or at another pre-defined location.

Outputs

The evaluation exercise will generate the following outputs:

• Self assessment report developed by project beneficiary for each evaluated project
• External evaluation report (including its de-briefing) for each project
• Focus group reports on selected topics (maximum 5 groups)
• Synthesis report

Main users of evaluation results:

• Management and research staff of research centres – PA 1&2
• Other R&D/management experts in the wider R&D/management  community
• Managing Authority OP RDI
• MEYS
• The R&D Council
• European Commission

Evaluation process

Each project in the IE is evaluated by team of 3 selected international and national (Czech) experts who are specialists in the relevant scientific fields. Assignment of the expert to the individual projects is based on the relevance of their expert profile to the project.

Evaluators will assess the projects in their personal capacity, not as representatives of their employers, their state, or any other entity. Evaluators are required to be independent, impartial and objective throughout the evaluation process.

Each evaluator is required to sign a Declaration of Impartiality and Confidentiality before the commencement of the evaluation process. Evaluators acts under the conditions of these declarations during the entire period of the IE process.

Guide for Evaluators and Calls for Evaluators including the requirements for evaluators can be found on below stated links.

Guide for interim evaluation PA1,2 OP RDI 

Link to: Call for registration of Lead Evaluators

Link to: Current Calls for registration of Expert Evaluators

First Interim Evaluation Report OP RDI