38th IQ-Net Conference (Northern Portugal) discusses challenges of monitoring and evaluation in Cohesion policy in 2014-20

Over 30 IQ-Net programme managers, together with Veronica Gaffey from the European Commission, met at the 38th IQ-Net conference in Vila do Conde, Northern Portugal, on 27-29 May 2015. The conference was hosted by Portuguese Agency for Development and Cohesion and the Norte Region Coordination and Development Commission and chaired by John Bachtler of EPRC. Opened by Duarte Rodrigues, Member of the board of the Agency for Development and Cohesion, the main focus of the conference was on IQ-Net partners' approaches to the new challenges of monitoring and evaluation in 2014-20. Discussions were supported by a research paper prepared by Laura Polverari of EPRC http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/Thematic_Paper_36(2)_Synopsis.pdf, as well as by a presentation given by Veronica Gaffey from DG Regio. Discussions also covered the preparations for the launch of the 2014-20 programmes, supported by a presentation by Martin Ferry of EPRC http://www.eprc.strath.ac.uk/news/Review_Paper_36(1)_Executive Summary.pdf . The conference also provided an opportunity to discuss a number of approaches by IQ-Net programme managers to evaluation, as well as to visit several Portuguese projects co-financed by Structural Funds.