The Network of Evaluation Offices for Public Investments (Retenuvv)

The Network of Evaluation Offices for Public Investments

(Retenuvv) Mauro Masselli

Responsible for Technical Unit

Why institutionalize evaluation: Decentralization and the “new programming”

• Responsibilities and tasks of regional authorities increase, especially on planning and implementing development programs and projects;

• Roles and responsibilities of central ministries change;• Public investment decisions and development planning must be based

on sound technical information

THEREFORE

• Necessary to insert qualified technical competences and functions in the Public Service, in order to give an adequate answer to: Territorial programming Program and project appraisal Selecting projects Evaluating public investments (ex ante, on going and ex post) Monitoring interventions

Why institutionalize evaluation: Elements of a strategy

• To provide regional & central authorities with:– staff specializing in programming, evaluation, and

monitoring of public investments– specific “evaluation” structures

• To establish evaluation offices (Nuclei)• To establish a Network of evaluation offices (Rete dei

Nuclei)

Legal frameworkevaluation offices

• Law n. 144 of 1999

• Directive of the President of the Council of ministries issued 10/13/1999

• Other normative agreements (regional laws and ministerial decree)

The Net• Law. N. 144/1999• Directive of the President of

the Council of ministries issued 10/13/1999

• A Working Group (regions and central ministries) established

• La Conferenza Stato – Regioni (ottobre 2002) approves il “Protocollo di intesa”

• Regolamento della Rete dei Nuclei and yearly programme

•The Offices are co-financed while ReteNuvv is fully financed by the State

Law n. 144 of 1999 – art. 1

“In order to improve and to increase the quality and efficiency of the process of programming for development policies, central and regional authorities […] institute and make operational […] own units for evaluation and inspection of public investments; these units work in connection among each other and with the unit of the Ministry of the Economy and Finances. They ensure technical support for programming, evaluation, implementation, and inspection of the performance of plans, programs, and policies promoted and implemented by of each administration […]".

Protocollo di intesa Stato-Regioni

In October 2002 the (State-Regions Memorandum of Understanding) was endorsed and provided for the establishment and start up of the Nuvv Network (ReteNuvv) and determined its structure, operational methods and overall policies and goals.

The Evaluation Offices (Nuvv)

Nuclei di valutazione

The Evaluation Offices - competences

• General competencies - from law n.144/99

• Specific competencies – from every administration

• Further competences from national bodies

Main competencesfrom law 144/99 & regional laws / ministerial decrees

• Technical support to programming ;• Technical support to other line offices;• Drawing guidelines• Programs monitoring• Projects monitoring• evaluation (ex ante, on going, ex post)• Extension of the structural funds techniques to territorial programs and projects.• The active participation to the monitoring system for public investments • A specific role of the regional feasibility studies • Programming procedures for mountain communities (Comunità montane) • A role in the AIR (Impact analysis for the regulations) procedure in the central

administrations • The ex ante evaluation of Accordi di programma quadro (APQ)• Monitoring of Programmi integrati Territoriali (7 Nuvv)• National evaluation system ob.1- QCS 2000-2006 (7 Nuvv)

Several administrations have entrusted its own Offices with new, specific and different responsibilities.

Evaluation offices (Nuvv)

Different organizational “models” of evaluation offices: freedom to choose the model– each Region issued a specific regional law– each Ministry issued a specific ministerial decree

Offices (Nuvv)Number of Offices

Members Internal %

Members average

stagers

South 7 92 49 % 13,9 9

Centre North 11 139 68 % 15,8 3

Ministries 7 86 74 % 13,4 0

total 25 317 64 % 14,6 12

Provisional data related to 25 Nuvv – december 2005

The Nuvv NetworkLa Rete dei Nuclei di Valutazione

ReteNuvv

ReteNuvv• The Network of Evaluation Offices for Public Investments (Retenuvv)

was officially established on April 17th, 2003.• It is composed by the offoces of 12 Ministries and 21 Regions and

Autonomous Provinces. • ReteNuvv is the main instrument for exchanging information and

experiences, for accumulating and disseminating professional knowledge and establishing good practices among those involved with the Evaluation Offices.

• It is an infrastructure that would provide services to a professional community engaged in the technical sector it was based on a well-established framework of common objectives.

• ReteNuvv is characterised as a “federal” system, self-managed and independent from any of the participating administrations.

• It is made up of Offices with a common mission and common principles (as defined by Law 144/99), although they may play a different role within their own administrations.

The ReteNuvv organization

• The Network is managed by the General Assembly, which is composed of a representative from each Office appointed by the respective administration.

• An additional eighth member of the Board is appointed by the General Assembly, half of whose members are ministry delegates and half regional.

• The President is elected from the General Assembly.• At the beginning of each year, the General Assembly establishes, by

means of the Yearly Program, the general objectives and main activities to be carried out. The program is prepared and then introduced to the Assembly by the President and the Board, who are also responsible for its implementation with the support of the Technical Unit.

• The Board selects the Director of the Unit, and has responsibility for carrying out all the activities needed for the implementation of the program. At present, the Unit consists of a staff of six full-time experts.

Delegates Delegates

The GENERAL ASSEMBLY

President

3/4Members

The BOARD

3/4Members

Technical Unit

Responsible

Ministries Regions

Main characteristics• Formalised General assembly,

Board

Technical Unit• flexible small service enterprise

• federal

• technical

Is ReteNuvv portable to other situations in the new institutional framework?

ReteNuvv is an innovation in the Italian PA

• In the contents - To make “evaluation” a necessary step in decision-making

• The Offices – creating an in-house evaluation capacity within Public Sector

• The network – working together

• The ReteNuvv organization

NUVV

NUVV

NUVVNUVV

NUVV

NUVV

NUVVNUVV

NUVV

General AssemblyBoard

Technical Unit

ReteNuvv as an institutional structure

a professional community (Participants)

ReteNuvv products

• Implemented by ReteNuvv itself, according to yearly programme

• implemented by the Offices and disseminated by ReteNuvv

ReteNuvv activities • Developing the web-site as a tool for daily job • Meetings and workshop

– yearly meetings (3)– A meeting on project financing– Seminars on I/O matrices; evalsed; site developing

• Activities in o Ex post evaluation on contratti di programma impacts o Monitoring Progetti Integrati Territoriali (PIT)

• Services evaluation offices develop outlook : ad hoc surveys, documents analysis On-line Data Base on norms and laws directly related to evaluation offices outlook on Accordi di Programma Quadro evaluation process On-line Data Base on selected web site on evaluation and monitoring in different countries and

sectors ReteNews – electronic bulletin to Participants Evalsed translation I metadati statistici per la valutazione Security policies sub-site: laws, financial data, documents, links

• Guideliness Guide to feasibility studies certification Methodological guidelines for the ex ante evaluation of Accordi di Programma Quadro

Restrained to Participants

public

NUVV

others

data metadata

The site

Critical factors

To have common objectives and interests

To consider the net as a useful tool / to feel membership

To use the net “technology”:

To share and exchange experiences, doing together

To communicate – to be recognisedas a network

How to build up a network ?

The knots of institutional network

• heterogeneityOrganisation CompetenciesPosition in the administration mission

• Not yet stable

Implications for the net activities: a large variability during the time and across the offices

Tema A

Tema C

Tema B

ReteNuvv as a cluster-network depending on specific organisation, different activities and interests of the Nuvv

heterogeneity: a critical factor or opportunity?

Thanks for your attention

www.retenuvv.itE-mail: retenuvv@retenuvv.it