What’s new at CEA
Valuing the benefits of regeneration
CEA has recently completed a major study for the Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) to examine how the benefits of regeneration and economic development might be valued. The research, which was undertaken in association with eftec, CRESR (Sheffield Hallam University) and Anne Green at the University of Warwick, provides an analytical framework that will underpin a programme of research on the value of the benefits from regeneration and how they compare with the relevant costs. The study assembled the available evidence base, identified potential challenges and provided constructive suggestions on how these could be overcome. It also calculates high level estimates for benefit cost ratios and value for money both generally and for specific types of scheme. The main report can be downloaded here. Volume 2 (Logic chains and literature review) is available here. For the Technical Report on environmental quality and amenity click here.
Evaluation of EU Cohesion Policy 2007-2013
We are part of an expert evaluation network delivering policy analysis on the performance of Cohesion Policy 2007-2013. The objective of this network of experts is to synthesise evidence on the performance of EU Cohesion Policy in the 2007-2013 period by looking at the physical and financial performance of the operational programmes. It will also analyse evidence coming from evaluations undertaken in EU Member States and identify examples of good practice in evaluation (interesting methods, good data, etc.). The studies that may be useful and interesting for other Member States will be available in the REGIO on-line library. The Evaluation Unit has started to publish the approved country reports on achievements of Cohesion Policy on the DG Regio website. These can be found by clicking here.
Additionality benchmarks
CEA has recently completed an assignment for the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) to capture new evaluation evidence on additionality as well as explore the latest thinking on particular areas of additionality, most notably agglomeration economies and their relevance for the multiplier adjustment. The study was designed to collate and analyse new evidence gathered on additionality in recent years, particularly as a result of the independent assessment of the impact of the spending of the nine English Regional Development Agencies. The work captured additionality data from over 280 evaluations covering a range of economic development and regeneration interventions across the UK. Data was gathered on deadweight, leakage, displacement, substitution and multiplier effects. Where sufficient data existed, a net additionality ratio was also captured. Results were given at two spatial levels: the sub-regional level and the regional level. Where available, data was also captured on key project characteristics allowing the additionality data to be disaggregated according to: the themes and sub-themes used by the recent RDA Impact Evaluation; whether the intervention was a programme or project; and the rationale for intervention.
A copy of the published report can be downloaded here.
National Evaluation of Participatory Budgeting in England
CEA are leading the cost-impact dimension of the national evaluation of Participatory Budgeting in England. Overall the evaluation aims to develop and provide evidence on different types of Participatory Budgeting approaches/models; track the processes and experiences of Participatory Budgeting, exploring how and why different types of Participatory Budgeting have an impact in different environments. The cost-impact dimension aims to build understanding of how to maximise the beneficial impacts and cost effectiveness of Participatory Budgeting. The work has been undertaken through eight case study areas and a number of self-evaluation areas. It has involved the collation of data on the financial and non-financial (time, in-kind expenditure) costs associated with setting up and running Participatory Budgeting exercises, alongside a consideration of the additional process, project and service benefits that Participatory Budgeting approaches have brought about. Following a preliminary scoping stage, an interim evaluation has just been completed and the evaluation will move into an impact assessment stage during Phase 2 in 2010.