ESF Information Memo 26/20 - Mid-term evaluation of the 2014 – 2020 programme

Dear Project Promoter,

As previously notified in ESF Memo 5/20 the Managing Authority has commissioned an impact evaluation of the NI ESF Programme to establish the effectiveness, efficiency and impact of the Programme.

The evaluation will assess the progress of the programme, the continuing relevance of its design and recommend any improvements required. It may also help inform the development of future spending priorities.

As part of this process a tender exercise was carried out and Grant Thornton (GT) was appointed to conduct the evaluation. As part of the evaluation GT will undertake a survey with previous and current participants from all projects.

We will contact you shortly with a list of participants who have been randomly selected by GT to participate in the survey. The number of participants in your sample is proportionate to the number of participants in your project. We will be requesting that you contact each of the selected participants with a pre-drafted letter to ask whether they agree to participate in the survey, and if they are, to provide you with their contact details. A pre-drafted Privacy Notice will also be required to be issued to the participants. (We will provide you with a copy of both the pre-drafted letter which will include a Participant Contact Details form and the Privacy Notice).

When participants agree to participate and provide you with their contact details you should send these to ESF Project Delivery Branch via Globalscape.

Whilst there is no obligation for participants to take part in the survey, we would be keen for their views to be taken into account and would therefore ask that you encourage them to participate.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your help with this.

Regards,

Annie McGowan
Head of ESF Project Delivery Branch