Review of international approaches to evaluating rural and community development investment and supports

Abstract

The mission of the Economic and Social Research Institute is to advance evidencebased policymaking that supports economic sustainability and social progress in Ireland. ESRI researchers apply the highest standards of academic excellence to challenges facing policymakers, focusing on 12 areas of critical importance to 21st Century Ireland.The Institute was founded in 1960 by a group of senior civil servants led by Dr T. K. Whitaker, who identified the need for independent and in-depth research analysis to provide a robust evidence base for policymaking in Ireland.Since then, the Institute has remained committed to independent research and its work is free of any expressed ideology or political position. The Institute publishes all research reaching the appropriate academic standard, irrespective of its findings or who funds the research.The quality of its research output is guaranteed by a rigorous peer review process. ESRI researchers are experts in their fields and are committed to producing work that meets the highest academic standards and practices.The work of the Institute is disseminated widely in books, journal articles and reports. ESRI publications are available to download, free of charge, from its website. Additionally, ESRI staff communicate research findings at regular conferences and seminars.The ESRI is a company limited by guarantee, answerable to its members and governed by a Council, comprising 14 members who represent a cross-section of ESRI members from academia, civil services, state agencies, businesses and civil society. The Institute receives an annual grant-in-aid from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to support the scientific and public interest elements of the Institute's activities; the grant accounted for an average of 30 per cent of the Institute's income over the lifetime of the last Research Strategy. The remaining funding comes from research programmes supported by government departments and agencies, public bodies and competitive research programmes.

Developing a framework to monitor rural development policy in Ireland: Opportunities and challenges

“…Also, using quanTtaTve indicators to evaluate programmes can be limited by data gaps and an inability to measure the less tangible aspects associated with policy intervenTons (Yang et al, 2015). For these reasons, the naTonal and internaTonal literature provides limited evidence of formal counterfactual assessments of rural policy intervenTons (Whelan et al, 2021;Castaño et al, 2019). Castaño et al (2019) review several counterfactual analyses that examine the impacts of the EU Rural Development Programme and find that while counterfactual analysis is recommended by the EU, it remains lacking in number.…”

“…In their assessment of rural monitoring and evaluaTon, in addiTon to the BIO model for formal evaluaTons, Whelan et al (2021) point to the potenTal for a greater use of official staTsTcs when monitoring and evaluaTng rural projects. In parTcular, they highlight the potenTal of a 2018 iniTaTve by the CSO that developed a six-way urban-rural categorisaTon of Ireland (Whelan et al, 2021). Urban areas were subdivided into three categories: ciTes, satellite urban towns and independent urban towns.…”

“…This rural classificaTon was based on the proporTon of usual residents in employment in urban areas. Whelan et al (2021) argue that incorporaTng such informaTon into evaluaTon and monitoring procedures measures is likely to represent an important development.…”

“…This report is the second research output under a programme established in 2019 between the DRCD and the ESRI to assist the DRCD in meeTng its goal of increasing capacity to monitor and evaluate its work. The first study (Whelan et al 2021) idenTfied internaTonal best pracTce with regards to evaluaTng and monitoring the impacts of rural and community development spending.…”