BGI Consulting evaluated EU investments into the road sector

BGI Consulting performed the evaluation of planning and implementation efficiency of the EU structural assistance for the road sector. Evaluation results were presented in the report and specially organized conference.  

The evaluation questions were classified according to the evaluation criteria such as relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, sustainability and impact. 

Considering the changes of economic situation the relevance of the aims and objectives stated for the investment into the road sector, measures and planned projects were evaluated. Two different aspects of relevance were evaluated: relevance considering the changes of social and economic situation and relevance considering the changes in strategic agenda for road sector. The coherence of intervention logic was analysed as well.

The analysis of relevance of the allocation of the EU structural assistance procedures greatly focused on project ideas identification process. Furthermore, the analysis of the other countries’ experience in identifying project ideas and appraising projects of the road sector was carried out. 

The evaluation according to the effectiveness criteria enabled to find out whether the expected results were achieved. The sufficiency of the allocations for the projects was assessed using the results of effectiveness evaluation. The financial data and monitoring indicators were broadly used when measuring the effectiveness.
The efficiency criteria was applied in order to measure whether the aims and objectives were achieved at the lowest cost and whether better results could be achieved with the same volume of allocations. Relative indicators as the average price of one unit were calculated and compared with the respected other countries’ indicators. The data of Latvia, Hungary, Poland and Czech Republic were used for comparison. Public procurement data were analysed in order to identify the competition level among the services providers and conditions for the lowest prices.

The sustainability of the results is understood in terms of usage of the results in the future and social-economic benefits remained after the implementation of the programme.

The macroeconomic modelling based on baseline scenario (counterfactual situation) was applied assessing the impacts of the investment. A widely appreciated model HERMIN which is applied in the studies for the European Parliament and European Commission was used. The results of the macroeconomic modelling were supplemented with the results of the ex-post cost-benefit analysis of the completed projects. 

The information of the interviews with the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Transport Investment Directorate and the Lithuanian Road Administration under the Ministry of Transport and Communications supplemented the information sources used.
  
The evaluation was commissioned by Ministry of Transport and Communications, Lithuania