Objective The proposed research aims at: i) developing quantitative techniques that enable a non-biased ex-post evaluation of the impact of EU RD programmes, i.e. disentangling the programme effect from other exogenous factors; calculating programmes substitution, replacement, deadweight loss and other indirect effects; ii) deriving an aggregated indicator of regional development, the Rural Development Index (RDI), to be used for ex-ante and ex-post evaluations of RD programmes in rural areas; iii) developing quantitative techniques that enable a more precise ex-ante evaluations of RD programmes by taking into consideration the impact of tangible and intangible factors; iv) comparing evaluation results of quantitative advanced methods with those of qualitative methodologies; v) providing policy recommendations for an improved evaluation of RD programs in the EU. Applied methodology includes: (1) Development and estimation of the RDI allowing assessment of an overall impact of RD programmes. (2) Derivation of ex-post evaluation tools that combine innovative econometric methods, i.e. propensity score matching, double difference methodology and RDIs. (3) Quantitative network analyses to identify characteristic network structure enhancing or impeding the effectiveness of RD-programmes. (4) Derivation of innovative tools for ex ante evaluation of RD programmes by using an agent-based model that incorporates the embeddedness of political and economic action in social networks to economic analysis. (5) Comparison, assessment and statistical validation of innovative methodological tools. Derived set of innovative tools will be calibrated and applied by using available data and indicators in selected NUTS 3-5 regions in Slovakia and Poland. A successful completion of the proposed research will improve learning about the economic and social consequences of RD programs and reinforce the quality of monitoring and evaluation systems and strengthen the policy design process. Fields of science social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsmacroeconomicssocial scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsmicroeconomicssocial scienceseconomics and businessbusiness and managementemployment Programme(s) FP6-POLICIES - Policy support: Specific activities covering wider field of research under the Focusing and Integrating Community Research programme 2002-2006. Topic(s) POLICIES-1.1 - The modernisation and sustainability of agriculture and forestry Call for proposal FP6-2004-SSP-4 See other projects for this call Funding Scheme STREP - Specific Targeted Research Project Coordinator CHRISTIAN ALBRECHTS UNIVERSITY OF KIEL EU contribution No data Address Olshausenstr. 40 KIEL Germany See on map Total cost No data Participants (8) Sort alphabetically Sort by EU Contribution Expand all Collapse all RHEINISCHE FRIEDRICH-WILHELMS-UNIVERSITAET BONN Germany EU contribution No data Address Regina-Pacis-Weg 3 BONN See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX United Kingdom EU contribution No data Address Sussex House FALMER, BRIGHTON See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data UNIVERSITEIT UTRECHT Netherlands EU contribution No data Address Heidelberglaan 2 80125 UTRECHT See on map Total cost No data UNIVERSITÄT MANNHEIM Germany EU contribution No data Address Schloss Postfach MANNHEIM See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data INSTITUTE OF RURAL AND AGRICULTURAL DEVELOPMENT Poland EU contribution No data Address Nowy Swiat 72 WARSAW See on map Links Website Opens in new window Total cost No data INSTITUT EKONOMIKI ROLINCTWA I GOSPODARKI ZYWNOSCIOWEJ Poland EU contribution No data Address Swietokrzyska 20 984 WARSAW See on map Total cost No data RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD ECONOMICS Slovakia EU contribution No data Address Trencianska 55 BRATISLAVA See on map Total cost No data EUROPROJECTS-LBV GMBH Germany EU contribution No data Address Lorentzendamm 45 KIEL See on map Total cost No data