Improving evaluation competencies in SEE

In front of more and more differentiating innovation policy and funding mixes in SEE, which increasingly leverage national budgets and bridge between different policy fields, the absence of sufficient endogenous RTDI evaluation capacities causes a serious bottleneck for the entire innovation management cycle.

Thus, the key objective of EVAL-INNO (Fostering Evaluation Competencies in Research, Technology, and Innovation in the SEE Region) was to strengthen regional as well as national evaluation capacities in order to improve framework conditions for innovation policies, programmes, institutions, and projects. In particular, the project:
+ promoted the role of RTDI evaluation as crucial condition for a reflexive learning innovation system
+ developed needed capacities/competencies for comprehensive RTDI evaluations
+ provided procedural and methodological know-how and tool-kits both on the side of evaluators and on the side of awarding authorities

EVAL-INNO focused on capacity building and institutional support. The main target groups were policy-makers and policy-delivery systems, innovation infrastructures, and (potential) RTDI evaluators. An easily accessible and systematically structured Regional RTDI Evaluation Platform was programmed, and then subdivided in four distinct databases which are continuously updated. The Platform serves the information needs of both evaluators and awarding authorities (agencies, ministries). For them, distinct training modules were prepared and implemented with an emphasis on methodological and procedural issues. Special training and knowledge for an optimum use of public procurement for RTDI evaluations and promotion of innovation was provided too. In addition, three RTDI programme evaluations and a comparative benchmarking of intermediary innovation organisations were carried out based on sound methodological designs. Outputs and results of EVAL-INNO were promoted through a large international conference. A business plan for sustaining the Regional RTDI Evaluation Platform based as a fee-based membership system was developed.

Team:

• DI Martin Felix Gajdusek (project leader)
• Magª. Pamela Bartar, MAS
• Patricia Grygar
• Univ. Prof. Mag. Dr. Josef Hochgerner (external Senior Advisor)
• Brigitte Mandak
• Mag. Ines Marinkovic
• Erwin Rennert
• Mag. Dr. Klaus Schuch
• Mag. Ivan Zupan

Section: Research Policy & Development

Funding institutions and customers:

• Bundesministerium für Bildung, Wissenschaft und Forschung
• South East Europe Transnational Cooperation Programme

• Applied Research and Communications Fund
• Mihajlo Pupin Institute
• National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (Centre of Financial Studies)
• Public Foundation for the Development of Industry - Hungary
• University of Montenegro

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• Event: SEE Annual Event 2013
• News: EVAL-INNO Final conference 25-26 March 2014
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Tags: evaluation, innovation, internationalisation, scientific networks, Southeast Europe