FantasticSearch

1. Member States shall carry out an ex ante evaluation of each operational programme.

2. Ex ante evaluation shall be carried out under the responsibility of the authority responsible for preparing the operational programme. It shall be submitted to the Commission at the same time as the operational programme, together with an executive summary.

3. Ex ante evaluations of OP I shall appraise the following elements:

(a) the contribution to the Union objective of at least 20 million fewer people living in poverty or at risk of poverty and social exclusion by 2020, having regard to the selected type of material deprivation to be addressed and taking into account national circumstances in terms of poverty and social exclusion and material deprivation;

(b) the internal coherence of the proposed operational programme and its relation with other relevant financial instruments;

(c) the consistency of the allocation of budgetary resources with the objectives of the operational programme;

(d) the contribution of the expected outputs to the results and thus to the objectives of the Fund;

(e) the involvement of relevant stakeholders;

(f) the suitability of the procedures for monitoring the operational programme and for collecting the data necessary to carry out evaluations.

4. Ex ante evaluations of OP II shall appraise the following elements:

(a) the contribution to the promotion of social cohesion and poverty reduction in accordance with the Europe 2020 strategy, taking into account national needs;

(b) the internal coherence of the proposed programme and its relation with other relevant instruments, in particular the ESF;

(c) the consistency of the allocation of budgetary resources with the objectives of the programme;

(d) the relevance and clarity of the proposed programme specific indicators;

(e) how the expected outputs will contribute to results;

(f) whether the quantified target values for indicators are realistic, having regard to the support from the Fund envisaged;

(g) the rationale for the form of support proposed;

(h) the adequacy of human resources and administrative capacity for management of the programme;

(i) the suitability of the procedures for monitoring the programme and for collecting the data necessary to carry out evaluations;

(j) the adequacy of planned measures to promote equal opportunities between men and women and to prevent any discrimination.