A new impact assessment and analysis reveals the success of the Know-How Exchange Programme (KEP) in taking advantage of the transition experience of recently admitted EU members in order to avoid obstacles and speed up processes in the countries that aim at filling similar development gaps.
The high impact and sustainability of the know-how transfers co-financed by the CEI Fund at the EBRD stand out among the many valuable findings of the Lessons for Sustainable Transition Impact. This analysis, conducted by the Office for the CEI Fund at the EBRD, provides an unparalleled insight into the achievements of the KEP. It also sheds a precious light on the importance of continuing to finance KEP interventions. The Programme is expected to strengthen even further with the implementation of this report’s recommendations. Lessons for Sustainable Transition Impact was presented to the CEI Committee of National Coordinators at their meeting at the CEI Headquarters on 13 September 2011. The study shows that the CEI Fund at the EBRD, through the KEP, has enabled a momentous transformation: institutions from the new EU members have joined the efforts of their fellow organisations in ‘old’ EU members and have became important and reliable know-how donors. The presentation stressed the insignificant differences in the impact and sustainability of projects based on the country of origin of the donors. This has important relevance when comparing the results of projects undertaken by donors from ‘old’ vis-à-vis more recent EU Member States. Two implications were pointed out: first, it demonstrates that the emerging donor members of the CEI have developed comparatively effective aid activities. Second, it suggests the continuing need for the KEP in the future, as the CEI-EU members consolidate their development and learn lessons useful for the CEI members remaining outside the European Union Lessons for Sustainable Transition Impact represents the first attempt of the CEI to undertake such a detailed evaluation of KEP assignments. The evaluating team chose seven projects representing a relevant cross-section of the entire population of 43 assignments committed since the Programme’s establishment in 2004. The CEI evaluators then carried out fact-finding missions to project recipients and assessed the relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, impact and sustainability of each project’s implementation and results. A common feature of all evaluated projects was the high level of the commitment of the beneficiaries. In spite of this, however, it appears that only some types of know-how lend themselves to transfers through projects of this financial scope. Higher impact appears to be connected with the transfer of more practical skills, especially through a combination of theoretical training and more practical activities. The evaluation also indicates that the interventions, in which donors and recipients had previously interacted, seem to generate higher sustainability. Lessons for Sustainable Transition Impact brought about a set of recommendations. Many of them highlight the need to fine-tune the role of the Office for the CEI Fund at the EBRD in the monitoring of the project implementation. Another contribution of this report lies in the definition of easily applicable criteria for a regular and systematic evaluation of KEP projects. For more information: kelera@ebrd.com Download the full report