Evaluation of national rural projects and co-ordination projects was completed

MDI and TK-Eval carried out an evaluation for Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry regarding the national projects funded by Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland in May-December 2017.

The evaluation included four sections: national projects during 2007-2013 and 2014-2016, ongoing co-ordination projects and national project management. The findings are based on documentary data, follow-up data, stakeholder and target audience surveys, interviews and network analysis.

The findings show that national projects and co-ordination projects create and consolidate thematic networks. In addition, they improve co-operation between operators and produce and disseminate information benefiting the industries. The evaluation also revealed that nationwide project activities need regional contacts and access to the regions, as regional activities significantly contribute to national implementation and the success of the project.

The importance of digital and multichannel communication in the national project work during the new programming period was also remarkable. Successful communication is a brand work that is reflected in professionalism, high quality output and multi-channel. Therefore, the design and implementation of projects should emphasize professional communication and provide enough resources for communication. In addition, communication networks and networks in the rural network should be better utilized in communications on the actions and results of national projects and co-ordination projects.

The recommendations of the evaluation were mainly related to the selection of national projects and co-ordination projects, project design and project monitoring.

The final report (in Finnish) can be found here: https://www.maaseutu.fi/maaseutuverkosto/vaikutukset/arviointi/valtakunnallisten-ja-koordinaatiohankkeiden-arviointi/