The overall objective of this community is to contribute to better use of ESF/ESF+ funding. This is done through promoting and facilitating the design and implementation of measures to simplify procedures and reduce administrative costs and burdens for ESF authorities and stakeholders.
The Community of Practice on Results-based Management focuses on the exchange of knowledge, experience, and practice exchanges at the European level. This community of practice addresses three sub-themes: Simplified Cost Options (SCO), results-based approaches, and simplification of ESF/ESF+.
Simplified Cost Options (SCOs)
This sub-theme builds on the work carried out by the Thematic Network on Simplification by mapping SCOs and exchanging good practices; supporting the process of designing EU-level SCOs; fostering the establishment of partnerships between managing and audit authorities.
Sub-theme publications:
- Simplified Cost Options – A practitioners' manual (2021)
- Ex ante assessment of Simplified Cost Options and partnerships between managing authorities and audit authorities – How to do it? (2021)
Results-based approaches
This sub-theme contributes to identifying tried-and-tested approaches to support managing authorities in designing and implementing programmes where reimbursements are based on achievement of results or fulfilment of certain conditions. For instance, the community explores how to introduce "financing methods not linked to costs" (as described in Article 95 of the Common Provisions Regulation 2021-2027) as a way to balance programme flexibility with audit and control requirements, including the possibility to rely on existing domestic systems.
Exchanges among members of this community of practice should lead towards a common understanding, while providing practical examples and advocating for leaner procedures with financial authorities.
Sub-theme publications:
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Results-based approaches: selected case reports of ESF-funded practices (Upcoming, July 2022)
Simplification of ESF/ESF+
This sub-theme covers the simplification of the ESF/ESF+ management to reduce administrative costs and burden and shift the focus towards results. Simplifying the work of authorities and stakeholders requires proposals and solutions covering the entire life cycle of ESF/ESF+ programmes. The sub-theme assesses the transferability of solutions, taking into account aspects such as administrative cultures and customs; the trade-off between the potential reduction of administrative cost and burden; and the investment in terms of capacity building and technology required.
Sub-theme publications:
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Simplification measures: selected case reports of ESF-funded practices (Upcoming, June 2022)
Activities
Find out what activities have taken place as part of this community of practice. Use the menu below to see each activity.
Please note: Activities are updated on an ongoing basis.
The kick-off meeting jump-started the work of the community of practice in the framework of the ESF Transnational Cooperation Platform until June 2022. The aim of the kick-off meeting was to present and discuss the objectives of the community of practice, the sub-themes and the work programme, allowing members to express interest in hosting or participating in mutual learning events, and to introduce communication mechanisms and ways of co-working.
- Agenda: ESF TCP Kick-off meeting of the Community of Practice on Results-based Management (2020) - English (98.7 KB - PDF)
- Summary report: ESF TCP Kick-off meeting of the Community of Practice on Results-based Management (2020) - English (105 KB - PDF)
Members of the Community of Practice on Results-based Management and practitioners of the Thematic Network on Simplified Cost Options (SCO) in relation to the European Rural Development Fund and the Cohesion Fund (TN ERDF/CF SCO), came together to discuss the recent draft of the Guidance on SCOs.
Representatives from the European Commission DG Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion and DG Regional and Urban Policy responded to the questions of managing and auditing Authorities on various aspects of the guidance note. Participants comments and insights were included in a consolidated document that was submitted to the expert group on European Structural and Investment Funds (EGESIF) for approval. Over 160 representatives from 25 Members States attended the event.
- Agenda: Joint ESF/ERDF meeting on the Guidance Note on Simplified Cost Options (2020) - English (81.4 KB - PDF)
This workshop identified actions and recommendations for Members States and the European Commission to overcome challenges and to submit proposals for the adoption of simplified cost options (SCOs) for the programming period 2021-2027.
The workshop highlighted the importance of investing in collaboration and communication between managing authorities and auditing authorities by setting up a strategy based on a clear definition of roles and responsibilities.
The workshop also revised the initial 146 SCO proposals from 20 Member States to be filed for ESF+ in line with article 88 of the Common Provisions Regulation.
- Agenda: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management first meeting of the sub-group on ‘Simplified Cost Options’ (2021) - English (104 KB - PDF)
- Summary report: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management first meeting of the subgroup on Simplified Cost Options (2021) - English (136 KB - PDF)
This plenary meeting brought together 86 representatives from both managing and auditing authorities. The meeting was an opportunity to discuss practices on results-based approaches and financing not linked to costs, as well as areas to be further analysed in future meetings.
Participants revised and approved the detailed outlines of two manuals on simplified cost options and ex ante assessments that were later prepared in the summer of 2021.
The workshop aimed at revising the first drafts of the two practitioners' manuals on 'Simplified Costs Options' and 'Ex ante assessment and partnership between managing authorities and audit authorities'. Moreover, participants proposed and selected relevant practices to be featured in the manuals.
- Agenda: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management second meeting of the sub-group on ‘Simplified Cost Options’ Practical guides (2021) - English (112 KB - PDF)
- Summary report: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management second meeting of the sub-group on ‘Simplified Cost Options’ (2021) - English (121 KB - PDF)
The aim of this workshop was to define the categories and approaches that would help members of the Community of Practice on Results-based Management to identify innovative cases. During the event, participants presented and discussed their experiences with results-based approaches (both successful and not), focusing on success criteria, innovation and transferability of their initiatives.
- Agenda: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management first meeting of the sub-group on ‘Results-based approaches’ (2021) - English (88.8 KB - PDF)
- Summary report: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management first meeting of the sub-group on ‘Results-based approaches’ (2021) - English (135 KB - PDF)
The workshop supported members of the Community of Practice on Results-based Management to discuss strategic and technical issues around the design and implementation of financing not linked to costs (FNLC). Participants identified the most suitable types of ESF operations to be covered by FNLC, the risk involved with this scheme and the possibility of combining result and process/input-based approaches within FNLC. The outcome of these discussions will be the basis for a recommendation paper to be prepared in the first half of 2022.
- Agenda: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management second meeting of the sub-group on ‘Results-based approaches’ (2021) - English (100 KB - PDF)
- Summary report: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management first meeting of the subgroup on ‘Simplification’ (2021) - English (219 KB - PDF)
The second plenary meeting of the Community of Practice on Results-Based Management took stock of the work conducted by members, such as the preparation of the two practical guides, the mapping of Simplified Cost Option (SCO) practices as well as the identification of case studies on results-based approaches. Moreover, members agreed upon the main topics to be tackled in autumn by the new sub-group on simplification, such as fully electronic processes for selection of operations and risk-based sampling methodologies for payment claim checks.
- Agenda: ESF TCP second Plenary Meeting of the Community of Practice on Results-based Management (2021) - English (130 KB - PDF)
- Summary report: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management2ndplenary meeting (2021) - English (195 KB - PDF)
During this workshop, participants reviewed and discussed 52 practices developed by 12 Member States to reduce administrative costs and burden of the ESF/ESF+ management. In particular, participants highlighted that:
- risk-based sampling could be very useful to reduce administrative costs and burdens related to management verifications as it allowed more efficient and effective on-the-spot checks;
- a simpler, more efficient and transparent process of selection of operations could generate important advantages both for authorities and stakeholders
- stronger national coordination, ensuring a common understanding and interpretation of the rules, could enhance legal certainty and prevent errors and inefficiencies.
- Agenda: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management first meeting of the sub-group on ‘Simplification’ (2021) - English (100 KB - PDF)
- Summary report: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management first meeting of the subgroup on ‘Simplification’ (2021) - English (219 KB - PDF)
This workshop built on the initial findings of a European report on SCOs and financing not linked to costs. Participants provided inputs and feedback to design two EU-level SCOs that could be applicable to youth mobility initiatives as well as programmes supporting community social services.
- Agenda: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management Sub-group on ‘Simplified Cost Options’ meeting - EU level SCOs (2021) - English (165 KB - PDF)
- Summary report: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management Sub-group on ‘Simplified Cost Options’ meeting - EU level SCOs (2021) - English (259 KB - PDF)
This plenary meeting informed the community of practice members about the activities that had taken place in the fall of 2021. The meeting included practical examples of Simplified Cost Options (SCO) under article 94 of the Common Provisions Regulation (CPR) for the 2021-2027 programming period. In the group discussions, participants shared information around the development of SCOs in Member States and identified ways to facilitate the preparation and submission of proposals under art. 94.
- Agenda: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management third plenary meeting (2021) - English (161 KB - PDF)
- Summary report: ESF TCP Community of Practice on Results-based Management third plenary meeting (2021) - English (347 KB - PDF)
At the first working group meeting, participants discussed way to enhance common understanding of rules, proportionate control arrangements and methodologies for risk-based management verifications. The working group is chaired by representatives from the Croatian managing authority and audit authority, and it is part of the work of Community of Practice on Results-based Management.
This meeting brought together representatives of managing and audit authorities from 16 Member States peer-reviewed seven practices designed to finance ESF initiatives based on the results of the activities rather than their simple implementation. These practices were summarised into case reports and presented during the workshop by representatives from Belgium, Finland, Finland, France, Lithuania, Malta, Portugal and the Slovak Republic. Moreover, at the meeting, participants proposed common recommendations for the new paper on Financing Not Linked to Costs.
Agenda: Third meeting of the results-based approaches sub-group (2022) - English (143 KB – PDF)
Summary report: Third meeting of the results-based approaches sub-group (2022) - English (181 KB – PDF)
The second meeting of the sub-group on ‘Simplification’ under the Community of Practices (CoP) on Results-based Management (RBM), was dedicated to presenting and discussing the draft case reports on simplification practices prepared by CoP members (Croatia, Estonia and Portugal), sharing updates on the working group on ‘management verifications and proportionate control’ and to identify key recommendations around simplification for ESF+ programmes.
Agenda: Workshop on Taking forward simplification in ESF+ (2022) - English (146 KB – PDF)
Summary report: Workshop on Taking forward simplification in ESF+ (2022) - English (164 KB – PDF)
During the second meeting, the working group prepared the outline for the recommendation paper on "Risk-based management verifications under Article 74 (2) CPR 2021-2027". The outline was later presented and validated at the 4th Plenary Meeting in May 2022.
The fourth plenary meeting of the Community of Practice was dedicated to discussing the preparation of Simplified Cost Options and Financing Not Linked to Costs schemes for the 2021- 2027 period, presenting proposals for SCOs adopted by the European Commission, presenting and discussing practices and recommendations around Results-based approaches and simplification, identifying new tasks and topics to enhance simplification in ESF+ programmes.The meeting was organised in a hybrid format with the support of the Croatian authorities.
Agenda: 4th Plenary Meeting (2022) – English (173 KB – PDF)
Summary report: 4th Plenary Meeting (2022) – English (212 KB – PDF)
