Learning the lessons has always been a core principle in the European Social Fund (ESF), and the 2007–2013 programme in England is no exception. From major studies of key issues across the whole country, to an individual project researching in depth the details of its own practice; a wealth of lessons, ideas and models of effective practice is becoming available, building on experience from earlier rounds of ESF.

ESF-Works aims to bring you the best of the learning from the current programme, along with advance notice of new developments, ideas and resources for more effective and insightful evaluation practice. You will also find links to encourage information exchange and dialogue between evaluators, practitioners, policy makers, researchers and funding bodies.

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The National ESF Evaluation programme

Simon Marlow, leader of the national evaluation team in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ESF Unit

Simon Marlow leads the national evaluation team in the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) ESF Unit, making sure that the achievements of the 2007-2013 programme are fully understood and lessons learnt. 'We are about showing ESF's effectiveness as a key tool in employment policy', says Simon, 'and identifying what works, and why'.

New 2011 ESF evaluations

DWP’s ESF evaluation team have now published new evaluations of key aspects of the fund in action, full of insights, recommendations and case studies:

  • Sustainable development and green jobs are benefiting from ESF investment, with the provider base increasingly delivering operational improvements. ESF’s contribution to Europe 2020’s goal of a green industrial revolution as the solution for future growth needs more specific support, drawing on lessons from the case studies summarised in the report. Many of these are featured in-depth in the ESF-Works Climate change theme.
  • The evaluation of Priorities 1 and 4 finds that provision for the unemployed and “hardest to help” is diverse and effective, but needs greater awareness at Jobcentre Plus to ensure the best referrals. Looking in depth at ESF’s delivery methods, the study highlights a need for more ESF-specific capacity building in supply chains, and recommends more flexibility for the best performing providers to do more.
  • A groundbreaking statistical analysis of the impact of ESF in England has found it delivers most added value for Incapacity Benefit and Employment Support Allowance customers.  Drawing praise from academic peers and the European Commission for its rigorous approach, DWP’s evaluation team have delivered the first thorough comparative analysis of the impact of ESF on customers of DWP's co-financing provision, compared to similar people without ESF experience. With a modest positive impact on Jobseekers Allowance claimants, but much greater impact on employment outcomes for those on Incapacity Benefit and Employment Support Allowance, the study is a major contribution to understanding of the programme. It provides evidence to support the decision to refocus DWP ESF funding for 2011-2013 on the most disadvantaged. This will be achieved by supporting employment focused provision for families with multiple problems, and additional voluntary places on the Work Programme for incapacity benefit and income support claimants.

Reports on gender equality and equal opportunities and in-work training were published during 2010, highlighting many other lessons for professionals throughout the employment field, while the third report on the ESF cohort survey will add further insights into the experiences, progress and outcomes for people taking part in ESF programmes.

Other new national evaluations will take place during the remainder of the programme. They  will include further research into Priorities 1 and 4, a survey of 2011-13 participants, and a study of the lessons from Innovation, Transnationality and Mainstreaming projects.

ESF-Works is supporting the evaluation programme through its summaries of the key lessons and signposts to more information, case studies and resources.