Ex-post Evaluation of the Estonian EU External Border Programme

The Estonian EU External Border Programme is one of the European Neighbourhood and Partnership’s cross-border cooperation programmes (2014-2020). Its strategic objectives of promoting economic and social development in border regions, tackling common environmental and social challenges and creating better conditions for the movement of people, goods and capital.

Furthermore, the evaluation of the programme aims to analyse the effectiveness of the implementation of the programme and its impact on the programme area. Consequently, the results of the programme evaluation will provide valuable insights and help to identify:

• What has been the effectiveness of the programme implementation and its impact on the programme areas?
• What were the internal and external determinants of programme action outcomes?
• What were the general lessons that can be used in the implementation of other programmes?

As a result, the evaluators will carry out the evaluation in three phases:

1. Examination of secondary sources and primary administrative data.
2. Conducting interviews with programme management staff at all levels; filling in an online questionnaire among project partners; in-depth interviews with beneficiaries.
3. Data evaluation and analysis; drawing recommendations and conclusions.

Moreover, the evaluation of the EU External Borders Programme will help the Estonian state to understand the impact of cross-border cooperation on Estonia’s peripheral regions. Additionally, it will provide input and insights to the EU on the challenges faced by border regions.

The Institute of Baltic Studies is an independent think-tank, established in 1996. It carries out research and provides high quality socio-economic analysis.