Smart Specialisation Evaluation: Setting the Scene

• It is important that evaluation exercises are focused on a few selected elements of the policy scheme; this facilitates identifying suitable evaluation questions and methodologies.
• Evaluation is meaningful only in the presence of well-specified evaluation questions, stemming from the specific information needs of the actors involved in Smart Specialisation Strategy.
• A well-defined intervention logic, linking clear ends with means, is essential for evaluation.
• Monitoring systems act as early-warning mechanisms signalling critical aspects in the implementation, which call for deeper assessment and understanding through evaluation exercises.
• To plan useful evaluations and increase the chances of their results being used require an ongoing commitment to develop a learning culture and build evaluation capabilities across institutions and stakeholders.

Authors:

GIANELLE Carlo, GUZZO Fabrizio, MARINELLI Elisabetta