Evaluation of the European Social Fund 2014-2020 Programme in England: qualitative case study research
This report discusses findings from 20 case studies with projects funded by the ESF 2014-2020 programme.
Applies to England
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The European Social Fund (ESF) was set up to improve employment opportunities in the European Union (EU) and thereby raise standards of living. The ESF 2014-20 Operational Programme aims to deliver against investment priorities defined by the European Commission (EC) to increase labour market participation, promote social inclusion and develop the skills of the potential and existing workforce. Three reports were commissioned as part of our obligations as members of the European Social Fund 2014-2020 to evaluate the programme in England and in doing so make an assessment of its effectiveness, impact and efficiency in meeting the programme aims.
As part of the impact evaluation of the ESF 2014 to 2020, the DWP commissioned IFF Research to carry out qualitative case study research with projects funded by the ESF in England. The research aimed to understand ‘what works’ in the delivery of employability and skills interventions via the ESF and to provide insight into ‘how’ and ‘why’ outcomes are achieved. The research also aimed to allow some exploration of softer outcomes that can be harder to identify through quantitative analysis.
The other reports included in this part of the evaluation are Youth Employment Initiative (YEI) Impact Evaluation and European Social Fund and Youth Employment Initiative Leavers Survey Report 2016-2019.