[{"bbox": [140, 152, 1135, 233], "category": "Text", "text": "Data collection and reporting is under the responsibility of the implementing partners. Specific studies supporting data collection may also be funded under the regular budget of the action (budget lines grants or procurement)."}, {"bbox": [140, 233, 1135, 285], "category": "Text", "text": "Active and meaningful participation of stakeholders in the Education sector, including their identification, will be sought, via regular exchanges with national authorities and civil society."}, {"bbox": [130, 299, 310, 327], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 5.2 Evaluation"}, {"bbox": [140, 348, 1135, 404], "category": "Text", "text": "Having regard to the nature of the action, a final evaluation will be carried out for this action or its components via independent consultants contracted by the Commission."}, {"bbox": [140, 405, 1135, 485], "category": "Text", "text": "It will be carried out for accountability and learning purposes at various levels (including for policy revision), taking into account in particular the fact that it will be necessary to verify, in particular, whether the action has been able to strengthen the capacities of national authorities and civil society actors in a sustainable way."}, {"bbox": [140, 509, 1135, 617], "category": "Text", "text": "The Commission shall inform the implementing partner at least 2 months in advance of the dates envisaged for the evaluation missions. The implementing partner shall collaborate efficiently and effectively with the evaluation experts, and inter alia provide them with all necessary information and documentation, as well as access to the project premises and activities."}, {"bbox": [140, 617, 1135, 696], "category": "Text", "text": "Evaluation will assess to what extent the action is considering the human rights based approach, as well as how it contributes to gender equality and women's empowerment. Expertise on human rights and gender equality will be ensured in the evaluation teams."}, {"bbox": [140, 696, 1135, 829], "category": "Text", "text": "The evaluation reports shall be shared with the partner country and other key stakeholders following the best practice of evaluation dissemination¹⁷. The implementing partner and the Commission shall analyse the conclusions and recommendations of the evaluations and, where appropriate, in agreement with the partner country, jointly decide on the follow-up actions to be taken and any adjustments necessary, including, if indicated, the reorientation of the project."}, {"bbox": [140, 829, 758, 855], "category": "Text", "text": "Evaluation services may be contracted under a framework contract."}, {"bbox": [130, 869, 447, 898], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 5.3 Audit and Verifications"}, {"bbox": [140, 915, 1135, 996], "category": "Text", "text": "Without prejudice to the obligations applicable to contracts concluded for the implementation of this action, the Commission may, on the basis of a risk assessment, contract independent audit or verification assignments for one or several contracts or agreements."}, {"bbox": [130, 1022, 1067, 1057], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 6 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY"}, {"bbox": [140, 1089, 1135, 1144], "category": "Text", "text": "The 2021-2027 programming cycle will adopt a new approach to pooling, programming and deploying strategic communication and public diplomacy resources."}, {"bbox": [140, 1168, 1135, 1329], "category": "Text", "text": "It will remain a contractual obligation for all entities implementing EU-funded external actions to inform the relevant audiences of the Union's support for their work by displaying the EU emblem and a short funding statement as appropriate on all communication materials related to the actions concerned. This obligation will continue to apply equally, regardless of whether the actions concerned are implemented by the Commission, partner countries, service providers, grant beneficiaries or entrusted or delegated entities such as UN agencies, international financial institutions and agencies of EU member states."}, {"bbox": [140, 1353, 1135, 1486], "category": "Text", "text": "However, action documents for specific sector programmes are in principle no longer required to include a provision for communication and visibility actions promoting the programmes concerned. These resources will instead be consolidated in Cooperation Facilities established by support measure action documents, allowing Delegations to plan and execute multiannual strategic communication and public diplomacy actions with sufficient critical mass to be effective on a national scale."}, {"bbox": [130, 1620, 525, 1646], "category": "Footnote", "text": "¹⁷ See best [practice of evaluation dissemination](#)"}, {"bbox": [1118, 1654, 1144, 1678], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "28"}]