[{"bbox": [129, 152, 1144, 237], "category": "Text", "text": "The contractors/implementing partners will be required to establish baselines and targets at the start of the project, to measure achievement on the indicators and targets. If necessary, the contractors/implementing partners will also undertake data collection and survey."}, {"bbox": [129, 255, 1120, 310], "category": "Text", "text": "All activities will be closely monitored and evaluated to assess outputs, outcomes and possible up-scaling to other provinces."}, {"bbox": [129, 329, 326, 357], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 5.2 Evaluation"}, {"bbox": [129, 377, 1144, 434], "category": "Text", "text": "Having regard to the nature of the action, a mid-term evaluation may be carried out for this action or its components via independent consultants contracted by the Commission."}, {"bbox": [129, 452, 1144, 539], "category": "Text", "text": "All evaluations shall 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": [129, 557, 1133, 585], "category": "Text", "text": "It will be carried out for accountability and learning purposes at various levels (including for policy revision)."}, {"bbox": [129, 603, 1144, 720], "category": "Text", "text": "The Commission shall inform the implementing partner at least 1 month 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": [129, 738, 1144, 825], "category": "Text", "text": "The evaluation reports may be shared with the partners and other key stakeholders following the best practice of evaluation dissemination.²³ The implementing partner and the Commission shall analyse the conclusions and recommendations of the evaluations and, where appropriate, apply the necessary adjustments."}, {"bbox": [129, 843, 1144, 1046], "category": "Text", "text": "The evaluation plan (or component in the foreseen evaluation) should assess the distributional impact of activities undertaken on the socio-economically disadvantaged individuals, households or groups. This can be done through the Distributional Impact Assessment tool (DIA). The DIA analysis looks at the effective targeting of beneficiaries of development interventions, identifying if more than 40 per cent of beneficiaries are at the bottom two quintiles of the income or wealth distribution. It also allows to evaluate whether effective targeting has been done towards women, children and youth or other disadvantaged groups (e.g. ethnic minorities) or at territorial level. Expertise on inequality reduction will be ensured in the evaluation teams."}, {"bbox": [129, 1062, 749, 1089], "category": "Text", "text": "Evaluation services may be contracted under a framework contract."}, {"bbox": [129, 1108, 1073, 1137], "category": "Text", "text": "The financing of the evaluation may be covered by another measure constituting a Financing Decision."}, {"bbox": [129, 1150, 464, 1178], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 5.3 Audit and Verifications"}, {"bbox": [129, 1195, 1144, 1280], "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": [129, 1308, 1072, 1342], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 6 STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION AND PUBLIC DIPLOMACY"}, {"bbox": [129, 1373, 1144, 1430], "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": [129, 1448, 1144, 1589], "category": "Text", "text": "In line with the 2022 “Communicating and Raising EU Visibility: Guidance for External Actions”, 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"}, {"bbox": [129, 1621, 451, 1645], "category": "Footnote", "text": "²³ See best [practice of evaluation dissemination](#)"}, {"bbox": [1027, 1681, 1144, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 23 of 25"}]