Proceedings of the European Workshop on the Evaluation of Farm Investment Support, Investment Support for Improvement of Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Products

Contents: i - Angela Bergschmidt, Walter Dirksmeyer and Bernhard Forstner - Proceedings of the European Evaluation Workshop – Foreword -- PAPERS PRESENTED IN THE PLENARY SESSIONS -- 3 - Stefan Meyer - Methods for the Evaluation of Investment Support -- 15 - Andrea Pufahl - Programme Evaluation of Rural Development Plans – Purpose, Approaches and Exemplary Results -- 27 - Carel Gosselink - Agri Finance: Lost without Support? -- 33 - Anne Margarian - How to Evaluate a Measure without Goals – Considerations on the Basis of the Paradigmatic Example of Farm Investment Support in Germany -- 45 - Rudy Ooijen - Ex Ante Evaluations of Rural Development Programmes – Not just an Appraisal -- PAPERS PRESENTED IN THE SESSION ON FARM INVESTMENT SUPPORT -- 61 - Angela Bergschmidt and Walter Dirksmeyer - A Comparison of Farm Investment Support in Selected EU Member States -- 69 - Monika Beck and Thomas Dogot - The Use of Impact Indicators for the Evaluation of Farm Investment Support – A Case Study Based on the Rural Development Programme for Wallonia (2000 – 2006) -- 79 - Barbara Costantini and Maria Cristina Sibilla - Implementation of Farm Investment Support in Italy – Mid-Term Analysis -- 93 - Pawel Chmielinski - Regional Absorption Capacity of Farm Investment Support in Poland -- 105 - Luis A. Collado Cueto - Effectiveness and Impacts of Farm Investment Support in Spain – The Experience of the Updated Mid-Term Evaluation (2000 – 2006) -- 121 - Dimitros Lianos and Triantafyllia Giotopoulou - The Experience of the Evaluation of Farm Investment Support in Greece -- 133 - Bernhard Forstner - Evaluation of Farm Investment Support in Germany – Lessons Learned from the Application of Different Approaches -- 147 - Stephan Pfefferli - Impact Analysis of Investment Support for Agricultural Buildings in Switzerland -- 159 - Justyna Ziólkowska, Joanna Nargiello and Cezary Klimkowski - The Analysis of Changes in Farm Investment Support Policy in Poland after Joining the European Union -- PAPERS PRESENTED IN THE SESSION ON INVESTMENT SUPPORT FOR IMPROVEMENT OF PROCESSING AND MARKETING OF AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS -- 177 - Inge Uetrecht, Heinz Wendt, Volker Krah and Annette Trefflich - The Implementation of Investment Support for Improving Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Products in the EU Member States – An Overview -- 187 -Andreas Pölking - Synthesis of the RDP Mid-Term Evaluation in Germany (16 Länder) and EC 15 in 2005 – Methodologies, Possibilities, Pitfalls and some Selected Results -- 195 - Julia Neuwirth and Karlheinz Pistrich - Improving Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Products – Organisation, Problems and Results of Evaluation in Austria -- 201 - Alois Grabner - Improving of Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Products – Assessment of Projects -- 205 - Pedro Serrano - Support to Processing and Marketing of Agricultural Products in Portugal -- 215 - Mark Temple - Two Approaches to Evaluation – The Case of the Processing and Marketing Grant in England -- 227 - Jochen Nölle and Josef Efken - Does Complete Field Research Build a Good Basis to Evaluating the Measure? -- CLOSURE OF THE EUROPEAN EVALUATION WORKSHOP -- 241 - Bernhard Forstner and Heinz Wendt - Summary and Final Discussion --

The evaluation of information technology projects : a study of effective practices

The topic of IT project evaluation is important due to the high cost and strategic importance of many IT projects and long-standing difficulties with their evaluation. While it is widely recognised that the evaluation of IT projects is problematic, there is limited research into how organisations can improve their evaluation practices. The literature supports the divergent views that current IT project evaluation practices are inadequate, more formal and rigorous methods are required, a wide range of techniques is already available, yet very few of the currently available techniques are used in practice. However, there is very little empirical research into what constitutes an appropriate level of formality or rigour, or what specific practices are necessary for evaluation to be effective. This study set out to identify the most effective IT project evaluation practices used by organisations in Australia, and to understand why they work. This exploratory study follows a qualitative theory-building paradigm, where the emerging theory helps explain what is happening in practice. Qualitative analysis of interviews with 72 senior managers in 36 companies in three industries was used to determine effective evaluation practices. Six key dimensions of effective IT project evaluation practice were found to be related to effective IT project evaluation outcomes leading to more efficient use of resources and improved IT project success. The six dimensions were as follows. First, evaluation was effective when there was top-leadership commitment and business engagement. Second, a clear focus was achieved during ex-ante evaluation by aligning projects to strategy and having an agreed definition of project success. Third, control at both a project and portfolio level was enabled by stage gates, portfolio management and dedicated resources. Fourth, effective evaluation processes were scaled to balance governance and responsiveness. Fifth, evaluation and measurement were continuous and integrated. Finally, the use of evaluation results and accountability reinforced the effectiveness of evaluation practices. While these concepts may be discussed in isolation in the extant IT project management literature, few studies present them in an integrated manner and relate them to effective IT project evaluation outcomes and IT project success. The key finding of this study is that more formal evaluation is not necessarily better. In the 36 case study companies, some level of formality helped improve evaluation and, ultimately, IT project outcomes. However, evaluation processes that were too formal were ineffective, resulting in dysfunctional behaviour. Whilst regular evaluation across the project lifecycle the goal of most companies, the key issue was one of implementation of that intention. Many companies had well-documented processes and methods, but they were not applied consistently. Thus, formal processes and methods alone were not enough. It was only when all of the effective practices were combined that positive behaviours were reinforced, actions were aligned, and evaluation processes were most effective. This research contributes to theory development by presenting a substantive theory of effective ITproject evaluation grounded on rich empirical data. The theoretical model developed addresses important gaps in the literature, in particular by identifying which practices are most effective, integrating a range of concepts and relating effective practices to IT project success. This contribution is important due to the lack of recognition to date of effective IT project evaluation practices. The practices identified in this study also provide the foundation for further research into IT project evaluation practices, and the relationships between these practices and project success. These conclusions provide important insights for improving IT evaluation practices, and ultimately, IT project outcomes, both in Australia and around the world

Measuring the Public value of e-Government: The eGEP2.0 model

After having briefly introduced the issue of measuring e-Government vis-\ue0-vis its impact evaluation, the paper provides an overview of the state of the art with regard to measurement of e-Government, addressing the debate on the relationship between 'public value' creation and e-Government, outlining some of the approaches advanced to measure the public value of ICT interventions in the public sector. In light of this discussion, the paper then proposes the eGEP-2.0 model which, building on its predecessor eGEP, overcome many of the limitations of existing frameworks, and more importantly pave the way for an effective impact assessment of e-Government initiatives, in relation to the policy-making process and related governance needed for their design and implementation. The results of the application of the eGEP-2.0 model on the Telematics and Informatics Plan (PiTER) of the Emilia Romagna Region in Italy are then presented and discussed. The paper concludes providing some reflections on the experience and outlining future research challenges

Evaluation of the main achievements of cohesion policy programmes and projects over the longer term in 15 selected regions: case study North East England

This report presents the Pilot Case Study for North East England as part of the study ‘Evaluation of the Main Achievements of Cohesion Policy Programmes over the Longer Term in 15 Selected Regions (from 1989-1993 Programming Period to the Present)’ which is being managed by the European Policies Research Centre and London School of Economics

Measuring the Public Value of e-Government: Trust in Measurement Processes or Processes of Building Trust?

In the recent past several authors have addressed the issue of the 'e\u2010Government paradox' which is exemplified by the contrast between the level of investments made on deploying ICT\u2010enabled services and the little impact produced and/or demonstrated so far. To this regard, in most maturing countries, main barriers hindering the adoption of e\u2010 Government services are those related to the lack of both a structured policy measurement process and an effective stakeholders' engagement. In particular, critical success factor for e\u2010Government adoption seems to be a transparent and trustworthy policy decision\u2010making process and its key prerequisite is the definition and implementation of a well organized and fully participatory measurement framework, enhancing stakeholder trust in policy decision. Starting from these findings, the paper explores the existing relationship between measurement and trust on e\u2010Government decision\u2010 making processes, discussing which could be the possible trade\u2010off between high quality measurement of public e\u2010services and the high level of trust in policy decisions for their adoption and long term sustainability. The methodological approach underpinning the analysis is based upon a critical review of main e\u2010Government measurement frameworks, selected according to their effective capability to support policy decision\u2010making in implementing e\u2010Government strategies as well as their expected value to reinforce 'trust' with citizens and stakeholders.. As a result of the analysis a new measurement model capable of measuring the public value of e\u2010Government services is proposed. The model has been tested in a real context of usage for the measurement of the Telematics and Informatics Policies Implementation Plan (PiTER) of the Emilia\u2010Romagna Region in Italy in the period 2011\u20102013. The paper therefore discusses the main findings emerged from the concrete application of the proposed model in light of the feedback received from the public administration and the stakeholders participating to the measurement process. It then outlines its conditions of applicability in other policy contexts as well as new possible research directions

An exploratory study of information technology evaluation and benefits management practices of SMEs in the construction industry

While the number of articles on IT evaluation and benefits management has been substantial, limited attention has been given to these topics in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), particularly the construction industry. This paper presents findings from a questionnaire survey that sought to examine the approaches used by 126 construction organisations to evaluate and justify their IT investments, as well as the benefits and costs that they have experienced due to IT implementation. The analysis of their responses identified three key findings. Firstly, different organisation types significantly differ in the amount they invest in IT and their firm size (in terms of turnover and number of employees) does not influence investment levels in IT. Secondly, the evaluation process adopted by construction SMEs is used as for both control and learning. Thirdly, a major barrier to justifying IT investments was attributed to having no strategic vision. While organisations experienced no significant differences in the tactical and operational benefits incurred after the adoption of IT, differences were found with respect to the strategic benefits. If construction SMEs are to leverage the benefits of IT, then this should form an integral part of their business strategy. Considering this, recommendations for IT evaluation for construction SMEs that are also pertinent for SMEs operating in other industry sectors, are presented

HOW AGILE IS YOUR IT DEPARTMENT? – DEVELOPMENT AND APPLICATION OF AN FRAMEWORK-INDEPENDENT AGILE SCALING MATURITY MODEL

Many IT departments seek to capitalize on the benefits of agile development by scaling agile practices. To manage the complex scaling, established approaches and frameworks promise guidance. However, although existing works envision a clear target state, they lack relevant capabilities along the scaling process, especially for vertical agile scaling. Managers need these capabilities to assess their company’s status quo and develop a clear scaling roadmap. Thus, within this work, we use the Design Science Research paradigm to build and evaluate a framework-independent agile scaling maturity model that provides management with a tool for ex-ante identification and evaluation of agile scaling capabilities in five maturity stages. To evaluate our model, we applied it at KUKA IT, the IT department of an international provider of automation solutions. As a result, this work provides insights into the application and outlines how IT departments can operationalize and utilize our model to guide agile scaling

Focus Issue on Legacy Information Systems and Business Process Change:On the Integrated Design and Evaluation of Business Processes and Information Systems

The role of information systems in influencing and enabling organisational design is widely acknowledged. Yet limited attention is paid to the theoretical legitimacy and conceptual basis of IS-enabled organisational change i.e., business engineering. In this paper we review business engineering\u27s reference disciplines critically: process-based organisational design, IS development, and IS evaluation. Findings from a case study of business engineering provide empirical support to the theoretical analysis. Synthesis of the conclusions of the review and the case study lead to a number of propositions and potential avenues for further research into the theoretically attractive and practically important field of aligning the design of organisational structures with the design of Information Systems intended to support them

Construction informatics in Turkey: strategic role of ICT and future research directions

Construction Informatics deals with subjects ranging from strategic management of ICTs to interoperability and information integration in the construction industry. Studies on defining research directions for Construction Informatics have a history over 20 years. The recent studies in the area highlight the priority themes for Construction Informatics research as interoperability, collaboration support, intelligent sites and knowledge sharing. In parallel, today it is widely accepted in the Architecture/Engineering/Construction (AEC) industry that ICT is becoming a strategic asset for any organisation to deliver business improvement and achieve sustainable competitive advantage. However, traditionally the AEC industry has approached investing in ICT with a lack of strategic focus and low level of priority to the business. This paper presents a recent study from Turkey that is focused on two themes. The first theme investigates the strategic role of ICT implementations from an industrial perspective, and explores if organisations within the AEC industry view ICT as a strategic resource for their business practice. The second theme investigates the ‘perspective of academia’ in terms of future research directions of Construction Informatics. The results of the industrial study indicates that ICT is seen as a value-adding resource, but a shift towards the recognition of the importance of ICT in terms of value adding in winning work and achieving strategic competitive advantage is observed. On the other hand, ICT Training is found to be the theme of highest priority from the academia point of view