Fitzpatrick Associates has been providing experience to new EU member states and accession countries in the areas of lessons from overall Irish economic development experience and the use of the EU structural and other funds to help achieve this. This work has involved a mixture of provision of support to National Authorities and local partner consultancies in such areas as training and capacity building, evaluation and monitoring, and project and program development.

This assistance has been principally provided in two countries, namely Hungary and Romania.

• Ex-ante evaluation of the 2004-2006 Operational Program for Competitiveness. This involved the provision of assistance, with KPMG Budapest regarding the undertaking of the ex-ante appraisal of the program. Preparation of an ex-ante evaluation is part of the formal requirements for such Operational Programmes and the overall project was designed to improve the nature and quality of the programming (2003);
• Project Generation Facility for ESF Project. During the period 2004-2005 Fitzpatrick Associates worked as a partner in a consortium led by Ramboll Denmark. This consortium was responsible for a major project to assist the development of applications for ESF co-financing under the Hungarian Human Resources Programme 2004-2006. Fitzpatrick Associates’ contribution included the provision of a total of five short term experts on a ongoing basis during the project period;
• Mid-term evaluation of the 2004-2006 Competitiveness Operational Program. Fitzpatrick Associates assisted KPMG and PwC Budapest in undertaking an evaluation of progress under the Competitiveness Operational Program. Such an evaluation was not a formal regulatory requirement but the Managing Authority of the Program opted to carry out such an evaluation anyway as an input to the next programming period. Fitzpatrick Associates was a part of the consortium that undertook the evaluation and in particular provided assistance both on relevant Irish experience and in relation to evaluation of structural fund competitiveness programmes;
• Ex-ante evaluation of the Competitiveness Economy Operational Program 2007-13. During 2006 Fitzpatrick Associates assisted PWC Budapest in undertaking the Ex-ante evaluation of the Hungarian Competitive Economy Operational Program (CEOP). This project was designed to improve the quality of the programme plan for the 2007-13 period. Fitzpatrick Associates assisted PWC in developing improvements to the programme including in relation to plans for performance monitoring and evaluation;
• Ex-ante evaluation of the New Hungary Rural Development Program 2007-13. This programme involved Fitzpatrick Associates assisting PWC Budapest in carrying out the ex-ante evaluation of the new Hungarian Rural Development Programme 2007-13. This work involved supporting the local partners in working with the Managing Authoring in the development of the programme and in the formulation of the ex-ante appraisal. This included a comparative description and analysis of similar measures in Ireland. Contributions to the development of performance indicators, participation and meetings with the Managing Authority, and the organisation of a visit for the Managing Authority to their counterparts in Dublin.

Local Partners: Fitzpatrick Associates’ regular local partners in Hungary are KPMG Budapest and PWC Budapest.

• Fitzpatrick Associates was a member of a consortium led by fellow Irish company Galway International Development Limited (GDSI) which involved the provision of ongoing technical assistance for programming, monitoring and evaluation to the Ministry of Public Finance, (Central Finance and Contracts Unit), in the context of its role as the incoming Managing Authority for structural funds on Romanian entry to the EU in January 2007. The overall project involved a variety of inputs including training, capacity building, development of evaluation material and manuals, and organisation of awareness-raising events. Fitzpatrick Associates’ specific contributions were:

• participation in training for Ministry Officials and local evaluation experts in Romania;
• participation in training for Romanian officials provided in Ireland;
• participation in and quality assurance in the preparation of the Romanian National Evaluation Strategy 2007-13.

• Fitzpatrick Associates has also been involved in a number of other activities in relation to preparation for the new structural fund period in Romania. These included: