7-State-Evaluation: Forestry related measures

Involved Institutes LR Institute of Rural Studies BW Institute of Farm Economics

Monitoring and on-going-evaluation of Rural Development Programmes according to VO (EG) 1698/2005 for the states Hamburg, Hesse, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Lower Saxony/Bremen, North Rhine-Westphalia and Schleswig-Holstein - Evaluation of forest financing

The evaluation at the Institute of International Forestry and Forest Economics covers the forest related measures of five rural development programs. We examine the measure effects on biodiversity, water, soil and climate protection and on competitiveness of forest enterprises. Furthermore we analyze the implementation procedures to recognize if there are implementation obstacles.

Background and Objective

Forest related measures within the rural development programs have the target to support forest owners in the sustainable and natural management of their forests. The most important measures to achieve this target are forest conversion, soil liming and forest road construction. In addition, first afforestation, different nature and forest fire protection measures are eligible, inter alia. Within evaluation we check if the measures are appropriate to solve the detected problems (relevance), if the chosen aims are achieved (target achievement) and if the measures are designed in a way that the intended impacts could occur (impact and causality).

Evaluation of the forest related measures take place within evaluation of the whole Rural Development Programmes.

Approach

The first step is the measure check: What are the specific objectives? Is the design of the measure appropriate /coherent with their objectives? Who are the intended beneficiaries? The next step is the analysis of the delivery: How many projects have been funded? How much public money was spent? Are there obstacles in the design of measures which prevent potential beneficiaries from applying for funding? Are the administrative procedures clear and easy to handle? Later on, impact analyses of the measures have a higher priority.

Data and Methods

We use data from the funding-departments in the ministries and their administration and from general environmental monitoring of forest ecosystems, like National Forest Inventory. Furthermore we analyze secondary data sources and conduct own surveys and case studies.

Results

The evaluation of measures according to VO (EG) 1698/2005 conclude with submission of the ex-post-reports to the contracting federal states. Forest related measures could be evaluated positive in relation of their impact on biodiversity, water, soil and climate protection. But the complex application procedure seriously affects the acceptance of the measures among potential beneficiaries and also among administration. Evaluation reports are available on www.eler-evaluierung.de.