The Ministry of Investments and European Projects (Romania) has contracted t33 to carry out the evaluation of the Partnership Agreement 2021-2027 - Phase II, Lot 3: Evaluation of PA 20 “Functioning of the mechanisms for implementing the integrated territorial approach” together with up to nine ad-hoc evaluation reports, in line with the Evaluation Plan of the Partnership Agreement 2021-2027.

The evaluation covers both the 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 programming periods, focusing on the functioning, effectiveness and governance of integrated territorial mechanisms implemented in Romania, including Integrated Territorial Investments (ITI), Sustainable Urban Development Strategies and Community Led Local Development initiatives. In parallel, the contract also foresees the implementation of up to nine ad-hoc evaluations addressing specific themes identified by the Managing Authority during the contractual period.

The evaluation is guided by a Theory of Change (ToC) approach refined through a systems-thinking perspective, allowing for an in-depth understanding of the interactions between governance arrangements, partnerships, funding mechanisms, institutional capacity and development outcomes. The exercise aims to assess how integrated territorial approaches contribute to addressing structural territorial disadvantages, to understand the effectiveness and adequacy of implementation arrangements and governance mechanisms, to examine the degree of integration of interventions and their positioning within the intervention logic.

Using a comprehensive mixed-methods approach, including desk research, interviews, surveys, focus groups, case studies and so on, the evaluation will generate evidence-based conclusions, lessons learned and operational recommendations. These findings will support strategic decision-making by the Ministry of Investments and European Projects regarding the implementation and future development of territorial instruments under the 2021-2027 programming period and post 2027.

The contract runs from March 2026 to December 2029, with evaluation activities implemented progressively throughout the contractual period. The evaluation of the PA 20 is expected to be completed by March 2027.

The service is coordinated by t33 expert Roxana Diaconu.