Countries of Cooperation
Accompanying, Ex Post Evaluation, Program Evaluation
Start of project: December 2023
End of project: November 2027
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RePack-Network. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle – Sustainable Packaging of Food: Networking and Transfer Program for Plastics Reduction
Food is often packaged in plastics that are only used for a short time and are rarely reused or recycled. In addition to the considerable [Read More]Food is often packaged in plastics that are only used for a short time and are rarely reused or recycled. In addition to the considerable consumption of resources, the environment is also polluted by macro- or microplastics. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) is therefore promoting innovations that help to package food more sustainably and reduce plastics along the value chain. In the RePack network, five research institutions under the leadership of the Institute for Ecological Economy Research (IÖW) accompany, support and evaluate twelve innovation projects in this funding programme. In the projects, universities and research institutions work together with companies to develop new production processes, innovative materials, packaging with an increased recycled content or reusable packaging.
The “Networking and Transfer Program for Plastics Reduction” is investigating how existing sustainable packaging concepts can be expanded. The aim is to bundle the results for different target groups and bring the projects into dialogue: To this end, cluster and themed workshops as well as conferences are being designed and organised at which the projects can network with each other and with the interested specialist public. A website and social media presence as well as a regular newsletter provide information on the progress of the projects and give insights into the innovations. The results of the funded projects are used to derive overarching recommendations for action for politics, business, civil society and consumers.
The task of CEval GmbH within the “Networking and Transfer Program for Plastics Reduction” is the conception and implementation of the accompanying and final evaluation of the BMEL funding programme for the development of packaging innovations for the food industry. To this end, a results model for the funding programme will be created, which will be empirically validated and refined, and indicator sets will be developed for the project level as well as the levels of the funding programme and the overarching innovation programme of the BMEL. Building on this, the annual accompanying evaluations and the final summative evaluation will analyse the design and implementation of the funding programme, its results and their sustainability and transferability to other fields of application, as well as identifying further fields of action and research needs. Methodologically, the theory-based evaluation follows a mix of document analyses, individual and group interviews and supplementary online surveys.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Hansjörg Gaus, Matthias Klapproth, Hilde Folger, Juliane Löw | Cooperation Partner: Institute for Ecological Economy Research, IÖW, Gesellschaft für Verpackungsmarktforschung, GVM, Institute for Social-Ecological Research, ISOE, Sustainable Packaging Institute (SPI) of Albstadt-Sigmaringen UniversityAccompanying, Ex Post Evaluation
Start of project: April 2025
End of project: December 2025
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Evaluation of the national competition for German-speaking acting students
The national competition for German-speaking acting students, which has been held annually since 1990, is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) [Read More]The national competition for German-speaking acting students, which has been held annually since 1990, is funded by Germany’s Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and aims to honor outstanding artistic achievements, to intensify the exchange between the German-speaking drama academies of Germany, Austria and Switzerland and to facilitate the transition to artistic practice for acting students.
In order to review the achievement of the objectives, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the national competition in the sense of monitoring success in accordance with the Federal Budget Code and to derive recommendations for optimizing the competition, the organizer – the Europäische Theaterakademie GmbH "Konrad Ekhof" Hamburg – has commissioned CEval GmbH to evaluate the national competitions for the years 2015 to 2025.
The evaluation is structured according to the OECD-DAC criteria of relevance, effectiveness, and efficiency. It follows a theory-based approach and is based on a mix of methods. The evaluation is primarily based on an online survey of the participating students and teachers. This quantitative database is supplemented by quantitative and qualitative secondary data and primary data from guideline-based (group) interviews, as well as participant observation of the national competition 2025 in Salzburg.
Management: Vera Hennefeld | Co-Worker: Juliane LöwMid-term Evaluation
Start of project: February 2025
End of project: November 2025
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Evaluation of the funding programme “Nachbarschaftsgespräche”
The Allianz für Beteiligung (“Alliance for Participation”) is a network that is committed to strengthening citizen participation and civil society activities in the Federal State [Read More]The Allianz für Beteiligung (“Alliance for Participation”) is a network that is committed to strengthening citizen participation and civil society activities in the Federal State of Baden-Württemberg. Since 2018, the Alliance for Participation has been implementing the funding programme “Nachbarschaftsgespräche” (“Neighbourhood Talks”) financed by the Baden-Württemberg State Ministry. It supports civil society initiatives in implementing dialogue formats in small social spaces in Baden-Württemberg; since 2018, around 100 projects have been funded under the programme.
In order to learn from the implementation to date and to be able to further develop the programme accordingly, the Alliance for Participation commissioned CEval GmbH to carry out an interim evaluation. This was based on the evaluation of 60 funded projects from the second and third funding phases (2020-2025) and focused on the aspects of quality, effectiveness, sustainability and opportunities for further development of the programme.
The evaluation followed a theory-based approach and included both qualitative and quantitative methods of data collection and analysis: document analyses, guided individual interviews, focus group discussions and an online survey. Based on the findings, opportunities for further development of the funding programme were identified and recommendations for action were derived.
Management: Vera Hennefeld | Co-Worker: Juliane LöwClient: Allianz für Beteiligung e.V.
Accompanying, Program Evaluation, Strategic Evaluation
Start of project: November 2024
End of project: June 2025
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Mid-term Evaluation: Empowering the Hearing Healthcare Sector in Developing and Emerging Countries
In response to existing gaps between hearing healthcare needs and current capacities, the Austrian medical device company MED-EL launched the Hearing Healthcare Alliance (HHA) in [Read More]In response to existing gaps between hearing healthcare needs and current capacities, the Austrian medical device company MED-EL launched the Hearing Healthcare Alliance (HHA) in February 2022 – an intervention with co-funding from the Austrian Development Agency (ADA). The primary objective of the intervention is to enhance the diagnosis and rehabilitation of individuals with hearing impairments by creating sustainable local structures within the hearing healthcare sector across 13 developing countries, including nine in Sub-Saharan Africa and four in South Asia. The intervention is set to conclude in January 2026, with plans for a subsequent phase to follow. In this context, CEval was commissioned by MED-EL to conduct a mid-term evaluation of one of the intervention’s central components, namely, the “Early diagnosis for people with hearing impairment”. The evaluation focusses on the two project countries Benin and Nepal, aiming to extract key insights from past implementation to strengthen and scale up the evaluated component in later implementation stages.
The evaluation is theory-based in its design and builds on extensive stakeholder participation as well as a mixed-methods approach. Primary data will be collected on site in both focus countries. The evaluation is being conducted along the six OECD/DAC criteria and in line with ADA’s Guidelines for Programme and Project Evaluation.
Management: Susanne Johanna Väth | Co-Worker: Juliane Löw, Sirjana Pant, Midjèou Béranger AvohouèmeClient: MED-EL Medical Electronics
Accompanying, Ex Post Evaluation, Program Evaluation
Start of project: July 2023
End of project: September 2024
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Evaluation of the EU Home Affairs Funds: Mid-term evaluations of the Internal Security Fund (ISF) and the Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy (BMVI)
Under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), the European Commission (EU COM) provides the Internal Security Fund (ISF; managed [Read More]Under the responsibility of the Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs (DG HOME), the European Commission (EU COM) provides the Internal Security Fund (ISF; managed by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA)), the Border Management and Visa Instrument (BMVI, managed by the Federal Police) and the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF, managed by the Federal Office for Migration and Refugees (BAMF)). Together, these form the so-called "Home Affairs Funds".
The member states are obliged to prepare mid-term and final evaluations for the EU Commission on the implementation of the measures financed by the individual funds and the degree to which the objectives of the national programmes supported by the Home Affairs Funds have been achieved. The main users of the evaluations are the EU (DG Home), the fund-managing authorities BKA, BPOL and BAMF and their monitoring committees.
The aim of the evaluations is to assess the results and outcomes of the programmes and measures co-financed by the Home Affairs Fund based on the criteria of effectiveness, efficiency, relevance, coherence and EU added value. The coherence between the individual funds is of particular interest. In addition to assessing success, the evaluations should also develop recommendations for improving the quality of the design and implementation of the national programmes and analyse the coherence and use of synergy potential between the individual funds.
After the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) carried out the mid-term evaluation for the ISF on behalf of the BKA in 2017, it has now been commissioned again to carry out the final evaluation of the ISF for the 2014-2020 funding period and the mid-term evaluation of the ISF, the BMVI and the AMIF for the 2021-2027 funding period.
In the course of this, GIZ commissioned CEval GmbH to carry out the
> Final evaluation of the ISF, security sub-sector and border sub-sector, 2014-2021 funding period,
> Mid-term evaluation of the ISF, current funding period 2021-2027 and
> Mid-term evaluation of the BMVI, current funding period 2021-2027
to be carried out.
Various survey procedures are used to triangulate sources and methods:
> Research of all relevant programme and project documents as well as monitoring data,
> Semi-standardised online survey with project participants and their implementation partners as well as other potentially eligible applicants and
> Guided qualitative interviews with programme and project managers.
Management: Stefan Silvestrini | Co-Worker: Vera Hennefeld, Sandra Bäthge, Laszlo Szentmarjay, Juliane Löw, Dzoara Santoyo Castillo, Tanja Stockmann