The purpose of this study was to evaluate the implementation of the Cohesion Fund in Portugal between 1993 and 2006 and make recommendations for the next programming period.
Nemus promoted workshops with those responsible for the national coordination of the Cohesion Fund and the regional and sectoral management in the environment and transport areas, and technical visits to financed projects in the water supply, wastewater, waste, road, railway, ports and airports subsectors.
The assessment included two types of analyses: extensive and in depth. Extensive analysis focused on the financed projects and assessed the effectiveness, impact, added value and efficiency; the effectiveness and efficiency in the remaining original beneficiary countries (Greece, Spain and Ireland); the relevance of the defined priorities; the strategic guidelines; the information system and the coordination, management and monitoring structures. The in-depth analysis for 50 case studies assessed the coherence in relation to the defined strategic objectives, the impact of the projects, the economic and financial sustainability, technological innovation and the incorporation of national products in the investments.