CVEK

The objectives of the study Evaluation of ESF support for enhancing access to the labor market and the social inclusion of migrants and ethnic minorities has been to:

1. Assess the European Social Fund’s support for enhancing access to the labor market and the social inclusion of migrants and ethnic minorities; 
2. Provide guidelines for the Member States on the implementation of ESF Operational Programs in the 2007-2013 programming period in order to target beneficiaries more effectively; 
3. Identify effective means of tackling barriers to the social and labor market integration of migrants and ethnic minorities.

The evaluation focuses on ESF interventions in the 2000-2006 programming period, but also examines the implementation of ESF Operational Programs (OPs) to date in the new 2007-2013 period. The evaluation research takes into account activities supported through the EQUAL Community Initiative.

Through case studies and country reports at Member State level and through a thematic report addressing Roma integration issues, the evaluation aims to provide a comparative analysis between the Member States with regard to the main challenges in enhancing access to the labor market and the social inclusion of migrants and ethnic minorities.

15 EU countries have been included in the research in order to ensure a representative balance. CVEK covered activities of the project in Slovakia, conducted interviews with both policy makers and representatives of beneficiary organizations and prepared overview of ESF and EQUAL in Slovakia and intervention logic of ESF and EQUAL in Slovakia. CVEK analysed treatment of migrants, ethnic, and national minorities in selected ESF programs and in EQUAL, coordination of the HP EqOp implementation, roles of various entities in the Monitoring process, roles of various entities in HP EqOp monitoring, and bringed examples of good practices.