Ecorys conducts ex-post evaluation for the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL)

In December 2019, Ecorys was selected to conduct an ex-post evaluation of the European Union Strategic Training Needs Assessment (EU-STNA) for the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL). In January the project officially started with a kick-off meeting at CEPOL premises in Budapest. Ecorys conducts both an impact assessment and a process evaluation of the methodology of the EU-STNA with a view to allowing CEPOL to assess its impact and if so required, to adapt its processes for the future.

CEPOL is responsible for the development, implementation and coordination of training for law enforcement officials across EU Member States and EU agencies. In 2015, in response to a lack of systematic processes for identifying and addressing strategic training needs for law enforcement officers across the EU, CEPOL was tasked with the preparation of multiannual strategic training needs analyses and multiannual learning programmes. The EU-STNA was therefore set up with a view to better coordinate training activities for law enforcement officials and to avoid duplication of efforts among EU entities operating in the area of law enforcement training. To this end, a scientific approach was used by CEPOL to map core areas in which training needs persist at strategic EU level, which subsequently informed CEPOL’s curriculum for law enforcement training.

Following the EU-STNA’s first pilot phase, the methodology recommends an assessment of the process of the EU-STNA methodology and whether the EU-STNA has met its intended objectives. In December 2019, the Security & Justice team at Ecorys was commissioned to conduct this two-fold process and impact evaluation. CEPOL intends to make adaptations to its processes on the basis of recommendations put forward in the final evaluation report.

The activities of the project team consist of a desk study of relevant documents, interviews with key stakeholders, an online survey and a focus group meeting with representatives from different EU institutions and agencies. Ecorys will present the final report on the process and impact evaluation to CEPOL in August 2020.

For further information please contact Dr. Mike Beke or read the EU-STNA report.