Structural and cohesion funds/ESIF

Cohesion Policy Project Appraisal 2021-2027, CBA, and Economic Appraisal (Basic and Advanced)

This (2-stage) online course will focus on the new Project Appraisal requirements for EU co-financed investment projects and the new Economic Appraisal Vademecum of DG REGIO. It will clarify the link between the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Guide, CBA requirements and using the Vademecum.

About this course

This (2-stage) online course will focus on the new Project Appraisal requirements for EU co-financed investment projects and the new Economic Appraisal Vademecum of DG REGIO. It will clarify the link between the Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) Guide, CBA requirements and using the Vademecum.

For 2021-2027, major projects are no longer specifically defined. Nor will there be an EU approval mechanism for large investment projects co-financed under Cohesion Policy. However, Member states are still obliged to select the most cost-effective projects.

The new Economic Appraisal VADEMECUM provided by the EC for the period 2021-2027 is provided as a supplement to the European Commission (DG REGIO) CBA Guide, which will remain in use. It recommends proportionate efforts in project appraisal and highlights good sectoral practices. It offers a guide to simplified CBA and other appraisal techniques, such as cost-effectiveness tests and multi-criteria analyses.

Course methodology

This 5-day course has 2 stages: basic and advanced. You can book the 5-day course (full course), or one of the stages (modules).

Stage 1 (Basic)
Stage 1 is over two half-days and it will cover the methods, concepts and calculations contained in the DG REGIO Cohesion Policy CBA Guide.

Stage 2 (Advanced)
Stage 2 spans three half-days. Leading experts from the European Commission, the European Investment Bank and the academic world will discuss:

  • best practice in using CBA for project appraisal
  • best practice lessons from Major Projects
  • the new DG REGIO requirements
  • alternative project appraisal techniques; project quality standards, 2021-2027
  • Using CBA for other instruments, such as the Connecting Europe Facility

The course will present principles, methods and criteria which can be used by public decision-makers. It will help them to better understand what information is required in order to assess the financial and economic viability of an investment project, and so make the best co-financing decisions in 2021–2027.

Key elements will be practised during workshops with the direct involvement of our EC, EIB and academic experts. We will clarify when and how to use CBA in the 2021-2027 period.

Who will benefit most?

  • Managing and audit authorities, intermediate bodies and relevant agencies, under Cohesion Policy;
  • Beneficiaries eligible for Structural Funds, the Cohesion Fund, CEF and IPA III;
  • auditors and consulting companies, academics;
  • RRF and other actors involved in EU funding programmes and projects.

Online Course
For this online course we make use of Zoom

Discounts
EIPA member fee
EIPA offers a discount to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s supporting countries, and civil servants working for an EU institution, body or agency

Who are the supporting countries?
Civil servants coming from the following EIPA supporting countries are entitled to get the reduced fee: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.

For all other participants, the regular fee applies

Early bird discount
The early bird discount is not cumulative with other discounts or promo codes, except for the EIPA member fee.

Loyalty coupon
As a token of appreciation we offer all our participants a loyalty coupon for one of our future courses. The offer can be shared with colleagues and relevant networks. The coupon will expire one year after its release. This discount is not cumulative with other discounts, except for the EIPA member fee.

Confirmation
Confirmation of registration will be forwarded to participants on receipt of the completed online registration form.

Payment
Prior payment is a condition for participation.

Cancellation policy
For administrative reasons you will be charged € 50 for cancellations received within 7 days before the activity begins. There is no charge for qualified substitute participants.

EIPA reserves the right to cancel the activity up to 1 week before the starting date. In that case, registration fees received will be fully reimbursed.

A few days before the start of the course you will receive the log-in details for accessing the course materials. You can log in here.

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Our experts

robin smail new photo 2024
Project leader

Robin Smail

Robin Smail Training & Consultancy
Witold Willak

Witold Willak

Head of Unit DG ECFIN L.1. European Commission

Programme

Stage 1 (Basic): The essence of the DG REGIO CBA Guide: Cost-Benefit Analysis Methods and Calculations for EU co-financed projects
DAY 1
08.45Opening of Online platform
09.00Welcome and Opening of the course
Marco Lopriore, Expert, EIPA
09.05Introduction to the programme, method, objectives
Tour de Table
Robin Smail, Visiting Expert EIPA and Independent Consultant (IE/UK) (former National Expert EC; and former Senior Executive within Evaluation Division, Scottish Enterprise)
09.15Using CBA for Major Projects and large investments under Cohesion Policy

  • Cohesion Policy, Major Projects, large investments, revenue-generating projects
  • project appraisal principles: rationale, demand, feasibility, options
  • the concept of market failure

Robin Smail

10.10Break-out groups: demand factors by sector
10.30Short Coffee break
10.50The financial analysis, project viability tests

  • Affordability, sustainability, viability
  • Discounting; calculating the FNPV and FRR/IRR
  • Financial tests for EU support, using FNPV, FRR/IRR
  • Case studies

Robin Smail

11.45Virtual Coffee Break
12.00Break-out groups: discounting exercise
12.20Workshop: Tram Project – building a spreadsheet for the financial analysis

  • Capital Costs, Residual Value, Fixed and Variable Costs
  • Discount rates; calculating the FNPV and FRR/IRR
13.10End of Day 1
DAY 2
08.45Opening of Platform
09.00Review of day 1 issues
09.10Cost estimations and incremental analysis for the Financial Analysis

  • Estimating costs in the financial analysis
  • Allowing for price changes and inflation
  • Establishing the counterfactual and using incremental costs and revenues

Robin Smail

09.50Case study (Slovakia) – financial analysis and tests
10.05The Economic analysis

  • From financial to economic appraisal: assessing socio-economic costs and benefits, shadow prices, conversion factors
  • Externalities and willingness-to-pay, calculating ENPV

Robin Smail

10.50Coffee break
11.10Case study (continued) – economic analysis and tests
11.30Break-out rooms: Risk Factors
11.50The Risk and Sensitivity analyses; other steps

  • Risk and Sensitivity analyses
  • Risk Matrix, mitigating actions
  • Environmental appraisal; compliance
  • Economic impact assessment

Robin Smail

12.15Short Coffee break
12.20Example: Road Project Sensitivity Analysis
12.30Case study (continued) – risk and sensitivity
12.45Workshop: Accounting for revenues, sound financial management

  • Revenue-generating projects 2014-2020, the rules and calculating the funding gap
  • options for the grant calculation for revenue-generating projects

Robin Smail

13.05Case study (continued) – calculating the funding gap and the EU grant
13.15Case for Study (optional)
13.20End of Day 2
Stage 2 (Advanced): Cohesion Policy Project Appraisal standards in 2021-2027; Using CBA and Economic Appraisal
DAY 3
08.45Opening of Platform
09.00Opening of the course, Tour de Table
Marco Lopriore
09.10Introduction to the programme, method, objectives
09.20Project Appraisal of Investment Projects under Cohesion Policy and other policy instruments

  • Key elements of CBA guide; financial and economic tests
  • Key changes to Cohesion Policy, 2021-2027
  • Cohesion project appraisal in practice
  • Economic Appraisal and the VADEMECUM
  • Combining grants and loans: the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), InvestEU

Robin Smail

10.10Cohesion Policy: Eligibility of Expenditure 2021-2027

  • Cohesion Policy context and the CPR, RRF
  • Eligibility of expenditure
  • Climate proofing, DNSH

Marco Lopriore

10.40Virtual Coffee Break and meeting our Guest speaker
11.05Discussion: Member State issues and measuring Economic Benefits
11.30Using CBA in Cohesion Policy, the new VADEMECUM for 2021-2027, EIB methodology for project appraisal

  • the role of CBA and CBA guides to date
  • lessons learnt from Major Projects, by sector, 2014-2020
  • 2021-2027 – the new Vademecum / Guide – alternative appraisal techniques: simplified CBA /rapid CBA/MCA/CEA and LCA
  • InvestEU; EIB project cycle; AIM (Additionality and Impact Measurement)

Witold Willak, Head of Unit, DG ECFIN L.1, Coordination with the EIB group, EBRD and IFIs (Formerly of DG REGIO – responsible for Major Projects), European Commission

13.00Q&A session
13.15End of day 3
DAY 4
12.45Opening of Platform
13.00Review of issues
Meeting our guest speaker
13.10The new guiding principles 2021–2027 for the CBA methodology

  • Using the new VADEMECUM
  • CBA versus other project appraisal techniques (CEA, LCA, MCA)
  • CBA and issues for project context and project design

Giorgio Watschinger, Senior Adviser, JASPERS Coordination & Capacity Building Division, European Investment Bank, Luxembourg (and/or colleague)

14.10Case study 1: an application of MCA/CEA options analysis for GSM-R investment
14.50Coffee Break
15.10Economic evaluation of public investment projects co-financed by EU Funds in 2021 – 2027: CBA and simplified methodologies

  • Common problems applying CBA: issues for the financial, economic and risk analyses
  • Examples of the application of simplified CBA; sector issues

Giorgio Watschinger

16.10Short break
16.20Case study 2: Simplified Cost Benefit Analysis for Energy Efficiency in buildings
16.50Q&A and discussion of technical issues and challenges, possible solutions
17.00End of day 4
DAY 5
08.45Opening of platform
09.00Review of outstanding conceptual and practical issues
Meeting our guest speaker
09.10The economic evaluation of public investment projects and the use of CBA: Part 1

  • Objectives, content and practical use of CBA Guides: What is CBA and why do we need it?
  • Making decisions about major investments – maximising changes in Social Welfare
  • Examples

Ginés de Rus, Professor of Economics, University of Las Palmas de G.C., and Affiliated researcher at FEDEA (Madrid)

10.05Short Coffee break
10.20The economic evaluation of public investment projects and the use of CBA: Part 1 (continued)
Ginés de Rus
11.05Short Coffee break
11.20Workshop: optional Case for Study OR revenue-generating projects

  • Revenue-generating projects 2014-2020, the rules and calculating the funding gap
  • Eligible and non-eligible costs, tariffs, polluter-pays principle

Robin Smail

11.40The economic evaluation of public investment projects and the use of CBA: Part 2

  • Two approaches in the economic evaluation of projects
  • Direct and indirect effects. Wider economic benefits
  • Opportunity costs and shadow prices
  • The treatment of risk and uncertainty
  • The importance of the institutional design

Ginés de Rus

12.35The economic evaluation of public investment projects and the use of CBA: cases and issues
Ginés de Rus
13.10Q&A
13.20Feedback on course
13.25Close of course

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Cohesion Policy Project Appraisal 2021-2027, CBA, Economic Appraisal (Basic + Advanced)

6 Nov 2024 - 12 Nov 2024
Online
Register before: 30 Oct 2024

Simultaneous interpretation can be offered. Contact the programme organizer for more information and conditions.

 1.250 per attendee
 1.065 for EIPA members
Early bird ends 11 Sep 2024

Discount policy

EIPA offers a discount to all civil servants working for one of EIPA’s supporting countries, and civil servants working for an EU institution, body or agency.

Who are the supporting countries?

Civil servants coming from the following EIPA supporting countries are entitled to get the reduced fee: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden.

For all other participants, the regular fee applies.

Early bird discount

For a limited number of training courses, EIPA offers an early bird discount.

For more information please contact us.

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SKU: 2430209
Register before: 30 Oct 2024
 1.250 per attendee
 1.065 for EIPA members
Early bird ends 11 Sep 2024

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