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Better Regulation: Impact Assessments, Evaluations, and Related Tools
Ex-post Regulatory Evaluations
Learn how to design and implement robust Ex-post Regulatory Evaluations using the Better Regulation Toolbox, select appropriate methodologies, and produce credible, policy-relevant evidence for regulatory improvement.
This course offers a practical introduction to ex-post regulatory evaluation. Participants will learn how to conceive, design, manage and use high quality ex-post evaluations, whether or not they are financed by EU funds.
The course is centered around the following key questions:
- What have we learned about how EU ex-post evaluations can be managed effectively and efficiently?
- How can you ensure a high-quality ex-post evaluation?
- How can you choose the most appropriate evaluation design, and what methodological options are available?
- What are the trends and innovations in ex-post regulatory evaluations?
Participants will learn how to ensure high quality ex-post evaluations by drawing on good practice and lessons learned from the implementation of the European Commission Better Regulation Guidelines and Toolbox.
The course introduces the core building blocks of sound evaluation design, including intervention logic, evaluation criteria, evaluation questions, methodological choices and the evaluation matrix. It also strengthens participants’ practical skills in managing evaluation studies, stakeholder consultation processes and understanding the basics of producing high quality evaluation reports. Finally, it explores the latest developments in the field, including the increasing importance of evaluation in the context of simplification, together with emerging innovations and state-of-the-art methods in evaluation practice.
You will learn:
- How to conceive, design and manage an ex-post evaluation of a legal act.
- How to choose the most appropriate methodological approaches for evaluating legislation and ensure that the results are used effectively.
- What the current state-of-the-art in ex-post evaluation of legislation looks like and how the field is likely to evolve.
This course is led by an expert who has decades of both research and practical experience in evaluation in the EU context and beyond. It combines interactive presentations, real cases, practical examples and quick group exercises.
By the end of the course, you will be able to:
- Assess the strengths and limitations of different evaluation methodologies and tools and select those most appropriate for your case.
- Commission and manage meaningful evaluations and ensure their results are properly used.
- Integrate evaluation into the policy and programming cycle so that it informs decision making in practice.
- Recognise the features of a high-quality evaluation.
You will also receive the course slides, along with additional learning materials and online resources, to support the practical application of your new knowledge and skills.
This course is relevant for professionals who play a role in the design, conduct, oversight, or use of ex-post regulatory evaluations across the public sector and related advisory environments.
It will be especially valuable for professionals directly involved in the design and conduct of ex post regulatory evaluations, including those who design and implement evaluation support studies. This includes:
- Senior executives, policy consultants, and policy analysts
- Legal advisors and legislative drafters
- Evaluation specialists and analysts
- Economists and public policy researchers
- Public sector consultants and economic advisors
These professionals may work in or for government or parliamentary institutions in EU Member States, EU institutions, or other jurisdictions committed to strengthening evidence-informed policymaking.
Project number: 2620303
Online Course
For this online course we make use of Zoom
Senior Project Officer
Ms Nancy Vermeulen
Tel: +31 43 32 96 212
n.vermeulen@eipa.eu
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, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden.
For all other participants, the regular fee applies
Early bird discount
EIPA offers 10% off on registrations made eight weeks or more before the start of a course. 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.
This course on Ex-post Regulatory Evaluations is one of the courses we are offering in the area of Better Regulation.
Are you also interested in taking a different course in the area of better Regulation, please click below:
Strategic Foresight in Policy-Making: From Anticipating Surprise to Robust Strategy
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
Programme
| 09.15 | Registration of participants |
| 09.30 | Welcome and round of introductions Dr Jordi del Bas, Senior Evaluation specialist |
| Regulatory Ex-post Evaluation. The Framework | |
| 09.45 | Core definitions In this introductory session, we will look at core concepts such as the definition of Evaluation in the European Commission and the Better Regulation Agenda. This session introduces the course’s conceptual foundations and clarifies the basic terminology, including evaluation principles, different types of evaluations, and the relationship between evaluation-monitoring and audit. |
| 10.15 | What have we learned over the last ten years from evaluating regulatory measures within the Better Regulation framework? We look at what works and where challenges remain in regulatory ex-post evaluation. This session sets the ground for the remainder of the course. As a starting point, we use the results of the quality assurance work done by the Regulatory Scrutiny Board (RSB) and lessons from the implementation of the BR Guidelines and Toolbox in Regulatory Ex-post Evaluations of the European Commission. |
| Regulatory Ex-post Evaluation: Design | |
| 10.45 | How to design an Ex-post Regulatory evaluation: the building blocks Most weaknesses in the quality of Ex-post Regulatory Evaluations originate in the design. In this session, we provide an overview of the pillars of a sound evaluation design (the intervention logic, evaluation criteria, evaluation questions and the evaluation matrix). |
| 11.00 | Coffee break |
| 11.15 | Designing the evaluation – the intervention logic The design of the intervention logic is one of the most critical steps in the evaluation process. In this session we provide an overview of the key elements needed to design one which will provide a deeper overall understanding. This session will conclude with a quick group exercise on intervention logic. |
| 11.45 | Designing the evaluation: evaluation criteria, questions and the evaluation matrix This session explains the evaluation criteria and their scope. It examines evaluation questions, including their types, their purpose, and how to formulate them effectively. Participants will learn how to develop an evaluation matrix by breaking down evaluation questions into sub-questions, selecting indicators, identifying data sources, and defining methods for data collection and analysis. This session also showcases good practice and highlights common pitfalls when formulating evaluation questions and developing evaluation matrices. |
| 12.30 | Lunch break |
| 13.30 | Group exercise: Designing evaluation questions and developing an evaluation matrix. |
| 14.00 | Presentation of the results of the exercise: joint discussion and debriefing. This session ends with a recap of the main practical aspects in designing an evaluation. |
| 14.30 | How to design an Ex-post regulatory Evaluation: Choosing the methodological approach (I) The range of methodological options can, at times, feel overwhelming. This session helps participants gain a clear overview of the main evaluation approaches, their key features, and the context in which they are most useful. |
| 15.00 | Coffee break |
| 15.15 | How to design ex-post regulatory evaluation: Choosing the methodological approach (II) In this second part of the session, we draw on real-life examples to show how different approaches can be selected and applied in real evaluation settings, highlighting both their strengths and their limitations. The session concludes with an overview of key reference sources that participants can draw on when identifying suitable evaluation methods. |
| 16.00 | Group Exercise: Choosing appropriate evaluation methods |
| 17.00 | Presentation of the results: joint discussion and debriefing. This session ends with a recap of the main practical considerations involved in choosing the methodological approach. |
| 17.30 | End of the first day |
| 09.00 | Recap of the first day and quick polls |
| Regulatory ex post Evaluation: Implementation | |
| 09.15 | How to manage ex-post regulatory evaluations: practical tips and considerations This session examines the practical aspects of managing evaluations, both from the Commission and the contractor perspective. It looks at quality assurance throughout the evaluation process, the management of evaluation support studies, and different approaches to stakeholder consultation, including both open and targeted consultation. We will also look at evaluation reports, highlighting common challenges and good practice in producing clear, rigorous and useful outputs. The session ends with a short exercise on quality assurance. |
| Regulatory ex post Evaluation: What lies ahead | |
| 10.15 | What is new in Evaluation in the Commission The last major revision to the Better Regulation Guidelines was carried out in 2021. Several new aspects were incorporated such as the new approach to the relevance criterion, which includes foresight (“continued relevance”), and the incorporation of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in evaluations and fitness checks.A new Communication on Better Regulation, announced in the Commission Work Programme 2026 is scheduled for publication in the second quarter of 2026. In this session we will present and assess the implications for evaluation of this Communication. |
| 10.45 | Coffee break |
| 11.00 | Implications of the focus on simplification and burden reduction In recent years, the Commissions has placed increasing emphasis on simplification and burden reduction. This session examines the practical implications for evaluation, including methodologies for assessing costs and benefits and approaches to developing the table on the costs and benefits of legislation. This session will be updated to reflect the key findings of the Annual Burden Survey on action to simplify legislation, expected in May 2026. |
| 11.45 | Latest developments and innovations in evaluation: state of the art approaches to evaluating regulatory measures. The OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook in 2021 highlighted that ‘traditional regulatory management tools, including ex post evaluation need to be adapted to help governments navigate the challenges and the opportunities brought by transformative changes. As regulatory interventions increasingly operate in volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous contexts, evaluation approaches also need to evolve. This session explores emerging methods that respond to these conditions, including real time data, adaptive evaluation, complexity theory, and systems thinking. Drawing on practical examples, it shows how these approaches are being applied to the evaluation of regulatory measures in fast changing environments. |
| 12.45 | Wrap-up & evaluation |
| 13.00 | End of the course |