Evaluation of the ESF+ program “Employment Austria and Just Transition Fund 2021-2027”

The project team consisting of JOANNEUM RESEARCH, L&R Sozialforschung, the Institute for Advanced Studies (IHS) and the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (WIFO) is conducting the evaluation of the ESF+ programme ‘Employment Austria and Just Transition Fund 2021-2027’ on behalf of the Federal Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs, Health, Care and Consumer Protection.

The aim of the evaluation is to assess the effectiveness, efficiency and relevance of the programme and to derive well-founded recommendations for improving its implementation.

The European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) is the EU’s central funding instrument for social justice and employment. It supports people in improving their opportunities on the labour market, promotes education and training, strengthens social inclusion and helps to reduce poverty and disadvantage. At the same time, the ESF+ provides impetus for innovation and digitalisation in order to shape a more just and sustainable society in Europe. The evaluation will examine both the overall programme and the seven priority axes, focusing on topics such as equality, poverty reduction, social innovation and the Just Transition Fund. Particular emphasis will also be placed on analysing the cross-cutting objectives – gender equality, anti-discrimination and environmental sustainability – as well as developments in the transition region of Burgenland.

The methodological implementation combines qualitative and quantitative approaches: strategy, implementation and impact analyses are supplemented by interviews, case studies, online surveys and analyses of monitoring and secondary statistical data.

The results of the evaluation will be included in an interim report and in the final report (by 2029) and will be regularly reviewed with the Ministry and the ESF+ programme monitoring group. In addition to optimising the current programme implementation, the evaluation is also intended to provide valuable insights for the next funding period after 2027.