Definitions | 2014 Support Materials MS

Operations should be defined in a way that they contribute to the objectives of the operational programme and, in particular, to the specific objectives of the investment priority (IP) under which the operation is implemented. Indicator monitoring data should be in line with the specific objectives of the IP and should be able to capture the achievement of results. The  target groups and the type of intervention/action should be taken into consideration for defining operations. If too many projects are combined in a single operation, it might be difficult to capture the changes in the participant’s situation as a result of support. If operations are designed so they consist in small projects/activities, implementation might become too complex and "results" might become irrelevant.

In addition, the administrative burden and the reporting complexity should also be considered. If the design of an action results in many small operations, the administrative burden of reporting will be substantially increased (see next section). On the other hand, one single operation comprising many projects will have to be reported only by one beneficiary. This might end up being too complex and difficult to break down for the audit trail.

No. The common definitions are in place in order to ensure consistency in the data provided by all Member States. The DEGURBA (DEGree of URBAnisation) classification should therefore be used for the indicator on participants “from rural areas”.
The monitoring system needs to collect information on the place of residence of the participant. This should then be matched with the LAU2 codes used in the DEGURBA dataset published by Eurostat to determine if the participant is living in a rural area.
The DEGURBA classification establishes three categories of area:

• (Code 1) Densely populated area (cities or large urban area)
• (Code 2) Intermediate density area (towns and suburbs or small urban area)
• (Code 3) Thinly populated area (rural areas).

The common output indicator “from rural areas” should record participants residing in areas classified in the Eurostat DEGURBA data as 3 –Thinly populated area.
You can find information about the DEGURBA classification at: http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/ramon/miscellaneous/index.cfm?TargetUrl=DSP_DEGURBA.

For common indicators, national definitions can only be used for the following four output indicators:

• migrants, participants with a foreign background, minorities (including marginalised communities such as the Roma),
• participants with disabilities,
• homeless or affected by housing exclusion,
• other disadvantaged.

For all other indicators, the definitions in Annex C1 of the EC Guidance document on Monitoring and Evaluation are to be applied.

The definition of the indicator on “number of supported micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (including cooperative enterprises, enterprises of the social economy)” includes a general definition of an enterprise "An enterprise is considered to be any entity engaged in an economic activity, irrespective of its legal form". The common indicator therefore covers all SMEs that benefit from direct support irrespective of their legal form and no breakdown is required. If a Member State wishes to establish a programme-specific indicator that distinguishes enterprises of particular legal forms, such as cooperatives, then a definition based on the relevant national legislation should be used.

The common output and result indicators for ESF investments and the result indicators for the YEI are listed in Annex I and Annex II respectively of the ESF Regulation (1304/2013). Definitions for these indicators are then given in Annexes C1 and C2 of the EC Guidance document on Monitoring and Evaluation.