Study supporting the evaluation of Decision 573/2014/EU on enhanced cooperation between Public Employment Services (PES) : executive summary.
Date: 2019-09-13
Institutions: Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion
Subjects: EU employment policy, European cooperation, administrative cooperation, decision (EU), employment service, enhanced cooperation, integration into employment, job access, labour mobility, social rights

Study supporting the 
evaluation of Decision 
573/2014/EU on enhanced 
cooperation between Public 
Employment Services (PES)

Executive summary 

July 2019

Social 
Europe 

EUROPEAN COMMISSION 

Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion 
Directorate B — Employment 
Unit B1 — Employment Strategy 

Contact: Claire GRAPELOUX - PES Secretariat 

E-mail: EMPL-PES-SECRETARIAT@ec.europa.eu

European Commission
B-1049 Brussels

LEGAL NOTICE 

Manuscript completed in July 2019

Written by Vicki DONLEVY, Monica ANDRIESCU, Andrea BROUGHTON, Nigel MEAGER (Ecorys)

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responsible for the use that might be made of the following information. More information on the 
European Union is available on the Internet (http://www.europa.eu). 

Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union, 2019 

PDF   ISBN 978-92-76-08829-5

doi:10.2767/200526

KE-01-19-575-EN-N

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Study supporting the evaluation of the Decision 573/2014/EU on enhanced cooperation between PES 
Executive summary 

Ecorys  was  commissioned  by  the  European  Commission  to  undertake  an  external  and 
independent study to support the evaluation of the extent to which the European Network 
of Public Employment Services (PES Network) has contributed to the achievement of the 
objectives set out in Decision 573/2014/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council 
on enhanced cooperation between Public Employment Services (PES) and whether it has 
fulfilled  its  tasks.  The  objective  of  the  Decision  is  to  encourage  cooperation  between 
Member  States  within  the  areas  of  PES  responsibility,  thereby  formalising  and 
strengthening  cooperation  between  the  PES  and  helping  to  reinforce  their  capacity, 
effectiveness and efficiency. The PES Network encompasses the European Commission and 
the PES of all EU Member States, along with those of Norway and Iceland.  

The  study,  carried  out  from  June  2018  to  March  2019,  assessed  the  implementation  of 
Decision 573/2014/EU against five evaluation criteria – relevance, effectiveness, efficiency, 
coherence and EU added value. The evaluation used a theory-based approach to assessing 
outcomes, underpinned by an intervention logic. The methodology was fully aligned with 
the  requirements  in  the  Better  Regulation  Guidelines  and  Toolbox,  including  four  main 
tasks: a comprehensive mapping exercise of the changes undertaken in PES as a result of 
the Decision; case studies to assess impact on PES in five countries (EE, FR, IT, NL, RO); 
a public consultation; and (4) targeted consultations with key stakeholders.  

Main findings 

The evaluation concluded overall that the PES Network has contributed to the achievement 
of the objectives set out in Decision 573/2014/EU and that it has fulfilled its tasks. Although 
still  at  a  relatively  early  stage  of  development,  it  has  delivered  a  range  of  outputs  and 
results that have increased knowledge and led to changes in performance and organisation 
of PES at all levels of maturity, and will be likely to lead to further improvements in the 
longer term, to the ultimate benefit of PES end-users (jobseekers and employers). The key 
concrete impacts of the Decision to date include: 

  A  structured  framework,  via  the  benchlearning  process,  for  assessing  PES 
performance  and  needs  across  the  key  areas  of  implementation,  and  facilitating 
comparisons and improvements both at a collective and individual PES level, with 
the buy-in and active participation of PES;  

  The provision of tailored individual support and targeted collective mutual learning 

for PES based on precise needs identified;  

 

 

Increased, better quality, more comprehensive and structured cooperation and peer 
learning  between  PES.  There  is  greater  ownership,  collegiality  and  buy-in  by  all 
national PES in cooperation activities; 

Improvements  to  PES  policies  and  practices,  both  in  terms  of  organisational 
processes  and  service  delivery  (e.g.  the  development  of  managerial  skills,  the 
introduction  of  performance  and  quality  management  systems,  the  development 
competence-based  recruitment  and  job  placement  tools,  progress  with  the 
implementation of digitalisation, more tailored services for jobseekers, optimising 
employer services); 

  Ensuring a collective voice and formal platform for PES in policymaking at EU and 

national level in relevant fields; 

  A  greater  understanding  among  EU  policymakers  of  the  needs  and  challenges  of 
national (and regional) PES, allowing more effective support measures and policy 
solutions;  

  A  common  strategic  framework  for  PES  cooperation  for  tackling  the  increasingly 
common global challenges that PES are facing, which require concerted action;  

  The  stimulation  of  internal  learning,  reflection  and  policy  debate  in  participating 

PES; 

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Study supporting the evaluation of the Decision 573/2014/EU on enhanced cooperation between PES 
Executive summary 

  Contributions to the EU2020 objectives through providing targeted support to the 
Member States which have received country specific recommendations related to 
PES,  cooperating  with  EMCO  (and  the  Labour  Ministries)  to  identify  the  Member 
States which require additional support, and contributing to headline targets via the 
alignment of the annual work programme of the PES Network. 

In term of the five evaluation criteria, the evaluation concluded that: 

  All  the  objectives  and  initiatives  set  out  in  the  Decision  have  been  and  remain 

relevant in relation to the labour market context.  

  The  PES  Network  has  been  effective  in  implementing  its  initiatives,  which  have 
contributed  to  the  achievement  of  the  Decision’s  objectives.  The  Network’s  most 
effective  initiatives  have  been  benchlearning  and  mutual  assistance,  due  to  their 
tailored nature and the concrete benefits they have brought to the PES. Overall, the 
initiatives have contributed to the achievement of all the Decision’s objectives.  

  The Network has had overall a good level of efficiency in delivering its initiatives 
and reaching its objectives. Participants in the PES Network, both from more and 
less  developed  PES,  perceive  that  the  benefits  of  the  Network  are  superior to  its 
costs. 

  There  is  a  good  degree  of  coherence  between  the  Decision  and  the  EU  policy 
framework, and a fairly good level of coherence at national level between the work 
of the PES Network and relevant policies or initiatives implemented at national level 
(e.g. the Youth Guarantee).  

  There  has  been  strong  EU  added  value  of  the  Decision.  It  is  likely  that  PES 
cooperation at EU level would have been lesser in both volume and quality in its 
absence. Although some cooperation would have taken place without the Network, 
particularly in the case of mature PES, it is unlikely it would have been as structured, 
evidence-based, dynamic, comprehensive or effective.  

Key lessons learnt 

  The importance of ensuring that the Network has a primary focus on learning and 

sharing, underpinned by a structured process of assessments; 

  PES  ownership  of  European  cooperation  is  a  key  success  factor,  but  cooperation 
must  be  underpinned  by  continuous  financial,  organisational  and  expert  support 
from the EU level to ensure successful implementation; 

  PES have an important voice for the development, implementation and monitoring 

of both EU and national policies and initiatives in the field of employment;  

  The objectives and initiatives for cooperation need to provide a clear framework, 
but also sufficient flexibility to adapt to new challenges. The work of the Network 
could  be  extended  to  new  areas  of  cooperation  that  respond  to  common  PES 
challenges in the future;  

  PES at all maturity levels have benefited from participation in Network activities; 

  Enhanced cooperation with relevant EU and national level labour market actors and 
organisations,  including  ESF  actors,  is  likely  to  increase  the  effectiveness  of  the 
Network; 

  Greater  dissemination  of  learning  resources  and  the  other  Network  outputs  to  a 
wider audience could increase the reach and impact of PES Network activity;  

  Some  gains  in  efficiency  could  be  made,  however  not  at  the  risk  of  endangering 

effectiveness;  

  The  work  of  the  Network  could  be  extended  to  new  areas  of  cooperation  that 

respond to common PES challenges in the future; 

  Lessons learnt from the implementation of Decision 573/2014/EU are transferable 

to other policy areas at the EU level;  

  The  PES  Network  has  been  operating  for  a  relatively  short  period  so  is  still 
developing, and will require time and ongoing investment to reach its full potential.

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