PROFEEDBACK
PlatfoRm OF policy Evaluation community for improvED EU policies and Better ACKnowledgement

| Ref./Contract no | CA20112 |
| Funding programme | COST |
| Duration | 48 months |
| Start year-end year | 2021-2025 |
| Website | Profeedback.eu |
Summary
The The Action PROFEEDBACK aims to foster the networking of the policy evaluation community at EU-level, raise awareness on the importance of evaluation policy research and improve its impact on policy-making. The Platform, following a bottom-up and open approach, will gather researchers and professionals from various scientific fields and sectors to present and evaluate theories, topics, tools and methods of policy evaluation. Results of the Europe-wide assessment of good practices will provide direct and high-quality inputs for national and EU bodies responsible for policy evaluation.
Policy evaluation is a key tool in understanding, developing and modernising EU policies, thus there is a growing demand for EU-wide and high quality evaluation services. The main challenge is that currently there is no bottom-up platform for European researchers and professionals working in policy evaluation. They have limited possibilities to discuss common problems, assess country specific practices and share their knowledge in a mutually beneficial and effective way.
PROFEEDBACK aims to tackle this challenge with an innovative, complex, cross-sectoral and multidisciplinary approach by:
- analysing the theoretical and methodological questions of evaluation policy research putting special focus on Cohesion Policy,
- enriching scientific research of policy evaluation and addressing new challenges,
- harmonizing fragmented approaches to set the research agenda and to get a common understanding,
- contributing to the capacity building of the policy evaluation community,
- involving national and EU policy-makers and the civil society to contribute to evidence-based policy-making,
- framing a Code of Conduct for the policy evaluation community.
Activities and outputs
We organise conferences, training schools, mobility grants.
The Action has three Working Groups:
WG1 Theoretical concept of policy evaluation
WG2 Quantitative methods and data collection
WG3 Qualitative and participatory methods
Numerous deliverables are produced and made publicly available. They bring together both horizontal topics formulated at the half-yearly conferences and methodological issues analysed within the Working Groups of the Action.
Highlighted deliverables are the followings:
- PROFEEDbooks
- PROFEEDcourses
- PROFEEDbase
- Policy briefs
Contact & more info
For more information about the project, please contact:
Follow the project on Twitter and Linkedin for the latest updates.
The Final Outputs of the PROFEEDBACK COST Action are available
The Profeedback COST Action has officially concluded, marking the completion of an extensive collaborative effort to strengthen the field of public policy evaluation across Europe. Its final outputs are now available on the Profeedback website. The latest outputs are...
Profeedback COST Action Comes to a Close — but Its Impact Lives On
After four years of inspiring collaboration, learning, and knowledge sharing, the Profeedback COST Action coordinated by HÉTFA officially came to an end on 17 October 2025 — leaving behind a vibrant and connected community of evaluation professionals across Europe....
Advancing Evaluation for Better Policies: Profeedback COST Action Showcases Its Key Deliverables
Rooted in the ambition to strengthen evaluation practices and promote evidence-informed policymaking, the Profeedback network – coordinated by the HÉTFA Research Institute – has brought together hundreds of researchers, evaluators, and policymakers from across Europe....
Highlights from the 9th Profeedback Conference: Access the Conference Materials
The 9th Profeedback Conference, held in Budapest on 18–19 June 2025, was a great success, with participants highlighting both the quality of the professional content and the smooth organisation. This positive feedback is also echoed in the blog post published on the...
9th PROFEEDBACK Conference in Budapest – Shaping the Future with Better Evaluation
On June 18–19, 2025, the international conference of the PROFEEDBACK COST Action project focusing on education and youth policy was held in Budapest, organised by the HÉTFA Research Institute. The project, titled PlatfoRm OF policy Evaluation community for improvED EU...
4th PROFEEDBACK Policy Training Course in Budapest – Modern Evaluation Methods in Practice
Between 16–20 June 2025, the fourth policy training course of the PROFEEDBACK COST Action took place in Budapest, organised by the HÉTFA Research Institute. The five-day event aimed to provide a hands-on learning experience that would strengthen participants'...
#REvaluationWeek: A Podcast Series Featuring PROFEEDBACK Members – From a Conference Co-Organised by HETFA
The recordings from the REvaluation Conference 2024 – co-organised by HETFA Research Institute – were made available in podcast format during #REvaluationWeek. As a co-organiser of the REvaluation Conference 2024, Hétfa Research Institute is proud to have contributed...
Profeedback Showcased as Good Practice at COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) Event by HETFA
On 13 May 2025, HÉTFA Research Institute colleagues Katalin Oborni, senior thematic expert and Anna Szentes, senior project manager participated in the COST Connect event in Brussels, which focused on the development and implementation of Gender Equality Plans (GEPs)...
PROFEEDBACK Webinar: Qualitative Approaches in Policy Evaluation: Insights from Ukraine, Serbia, and Lithuania
We invite all interested parties to the "Qualitative Approaches in Policy Evaluation: Insights from Ukraine, Serbia, and Lithuania" Profeedback webinar. The Action PROFEEDBACK (PlatfoRm OF policy Evaluation community for improvED EU policies and Better...
Registration is open for PROFEEDBACK Training School in Budapest
The PROFEEDBACK project will organize the 4th Training School in Budapest from June 16–20, 2025. This training school offers young researchers and professionals the opportunity to enhance their expertise in contemporary evaluation methods through practical training...