The PROFEEDBACK Toolkit on Evaluation Methodologies is a comprehensive and structured publication designed to disseminate the knowledge, experience, and practical examples generated throughout the Action. Throughout the Profeedback Action, a wide range of collaborative events united evaluation professionals, researchers, and public sector stakeholders, generating valuable scientific and practical insights. The Toolkit brings together theory, quantitative and qualitative methods, participatory techniques, and real case examples in one accessible resource. Covering approaches from Theory of Change to Randomized Controlled Trials, and from focus groups to outcome harvesting, the Toolkit provides a clear and easy-to-use overview of how evaluations are designed, implemented, and interpreted in real policy environments.

The PROFEEDBACK Research Management Toolkit guides users through the landscape of European research, funding, and tendering. At its core are three focused webinars that open doors to professional opportunities: the role of evaluators throughout the EU grant project lifecycle, key principles of effective research management, and a hands-on introduction to finding evaluation tenders on European procurement platforms. ​​The Toolkit includes a curated Research Management Knowledge Base with frameworks, training materials, and templates, as well as the PROFEEDBACK Sustainable Impact Hub, a platform that maps expertise, links members to funding opportunities across major EU programmes, and supports ongoing collaboration and training.

From the very beginning, Profeedback set out to do something ambitious: to bring together researchers, practitioners, and policymakers from different disciplines and countries to strengthen evaluation culture and make policymaking more evidence-informed. Over the years, it grew into a real European hub for the evaluation community — a space for dialogue, exchange, and joint learning.

The Action created countless opportunities for cooperation: Working Groups, Conferences, Training Schools, peer-to-peer learning, joint publications and mobility grants gave participants hands-on experience and room for experimentation. HÉTFA Research Institute was strongly represented across several Working Groups, contributing numerous policy briefs and publications to the Action’s outcomes.

Although the formal project period has ended, members are already planning joint research and tender applications, new publications, and regular webinars to keep the exchange alive.

Among its main deliverables are:

• Policy briefs – summarizing key findings and recommendations for policymakers.
• A collection of scientific publications – presenting research results related to evaluation practice.
• Profeedbook volumes – compiled from conference materials.
• Profedbcourse educational videos– based on training school content.
• Three webinars – exploring various methodological and practical aspects of evaluation.

The most recent policy briefs complementing those published in previous years, address a broad spectrum of contemporary policy issues, including green employment opportunities and digital skills for young people, the socio-economic impacts of energy-efficient building renovations, the situation and support of women entrepreneurs, the role of participatory evaluation, and the contribution of higher education institutions to sustainable development.

As the Action reaches its conclusion, the Profeedback network continues to serve as a platform for exchange across disciplines and sectors—uniting academia, public administration, business, and civil society in shaping better evaluation practices for better policies.

These deliverables aim to foster knowledge sharing, professional dialogue, and evidence-based policymaking, while offering inspiration and practical insights for researchers, evaluators, and decision-makers alike.

The main deliverables are now available on the Profeedback COST Action website: these include Profeedbook10, two interview videos capturing the key messages and lessons of the conference, as well as the keynote presentations and speakers’ slides, the poster presentations, and the conference aftermovie.

Profeedbook10 presents research findings and good practices that provide valuable guidance for professionals working in youth policy and education. Complementing the publication, the two interview videos feature international experts reflecting on why evaluation is an essential condition for effective policymaking. The first video explores how policy concepts can be translated into meaningful social impact, while the second highlights the practical challenges faced during implementation — from political constraints to the gap between research and practice. The keynote presentations featured distinguished experts — including representatives of the OECD, the World Bank, the International Labour Organization, and the University of Pisa — who addressed key issues in the evaluation of youth and education policies.

Contributors include experts from the aforementioned organizations, HÉTFA Research Institute, and the European Evaluation Society. The HÉTFA Research Institute was represented by Luca Koltai and Gábor Balás.

The event was officially opened by Gábor Balás, Chair of the PROFEEDBACK network and Director of the HÉTFA Research Institute, alongside Tibor Navracsics, Minister for Public Administration and Regional Development of Hungary. The opening and keynote speeches were delivered by experts from international organisations including the OECD, World Bank, and the International Labour Organization (ILO). The presentations addressed the intersections of employment, education, and youth policy, and highlighted the role of evaluation in driving systemic transformation.

The two-day conference brought together more than 100 participants and featured 20 poster presentations and 8 thematic sessions. Several colleagues from the HÉTFA Research Institute contributed to the parallel sessions: Luca Koltai, Eszter Szőnyi, and Kinga Tóth presented evaluation experiences from programmes targeting older NEET youth (Not in Education, Employment, or Training), while Bálint Herczeg discussed the impact of university programmes on student dropout rates through Hungarian case studies. In the poster session, Luca Szöőr-Fülöp and Katalin Bördős shared good practices for supporting the labour market integration of young people.

A dedicated policy roundtable focused on the role of evaluation in EU-level decision-making, bringing together experts and institutional representatives.

As the conference concluded, a clear message emerged: there remains a strong need for continued collaboration to strengthen the culture of evaluation across Europe. One of the closing reflections summed it up well: effective policymaking relies on thoughtful, independent, and reflexive evaluation.

Presentations, videos, and posters from the conference will soon be available on PROFEEDBACK platforms.

The training was led by internationally recognised experts: Marijana Sumpor (Institute of Economics, Zagreb), Sari Rannanpää (Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare), and Kalterina Shulla (Technische Universität Dresden), who shared their extensive experience in the field of policy evaluation.

The course brought together 12 selected young researchers and practitioners from various countries, who spent three intensive working days developing case-based evaluation designs, interpreting complex interventions, and applying what they learned to real-world policy scenarios.

To conclude the week, participants presented their own evaluation designs during the poster session of the 9th PROFEEDBACK Conference, thus linking theoretical learning with ongoing policy dialogue and practice.

The training materials and selection of slides will soon be made publicly available on the official PROFEEDBACK website.

📍 Further information and updates are available here:
🔗 https://profeedback.eu/training-school-4

]]> https://hetfa.eu/2025/06/revaluationweek-a-podcast-series-featuring-profeedback-members-from-a-conference-co-organised-by-hetfa/ Tue, 03 Jun 2025 14:17:14 +0000 https://hetfa.eu/?p=11658 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 to this important platform, which brought together experts from across Europe to discuss the evaluation of research and innovation policies. The conference featured several members of the Profeedback network, who participated in various panels and keynote discussions.

Starting Sunday, 25 May 2025, a new episode is published each day in the REvaluation Podcast, providing access to selected content from the conference. The series offers a way to revisit the discussions or to engage with them for the first time.

Podcast Release Schedule:

• Sunday, 25 May 2025
  Panel: Causal evaluation of research and innovation policies

• Monday, 26 May 2025
  Keynote: What’s AI doing in evaluation? – Linda Raftree

• Tuesday, 27 May 2025
  Panel: Peer Review in Transition

• Wednesday, 28 May 2025
  Keynote: How do you measure impact? – Henriette Spyra

• Thursday, 29 May 2025
  Panel: Funding Transdisciplinarity

• Friday, 30 May 2025
  Keynote: Are we all metascientists now? – James Wilsdon

• Saturday, 31 May 2025
  Panel: Next generation’s voices

The full podcast series will be available on the REvaluation Podcast platform. To learn more about the Profeedback network and its activities, visit the project’s official website at www.profeedback.eu.

The event enabled open dialogue between COST Actions, fostering the exchange of good practices on involving more female researchers and inclusive policymaking. This initiative reflects COST’s commitment to advancing equality and diversity in European research collaborations.

More information about the Profeedback is available on the project’s website. To learn more, visit the COST website. Read the official COST report on the event on their social media site.

Date: April 3, 2025

Time: 15:00 CEE

Location: Online (registration link below)

During the webinar, renowned experts will share their insights on evaluation, public policy, and economic development. The following speakers will present their thoughts:

• Olha Krasovska (Ukrainian Evaluation Association): Challenges and opportunities of applying qualitative methods – the case of labor market evaluation in Ukraine.
• Mihajlo Djukic (Institute of Economic Sciences, Serbia): Supporting the social and economic inclusion of immigrants in Serbia: a qualitative approach.
• Dr. Jaroslav Dvorak (Klaipėda University, Lithuania): Evaluating the assurance of equal opportunities in public transport services in Lithuanian municipalities.

The webinar will not only introduce valuable research findings but also provide insights into the practical application of qualitative evaluation methods that help improve the effectiveness of policy decision-making.

Pre-registration is required for participation. The registration link is available here.

During the Training School, participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of assessment approaches and methodologies. Young researchers and professionals will have the opportunity to take part in practical workshops and case studies, and they will also be able to engage in the 9th PROFEEDBACK Conference “Shaping the Future: Evaluating Programs and Policies in Public Education and Youth Development”. A key goal of the program is to foster professional networking and support the professional development of young researchers. Travel and daily allowances will be provided for selected participants.

Applications are due by March 10, 2025. Please send your application, including CV, relevant publications, and a motivation letter to: mihaela.aioanei@qures.ro.

The call for applications and further information are available on the official PROFEEDBACK website.