EUROPOS PAGALBOS LABIAUSIAI SKURSTANTIEMS FONDO LIETUVOJE PARAMĄ TEIKIANČIŲ SPECIALISTŲ PROGRAMOS VERTINIMAS
THE EVALUATION OF THE FUND FOR EUROPEAN AID TO THE MOST DEPRIVED IN LITHUANIA BASED ON THE OPINION OF THE SUPPORT PROVIDERS

Summary/Abstract: The main aim of the Fund for European Aid to the Most Deprived (FEAD) is to help people to overcome poverty and social exclusion. One of the program’s evaluation elements is the evaluation of the program providers. Their attitudes and values are important because, as stated by Lion et al. (2006), these specialists can change the original design of the intervention and its final outcome. The FEAD in Lithuania was evaluated using ex-ante approach, and a survey of the providers was implemented. The contribution of this research is a self-constructed understanding of support provision and its development by support providers from different administrative levels. Thus, the aim of this research is to analyze the FEAD results from the perspectives of support providers. For the implementation of this aim, the following objectives were established: firstly, to analyze the academic literature on the program’s evaluation; secondly, to review the results of the FEAD during its operation; and, thirdly, to analyze the evaluation of the FEAD by the support providers.The aim of this research was realized using the meta-analysis of EU and Lithuanian reports, semi-structured interviews with program administrators/coordinators, and a survey of direct support providers involving open-ended questions. This research was implemented in 2019–2020. The results of the research revealed that support providers think that support is targeted, but it is a weak measure in helping people to integrate into the labor market. The specialists suggested expanding the basket of products and their quality, and frequently encountered refusal to accept this support based on the stigmatization of some elements of it.

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