The EPTATF was set up to accelerate the origination of operations in Eastern Partnership countries, and to improve the quality and development impact of the Bank's operations in the region. The establishment of the EPTATF was based on the assumption that technical assistance available at the time was inadequate to support the Bank’s operations in the region, particularly for small projects. It was set up to be complementary to the Neighbourhood Investment Facility (NIF) instrument and resources.
The purpose of the evaluation was to determine the extent to which the EPTATF has helped to improve EIB operations in Eastern Partnership countries since its establishment. Particip was expected to analyse the functioning of the EPTATF, its decision-making process, its governance arrangement and its organisation and performed a review of the EPTATF portfolio of TA operations.
The evaluation work encompassed the following main phases:

• Structuring phase: the evaluation team took ownership of the evaluation framework and approach, further amended and developed it, if deemed necessary.
• Data collection and analysis phase: this phase entailed a thorough desk review, data collection, validation and analysis. The analysis, focussing on 10 case studies of TA operations (at least three in Ukraine, and at least one in Armenia, Georgia, and Moldova) led up to the drafting of the Evaluation Report
• Preparation of the final report: the Team Leader participated in the presentation of the evaluation’s emerging findings to IG/EV and to the Evaluation Reference Group; and then drafted and finalised the Evaluation Report under the guidance of IG/EV