This evaluation had two overarching objectives. Firstly, to provide the relevant external co-operation services of the European Union (EU) and the wider public with an overall independent assessment and evidence of the EU's past and current budget support operations in Albania. And secondly, to identify factors contributing to, or limiting, the success of budget support programmes and identify good practices and lessons learnt, in particular in view of the possible future preparation of budget support programmes in Albania. In addition, the specific objectives for this evaluation were:

• Assess the performance (relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, coherence, impact,

sustainability and EU value added) of EU budget support operations (policy dialogue and financial assistance);

• Provide recommendations for the next programming period.

The thematic scope of the evaluation covered: Reforms in public administration and public finance management, good governance, rule of law, inclusive economic growth, employment and social policies, and the transport sector. The evaluation assessed how and to what extent EU assistance delivered through budget support has contributed to the improvement of institutional capacities, strategies and budget spending thereby giving means to the Government of Albania to implement the reforms necessary to progress on the EU accession path. Moreover, it assessed the contribution of EU budget support and complementary assistance to capacity building, coordination and policy dialogue mechanisms and processes, monitoring of policies, sustainability of policies, and assessed the complementarity and synergies between other aid modalities and donors’ interventions with EU budget support operations.
It provided advice to EU external action actors, informed them about the result and impact of EU budget support, and contributed to improved programming, monitoring, reporting and implementation of EU interventions in Albania.