The document details the web europa 2006 project, which supports regional operational programs' communication strategies through effective web usage. It outlines the objectives of enhancing website content and usability for public information and accessibility, alongside evaluation methods to assess the effectiveness of communication. The project also emphasizes collaboration among stakeholders to improve practices for disseminating information about structural funds and regional development opportunities.

1. WEB EuroPA 2006 A.S.P.O. Analysis of Operational Programmes web sites Titti Paderi Formez Bruxelles, December 12th

2. Why ASPO? All the Obj. 1 Regional Operational Programmes use the web site as an instrument of communication The e-government policies The activity of the WEB EuroPA 2006 project, which aims to support the operability of Communication Plans by the elaboration of working instruments Web EuroPA 2006

3. Information and publicity measures on the web site Commission Regulation (EC) 1159/2000: Managing Authorities must use some information instruments (such as billboards and commemorative plaques), but they can choose the other methods, e.g.: the institutional web site Practical Guide to communicating on the Structural Funds 2000-2006: The web site is considered an “essential tool” Web EuroPA 2006

4. ASPO’s Objectives Self-evaluation : it delineates the physionomy of the web section devoted to the OP and to the Structural Funds, described on the basis of the positive aspects (which are to be improved and to be perfected) and of the information or functional deficiencies (which are to be examined in order to identify criticalities and define improvement margins) External evaluation : it helps the comparison of similar experiences (by defining the best practices) and the standardisation (convergence towards an “ideal” model) Web EuroPA 2006

5. ASPO’s features ASPO’s indicators have been defined on the basis of: the rules of the Commission Regulation 1159/2000 the terms contained in the Practical Guide to communicating on the Structural Funds 2000-2006 the propositions of the working group formed by the Formez team and the Obj. 1 Information Officers Web EuroPA 2006

6. How ASPO works: the indicators For each indicator you have to consider the presence or absence of information and, in most of the cases, the quality of it (score is from 0 to a maximum of 4). The last option includes the former ones. When you calculate the score you have to consider the value of the multiplier (1-3), which increases the score depending on the importance of the indicator Web EuroPA 2006 B12. Is the information about the implementation available? 4 present (annual implementation report) 3 present (mid-term evaluation report) 0 absent

7. ASPO’s contruction The check-list proposed by Formez It was constructed on the basis of the two main targets (the public and the potencial beneficiaries) plus the “information multipliers” Meetings with the Information Officers Meetings were held between May 2004 - September 2005 to put together the suggestions from the Information Officers E-work We worked at distance to amend the check-list and test it on the web sites Web EuroPA 2006

8. ASPO’s structure 5 thematic indices (A-D contents, E technological devices): FRONT-OFFICE TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TO THE “POTENTIAL BENEFICIARIES” RELATIONALITY AND PARTNERSHIP USABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, TECHNOLOGICAL DEVICES 58 indicators Web EuroPA 2006

9. A. FRONT-OFFICE Objective: self-presentation of OP information service The objectives of the Communication Plan, the contact details of the Information Officers and of the Managing Authorities, the information service to the public (e.g. call center, help-desk, etc.) The structural funds, the OP and the links to the institutional web sites about regional policy News about the OP implementation Web EuroPA 2006

10. B. TERRITORIAL DEVELOPMENT Objective: to show all the financial opportunities provided by the EU and national regional policy, presenting the territorial strategy and giving visibility to the projects the assistance package and the other main programmes at regional level the integrated territorial projects the projects part-financed by the Structural Funds the OP implementation the framework of the period 2007-2013 Web EuroPA 2006

11. C. SERVICES TO THE POTENTIAL BENEFICIARIES Objective: to reach quality services that ensure transparency for the potential beneficiaries a “usable” description of the assistance package (data base, guided way) information on calls for proposals details of contacts for the information on the measures and the implementation other services (glossary of terms, FAQ’s, online information service) Web EuroPA 2006

12. D. RELAZIONALITY AND PARTNERSHIP Objective: to give the Monitoring Committee and the local network an online section to: inform be informed discuss collaborate Web EuroPA 2006

13. E. USABILITY, ACCESSIBILITY, TECHNOLOGICAL DIVICES Objective: to make the finding of the information easy for everyone URL recognisability, link to the home page of OP section from each page, equal and recognisable elements in all pages, search engine minimum criteria of accessibility link check, HTML check, browser compatibility, load time check Web EuroPA 2006

14. The working group The Formez team and the Information Officers of Objective 1 Regional Operational Programmes Contacts : Titti Paderi E-mail: [email_address] it Tel.: 0039 – (0)70 - 67956248 Web EuroPA 2006