Maximising the value of EU Projects: The RWS Impact tool
Rijkswaterstaat actively participates in numerous European projects that drive innovation, collaboration, and sustainability. One such project, Connected River, funded through Interreg, focuses on enhancing safety around rivers and ports in the North Sea region while introducing a new design-thinking approach called Flow Forward.
However, despite the valuable knowledge these projects generate, their impact within and beyond Rijkswaterstaat is not always fully realised.
To address this, Bureau Brussel, Rijkswaterstaat’s EU desk, launched their Impact tool in 2021. This innovative framework has been developed to evaluate EU projects and increase their impact ensuring their results benefit not only Rijkswaterstaat but also the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, project stakeholders, and society at large.
How the Impact tool works
The Impact tool evaluates projects against 5 key criteria
- Innovation and knowledge development
- Policy alignment
- Networks and collaboration
- Organisational impact (Rijkswaterstaat and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management)
- Societal impact and future opportunities
Each criterion is assessed on a scale from level 1 (knowledge exchange) to level 5 (institutionalisation at the EU level). By conducting evaluations at the start of projects and when they are finished, the tool supports the identification of lessons learned and opportunities for improvement.
Progress so far
The tool, set for full development between 2021 and 2027, has already been applied 39 times, with 12 projects undergoing both pre- and post-evaluations. Early findings reveal that the true value of projects often exceeds initial expectations.
The tool also highlights practical measures, such as initiating broader based advisory or steering groups or organising knowledge-sharing sessions, to maximise impact.
Looking ahead
As development continues, the Impact tool will be further refined based on feedback and collaboration with external organisations like The Netherlands Court of Audit, Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO), and the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL). Future updates will include guidelines for connecting projects to Rijkswaterstaat knowledge leaders and a stakeholder analysis to better involve internal stakeholders early on.
The ultimate goal? To ensure Rijkswaterstaat maximises the value of every European project it participates in, not for the benefit of Rijkswaterstaat alone, but also for society as a whole.