WP3 - Evaluation of integration policies

Coordinator: Peter De Cuyper
Research: N
Start: July 2012

This work package focuses on the evaluation of integration and civic integration policies. Such evaluation occupies a prominent place in the policy agendas of both Europe and Flanders. Evaluating the success or failure of policies is crucial in order to improve policy programmes, compare the performance of policies throughout time and identify best practices. In other words, this work package attempts to contribute to evidence-based policymaking. The work is divided into four clusters.
 

Literature review

The review is composed of two main elements. First, we provide an overview of the evaluations of the policy instruments used within the domains of integration and civic integration across the OECD member states. We focus on measures targeting newcomers. This overview, which will be updated each year, fills a gap in the scientific literature on integration. This literature focuses predominantly on the philosophical principles underlying integration policies, as opposed to the concrete evaluation or design of the policy instruments themselves. Second, we propose an evaluation framework that draws upon the literature review and the scientific literature. This framework will provide a sustainable basis for the evaluation of Flemish policies on integration and civic integration. In this context, it will serve three functions: identifying gaps in the current evaluations, formulating criteria for assessing the merits of policies and providing a blueprint for defining concrete guidelines for implementing evaluations.

Dutch as a second language: Pathways, mapping and evaluation

This cluster covers three topics:
(1) mapping the pathways that newcomers follow in learning the Dutch language (taking into account both the regular and non-regular course offerings);
(2) explaining differences in the participation of newcomers within these pathways; and
(3) assessing the impact of knowledge of the Dutch language on the labour-market positions of newcomers. We use both quantitative (administrative) and qualitative data.

Transitions towards work

In this cluster, we follow the current evaluation practice in other European countries (Denmark, Sweden, Germany), which assess their integration policies in terms of their impact on the employment of newcomers. In other words, we evaluate integration and civic integration policies with regard to the target group’s transition towards work. Who moves on towards employment, and what are the characteristics of these individuals? What are the features of the work towards which they are moving? Which factors explain their transition, and which pathways are most effective? This cluster’s methodology is predominantly quantitative. In this context, we make use of existing administrative databases.

Social participation

The third cluster comprises the evaluation of the impact of Dutch language courses on social participation. We define social participation in terms of informal networks and social contacts with the environment (e.g. public service agencies, neighbours).

WP3 - Publications

Work package output:

2014

De Cuyper, Peter (2014). Evaluatie van Inburgering in het land van herkomst. Rapport. Steunpunt Inburgering en Integratie, ..

De NT2-trajecten van inburgeraars in kaart gebracht (Peter De Cuyper & Montserrat González Garibay). Fact sheet. Steunpunt Inburgering en Integratie, november 2014, 16 p.

2013

González Garibay, Montserrat & De Cuyper, Peter (2013). The evaluation of integration policies across the OECD: a review. Rapport. Steunpunt Inburgering en Integratie, 129 p.

González Garibay, Montserrat & De Cuyper, Peter (2013). An evaluation framework for the Flemish integration policies. Rapport. Steunpunt Inburgering en Integratie, 53 p.

Een evaluatiekader voor het Vlaamse inburgerings- en integratiebeleid (Montserrat González Garibay & Peter De Cuyper). Fact sheet. Steunpunt Inburgering en Integratie, juni 2013, 3p.