7th HES Annual Conference

Under the auspices of the Department of Economics, School of Economics & Political Sciences, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

The 7th Annual Conference of the Hellenic Evaluation Society (HES), titled “Institutionalization and Use of Public Policy Evaluation,” successfully concluded on November 7, 2024. This conference was part of the HES’s commemorative activities celebrating the 10th anniversary of its founding.

The goal of the 7th Annual Conference was to enhance dialogue on integrating evaluation into the policy cycle and optimizing its use in public policymaking. Additionally, the conference explored new approaches to overcoming the limitations of current practices, contributing to the development of an evaluation culture that promotes efficiency and transparency in decision-making.

Institutionalizing and using evaluation in policymaking processes has always been a challenge, intrinsically linked to good governance. Ensuring the alignment of public policies with their intended objectives and their responsiveness to evolving societal needs requires a dynamic and iterative process that includes continuous evaluation, stakeholder participation, and ongoing review and improvement of policy measures.

The impact of public policy evaluation on improving governance largely depends on its integration into the policy cycle and its use for decision-making. At the same time, institutionalizing evaluation strengthens transparency and accountability, fostering public trust in government interventions.

Strengthening policymaking through evaluation findings and promoting the use of evaluation results in policymaking represent a dual challenge. Primarily, viewing evaluation as a co-creation process necessitates the involvement of policymakers and all stakeholders throughout the evaluation process. This ensures that evaluation questions align with policy priorities and that findings are practical and actionable. Concurrently, evaluation mechanisms are needed to provide guidelines and necessary training to ensure consistency and quality in evaluation practices.

In this context, fundamental questions arise that hold particular significance for decision-makers, evaluation professionals, researchers, commissioners, and users of evaluations:

• How can we enhance understanding of the value and importance of integrating evaluation into the policy cycle?
• What institutional frameworks or mechanisms can be created or strengthened to promote the systematic use of evaluation results in policymaking and ensure integrity?
• What are the most effective strategies for communicating evaluation findings to policymakers in ways that align with decision-making timelines?
• To what extent can evaluation professionals and researchers adapt methodologies to ensure that evaluation results are relevant to the policy context and applicable to diverse challenges and transformations?
• How does capacity building contribute to fostering an evidence-based policymaking culture, and how can it be effectively implemented within government structures?
• What strategies can be employed to establish a culture of learning from evaluation results, including successes and failures?

At the conclusion of the conference, the HES Annual Awards were announced for the following categories:

• Young Emerging Evaluator 2024
• Best Applied Integrated Evaluation Methodology
• Optimal Use of Evaluation Findings

 

PROGRAM OF THE 7TH ANNUAL CONFERENCE

10:00 - 10:30 | Registration

10:30 - 10:45
Opening & Welcome Address
Tina Orfanidou, President of HES Management Board

Welcome Address
Professor Stylianos Kotsios, Chair of the Department of Economics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens

10:45 - 11:15
Keynote Speech
Paraskevi Charalambogianni, Deputy Minister of Interior

11:15 - 12:00
SESSION 1: Integrating Evaluation into the Policy Cycle in Greece
Moderator: Dimitra Ioannou, Founding Member & Honorary President of HES

• Paraskevi Dramalioti, Secretary General of Coordination | From Planning to Implementation: Annual Action Plans and Horizontal Strategies as Reform Promotion Tools
• Prodromos Pyrros, Secretary General of Social Solidarity and Poverty Alleviation | Evaluation Policies in Social Inclusion
• Nektarios Alexopoulos, Head of the OECD Crete Centre for Population | Evidence-Informed Policymaking: The Case of the OECD Crete Centre

12:00 - 12:15 | Break

12:15 - 12:45
Book Presentation: “The Political Economy of Evaluation in Greece”

• Panagiotis E. Petrakis, Emeritus Professor, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
• Pantelis H. Kostis, Assistant Professor, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens
  Discussion with Dimitra Ioannou, Founding Member & Honorary President of HES

12:45 - 13:45
SESSION 2: Evaluation as a Policy Tool – Presentation of Best Practices
Moderator: Paraskevi Boufounou, Assistant Professor, NKUA & HES Board Member

Part A

• Alexandros Kailis, Special Advisor for International and European Affairs, Office for Better Regulation, General Secretariat for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Presidency of the Government | Integrating Holistic Principles and Strategic Approaches in Regulatory Policy Evaluation: The Case of the EU and the Greek Center of Government
• Tasos Papafragkos, Economist, PhD Candidate, Department of Economics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens | Evaluating Internal Devaluation Policies in Greece – Analytical Insights and Empirical Assessment

Part B

• Pavlos Karanikolas, Professor, Agricultural University of Athens | The Political Economy of Income Support Redistribution in Greek Farms: The Case of the Greek CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027
• Ilias Karagiannis, Professor, George Washington University | Evaluation as a Tool for Improving the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises

Part C

• Paraskevi-Vivian Galata, Professor-Advisor, Hellenic Open University | Evaluation for the People or with the People? How Participatory Approaches Enhance Social Justice
• Nikos Trantas, Presidency of the Government | How Sustainable and Inclusive Is Economic Growth in Greece? Trends, Public Policies, and Their Effectiveness
• Konstantinos Bakalopoulos, PhD Candidate, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens | The Link Between ESG, Corporate Governance, and Stock Performance of European Financial Institutions

13:45 - 14:30 | Light Lunch

14:30 - 15:15

Session 3: Applying and Strengthening Evaluation Quality
Moderator: Tina Orfanidou, President of HES Management Board

• Dimitra Chalikia, Head of Unit G "Necessary Conditions, Evaluation, and Indicators," National Coordination Authority, Ministry of National Economy and Finance | Public Policy Evaluation as a Decision-Support Tool
• Eleni Koukoula, Head of Unit G for Coordination of ESF Actions, Special Service for the Coordination and Monitoring of European Social Fund Actions, Ministry of Finance | ESF+ Evaluation 2021–2027: Addressing Challenges and Leveraging Opportunities
• Ilias Koromilas, Head of the Office for Better Regulation, General Secretariat for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, Presidency of the Government | Ex ante and Ex post Evaluation: International Experience and Proposals for Implementing Regulatory Governance Tools in Greece

15:15 - 15:30 | Break

15:30 - 16:15

HES Awards 2024
Moderator: Katerina Papadopoulou, HES Board Member

16:15 - 16:30

Conference Conclusions
Tina Orfanidou, President of HES Management Board

 

SPEAKERS

Since June 2023, Paraskevi (Vivi) Charalambogianni has served as the Deputy Minister of the Interior. Her responsibilities include overseeing the entire spectrum of human resource management processes for the public sector and local government, simplifying and optimizing administrative procedures, regulating matters related to civil society and non-profit organizations, and setting performance targets for public sector managers.

From 2019 to 2023, she served as the Secretary General for Public Sector Human Resources at the Ministry of the Interior, where she was responsible for the administration and development of human resources and the modernization of public administration structures. During her tenure, she coordinated the implementation of significant public administration reforms, including the modernization of the recruitment system and the strengthening of the Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection (ASEP), a new system for setting performance goals, evaluating and rewarding public sector personnel, the activation of Administrative Secretaries and Executive Officers in ministries, the Public Sector Internal Audit System, the National Strategic Plan for Combating Corruption, the institution of Integrity Advisors, the regulatory framework for teleworking, the new framework for Municipal Police, the new Public Sector Qualifications Framework, and multi-level governance.

She is a graduate of the Department of Political Science and Public Administration of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA), holds an MBA from the Hellenic Open University (HOU), and is a doctoral candidate in the Department of Administrative Science and Public Law at NKUA.

 

Paraskevi A. Dramalioti is a legal expert with two master’s degrees specializing in public and international law, and a summa cum laude PhD in Administrative Science, focusing on regulatory coherence and government coordination. She completed her postdoctoral research at the Department of Public Administration at the School of Economic and Public Administration Sciences at Panteion University. Recently, she published her book titled "The Executive State: Regulatory Coherence and Coordination in the Center of Government."

She was a scholar of the “Marangopoulos Foundation for Human Rights” and has taught in undergraduate and postgraduate programs at universities as well as at the National School of Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA). She has held key positions in the public sector and is a graduate of the National School of Public Administration. She holds a permanent position at the General Secretariat for Government Coordination, where she served as head of the Foreign Affairs Sector from its establishment in 2013.

 

Prodromos Pyrros is the Secretary General for Social Solidarity and Poverty Alleviation at the Ministry of Social Cohesion and Family. He has previously served as an advisor at the Economic Office of the Prime Minister, where he worked on issues related to economic and social policy, including enhancing the participation of vulnerable population groups in the labour market and attracting investments.

He was involved in drafting Greece's proposal to the European Commission for the Recovery and Resilience Facility, as well as in other government initiatives. Additionally, he participated in the committee responsible for drafting the National Strategy for LGBTQI+ Equality and, following the publication of the report, played a coordinating role in its implementation.

Mr. Pyrros holds a degree in Physics from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) and a Master’s degree in International Political Economy from City, University of London.

 

Aris Alexopoulos is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Crete, specializing in Political Analysis and Methodology. He studied Physics and Economics at the University of Athens and holds postgraduate degrees from the University of Southampton (UK) in Public Policy and Administration, as well as in Economics and Econometrics. He also holds a PhD in Political and Social Sciences from the European University Institute in Florence.

In the public sector, he served as Secretary General at the Ministry of Environment, Energy, and Climate Change from March

 

 

Panagiotis E. Petrakis is an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Economics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). He serves as the lead academic supervisor for the Distance Learning and Lifelong Education Program at the Centre for Continuing Education and Lifelong Learning at NKUA.

Additionally, he has been a member of boards of directors and scientific committees in both the private and public sectors. He has numerous publications in high-ranking international academic journals and is the author of studies and manuals on topics such as foresight, economic development, entrepreneurship, cultural background, and behaviours.

He is the Editor of the book series “The Political Economy of Greek Growth up to 2030 (TPEGG)” and “Palgrave Studies in the Future of European Societies and Economies (PSFESE),” both published by Palgrave Macmillan.

 

Pantelis H. Kostis is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Economics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). His research has been published in prestigious international academic journals, and he is the author of numerous books on economic development and growth, published by leading international publishers.

He serves as the Editor of the book series "Palgrave Studies in the Future of European Societies and Economies (PSFESE),” published by Palgrave MacMillan. Additionally, he is the Senior Associate Editor of the "Journal of the Knowledge Economy," Associate Editor of the "Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship" and the "International Journal of Social Ecology and Sustainable Development," and Guest Editor for Special Issues in scientific journals.

 

Alexandros Kailis holds a PhD in International and European Institutions and is a former official of the European Commission. He has taught for several years in the Department of International, European, and Regional Studies at Panteion University. Since 2017, he has been a lecturer in courses and seminars at the National School of Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA) and the Training Institute of EKDDA.

His research and publications focus on European law and policy, international law, international negotiations, and sustainable development governance. From 2007 to 2011, he served as an official at the European Commission in the Directorate-General for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries (DG MARE). Between 2015 and 2019, he worked at the Coordination Office for Institutional, International, and European Affairs in the General Secretariat of the Government (GSG). Since 2019, he has been a Special Advisor on International and European Affairs in the General Secretariat for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs of the Presidency of the Government.

 

Tasos Papafragkos is an economist and a distinguished graduate of the Department of Economics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA). He holds a master’s degree and is currently a PhD candidate in the Department of Economics at NKUA.

He has extensive research experience, having worked with research centres and institutions. His published research focuses on topics related to international trade and the labour market.

 

 

Pavlos Karanikolas is a Professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development at the Agricultural University of Athens (AUA). He has extensive research experience in national and European projects, such as “Farming Transitions: Pathways Towards Regional Sustainability of Agriculture in Europe” and “Small farms, small food businesses and sustainable food security.”

He has been actively involved in the development of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plan for the 2023–2027 period, as well as in the evaluation and design of national and regional rural development programs.

He teaches undergraduate and postgraduate courses, including Political Economy of the Agri-Food Sector, Agricultural Economics & Policy, and Design and Evaluation of Development Programs.

His research interests focus on the Political Economy of modern agriculture and rural areas, the design and implementation of rural development policies, and the transition towards sustainability and resilience in agri-food systems.

 

Ilias Karagiannis is a Full Professor of Science, Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship at the School of Business at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., USA. His teaching and research activities focus on areas such as government-university-industry R&D strategic partnerships, technology roadmaps, technology transfer and commercialization, international research and technology policy, technological entrepreneurship, and regional economic development.

Dr. Ilias Karagiannis has a significant number of publications in both academic and applied journals. He has also authored over 60 books on Science, Technology, Innovation, and Entrepreneurship in collaboration with leading publishers, including Springer, CRC Press, Praeger/Greenwood, Palgrave/MacMillan, and Edward Elgar. He is currently working on the publication of several additional books in these fields.

 

Nikos Trantas works at the Presidency of the Government and has extensive experience in senior management positions in both the private sector (large publishing companies) and the public sector (General Secretariat of the Government). He has also served as an advisor and scientific collaborator in the parliament and regional administration, including the European Committee of the Regions.

He holds a PhD in Political Science and has authored works on sustainable development, social policy, local government, and European governance. He has taught at Panteion University and the National Centre for Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA) and has collaborated with the European Public Law Organization (EPLO).

He has participated in projects on administrative reform conducted in cooperation with the Greek government, the OECD, and the European Commission.

 

Paraskevi-Vivian Galata is a Sociologist and Social Researcher with a PhD in Social Sciences from Panteion University. She has taught undergraduate and postgraduate courses on the social impacts of crises and sociological research at Panteion University, the Hellenic Open University (HOU), Durham University, and Newcastle University. Her research interests focus on social inequality in work, relative deprivation, social stratification, and occupational mobility. She is an elected member of the Editorial Board of Sociology (British Sociological Association, 2023–2026) and the Editorial Board of Advances in Gender Research (Emerald, 2022). Dr. Galata is a founding member of the Hellenic Evaluation Society (HES) and served as Vice President of its Management Board (2015–2018). Her most recent book, Inequalities in Work and Relative Deprivation, was published by Papazisis in 2024. She has numerous publications with renowned publishers and journals, including Emerald, Palgrave Macmillan, and Class and Status: Journal of Critical Approaches to Social Divisions.

 

Konstantinos Bakalopoulos holds a Bachelor’s degree (BSc) from the Department of Business Administration and Management at the Athens University of Economics and Business. He also holds a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Kentucky and is currently a PhD candidate at the Department of Economics at the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, focusing on Global Governance and Corporate Governance. He has extensive professional experience in the financial and shipping sectors and has been working at the Independent Authority for Public Revenue of the Ministry of Finance since 2016. Additionally, he has served as a board member of scientific organizations.

 

Dimitra Chalikia holds a degree in Forestry and Natural Environment from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and multiple postgraduate degrees: a DEA in "Spatial Planning for Rural Areas" from Montpellier III - Paul Valery, a DEA in "Rural Societies of Europe" from Paris X, Nanterre, and degrees in "Environmental Management" from ULB-Brussels and Harokopio University, as well as in "Spatial Policies and Development in Europe" (currently in progress). She also pursued specialized postgraduate training in Agri-Food Economics at IAMM, Montpellier, and Geospatial Data Collection through Remote Sensing at ENGREF, Montpellier. She completed certified training courses on "Program Evaluation" and "Program and Project Cycle Analysis" in Brussels, as well as on "Public Policy Evaluation" at the Institut National du Service Public (formerly École Nationale d’Administration - ENA) in Paris. Ms. Chalikia has represented Greece for many years in the Evaluation Expert Committee of the European Commission's DG Agriculture and in the Evaluation Expert Network of DG REGIO. She has worked for the European Commission in Brussels, in DG Environment (Civil Protection and Natural Disasters) and DG External Relations (Phare Program Evaluation Unit and Horizontal Policies Unit for PHARE countries). She also worked at the European Parliament in Luxembourg, in the Directorate-General for Administration, in the Studies Department. She has served as Secretary General for Community and Other Resources (ESF, NSRF, and Globalization Fund) at the Ministry of Labor and Social Solidarity, as well as Vice President of OPEKEPE (Payment and Control Agency for Guidance and Guarantee Community Aid). She has participated in expert groups and conducted evaluations in Spain, France, and Greece. Since 2000, she has been working in the Greek Public Administration, specifically at the Management Organization Unit of Development Programs (MOD SA). She has held roles in the Special Managing Authority (SMA) for LEADER within the Rural Development Program, the SMA for Public Sector Reform, and the Central Service. As of February 2023, she is the Head of the “Necessary Conditions, Evaluation, and Indicators Unit” of the National Coordination Authority, part of the Ministry of National Economy and Finance.

 

Eni (Eleni) Koukoula holds a degree in History from the University of Athens and a Master’s degree from King’s College London. She has been an executive at the Management Organisation Unit of Development Programmes (MOU S.A.) since 1998, and previously served for seven years as Head of the Vocational Education Department at the Hellenic Management Association (HMA). She also briefly worked as a junior executive in the Public Relations Department of BP Ltd in London. Currently, she heads the Evaluation Unit of the Coordination Authority for the European Social Fund (ESF) actions in Greece, which is under the Special Coordination Authority of the Ministry of Economy. She specializes in the evaluation of Structural Funds (primarily ESF and ESF+), with a focus on lifelong learning, youth programs, social exclusion, and cohesion policy. Since 2001, her work in evaluation has concentrated on the coordination, monitoring, and implementation of related studies. She closely follows international developments in new evaluation methodologies in human resources and represents Greece in the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment and other forums. Her primary interest lies in leveraging evaluation as a feedback mechanism for policies and programs and ensuring their dissemination. She advocates for the development of such a culture and practice at all levels of administration, fostering potential synergies among relevant stakeholders in public discourse. Other areas of her professional interest and involvement include Human Resource Management, Adult Education, and Lifelong Learning. In addition to her professional career, she is actively engaged in artistic photography, with exhibitions and publications in Greece and abroad for over 30 years.

 

Dr. Ilias Koromilas is the Head of the Office for Better Regulation at the General Secretariat for Legal and Parliamentary Affairs under the Presidency of the Government. He also represents Greece on the Fit for Future platform of the European Commission's REFIT Program for simplifying EU legislation. Dr. Koromilas teaches at the National School of Public Administration and Local Government (EKDDA) and the Training Institute of EKDDA. Previously, he has taught at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and has been a scientific associate in the Master’s Program in Criminology and the Urban Criminology Laboratory at Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences. His published work includes manuals and articles focusing on regulatory governance and the optimal use of better regulation tools, particularly Regulatory Impact Assessments, Evaluation of Regulation Implementation Outcomes, and Public Consultations.

 

Dr. Tina (Konstantina) Orfanidou holds a postdoctoral degree in "Sensor Technology Research" from the Department of Mining and Metallurgical Engineering at the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), a PhD in Biophysics and Measurement Systems from the Department of Biology at the University of Athens, and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from the same university. For several years, alongside her other professional activities, she worked as a Scientific Associate at the Chalkida Institute of Technology and participated in various research initiatives with other institutions. She has established significant collaborations with academic institutions and is responsible for coordinating and monitoring the collaboration program for supervising theses within the Master's Program in Service Management at the Athens University of Economics and Business (AUEB) in partnership with members of SESMA (Hellenic Association of Management Consulting Firms). In the field of Management Consulting services, Dr. Orfanidou has extensive experience in Strategic and Operational Planning, Project and Program Design and Management, Policy, Program, Intervention & Project Evaluations, Operational Redesign and Reorganization, Innovation, Research, and Technology, as well as in Education, Employment, and Human Resource Development. Her expertise extends to the design and implementation of Social Research, Social Data Analysis, and Project Management.

 

Dimitra G. Ioannou is a Sociologist and Urban Planner, holding a PhD from the University of Humanities in Strasbourg. She has extensive experience as a consultant and expert for European Commission initiatives, supporting countries and public sector organizations in achieving high performance and shaping public policies and strategic development frameworks. Since 2016, she has been the coordinator of technical support projects provided by Expertise France in Greece. She has conducted numerous evaluations in the fields of public administration reform, employment, and competitiveness in Greece and various other countries. She is a founding member of the Hellenic Evaluation Society, where she served as President from 2014 to 2020.

 

Paraskevi Boufounou is an Assistant Professor of Developmental Finance at the Department of Economics of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) and has served as the President of the Network of Evaluation Societies in Europe (NESE). She has extensive and diverse teaching experience at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, collaborating with Greek and international universities beyond NKUA. Her published research focuses on topics such as SDGs-ESGs, financial crises, corporate bankruptcy, risk, and the socioeconomic evaluation of investments and policies. In addition, she has over 30 years of professional experience in the financial sector. Among other roles, she has served as Chairperson of Invest in Greece, Advisor to the President of the National Bank of Greece and the Hellenic Bank Association, Special Advisor to Ministers of Economy and Interior and Secretaries General of Finance, General Manager of Emporiki Leasing, Director of Emporiki Brokerage, and a senior executive in the Strategic Planning Department of Emporiki Bank.

 

Katerina Papadopoulou is a lawyer and holds a PhD in Public Law (Faculty of Law, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - NKUA). She also holds two Master’s degrees in Public Law (Faculty of Law, NKUA, and Université Montesquieu - Bordeaux IV) and a Master’s degree in Law and Technological Innovation (Universités Paris I – Paris XI). She is an Adjunct Teaching Staff member in the postgraduate program “Public Administration and E-Governance” at the Hellenic Open University. She has also collaborated with the Open University of Cyprus and the University of Patras. Her monograph, "The Protection of the Cultural Environment During Economic Crises," has been published by Nomiki Bibliothiki. Additionally, she has co-edited two collective volumes with the same publisher ("Refugee and Migrant Children: Challenges and Management Perspectives," 2021, and "Culture and Migration: A Path Towards Cultural Integration of Refugees and Migrants," 2020). Her studies and commentary on judicial decisions have been published in academic journals.