Author: Carla Wember (IfLS)
Editors: Miranda García & Raquel Pastor (AEIDL)
Tools4CAP has organised a second round of Focus Groups to gather stakeholder insights on the methods and tools used for CAP Strategic Plans and future National and Regional Partnership Plans (NRPPs). This round takes a forward-looking perspective, considering key EU policy developments such as the future performance framework and the next CAP reform.
In Germany, the Institute for Rural Development Research (IfLS) organised a national Focus Group on “Designing cost-effective interventions” on 26 March 2026. The session brought together six experts from evaluation, civil society and rural development, including three evaluators, two NGO representatives and one rural development expert, ensuring a balanced exchange of perspectives.
The discussion focused on how to design effective and efficient interventions under the upcoming NRPP, while safeguarding funding for environmental and climate objectives. In the German context, this is particularly relevant due to the country’s federal structure and the need for stronger coordination between national and regional levels.
Participants highlighted that the NRPP process in Germany is still developing, with room to improve coordination across policy areas. Discussions pointed to the need for closer cooperation between agricultural, environmental and rural development domains in order to support a more coherent approach.
Ensuring participation and visibility for rural development
Stakeholders, especially from civil society, also raised concerns about declining inclusiveness and limited opportunities for meaningful participation in existing formats.
Another issue discussed was the institutional position of rural development within the process, with participants noting the importance of ensuring that rural development priorities remain visible alongside agricultural objectives. Participants also noted the diversity of rural development actors, which can make coordinated representation in decision-making processes more complex.
Strengthening coordination, transparency and accountability
Despite these challenges, participants also identified several opportunities. The NRPP could become a platform for more integrated and outcome-oriented policy design if coordination improves. To support this, the group emphasised the need for clearer responsibilities, stronger use of evaluation evidence, and more transparent and structured communication processes.
Several practical ideas were discussed to improve transparency and accountability, including shared documentation, detailed meeting records, and digital tracking systems to show how stakeholder input is considered.
Overall, the Focus Group showed strong engagement and confirmed the need for a more coherent, evidence-based and participatory approach to intervention design in Germany. It also highlighted the potential of the NRPP to support more integrated policy choices, provided that coordination, transparency and political commitment are strengthened.