Interim policy evaluation of current water safety programs: “Space for the River”, “Meuse Work” and “High Water Protection Program 2”

  • 10 July 2017

The Netherlands is a real waterworld. The government, provinces, municipalities and water boards work together with private parties and citizens to provide adequate flood protection. The starting point of the new standards for water safety is that everyone in the Netherlands gets the same level of protection. This can be achieved by strengthening dikes, dunes and flood barriers, by expanding rivers and through a clever combinations of water safety measures.

In collaboration with Twynstra Gudde and Sweco, Decisio worked on the policy-based, mid-term evaluation of the water safety programs. The aim was to capture the most important findings, lessons and strategic notions of the three ongoing water safety programs for future water safety policy. The assignment was done by desk research, survey, twenty (group) interviews and an interactive workshops. The final report was finalized in October 2016.

Outcomes: lessons and strategic notions

The interim evaluation presents various lessons about achieving objectives, governance and financing of water management projects and environmental aspects of water safety. In addition, the evaluation report contains strategic notions about, among other things, the embedding of water safety projects in (intregral) area assignments, the role of co-operatives and private parties and the management of adaptive program and project implementation.

In this evaluation, Decisio was responsible for the survey of 300 directly involved in the water safety programs, part of the (group) interviews, the interactive workshops and (parts of) the final report. In addition, Decisio was co-responsible for the consultation with the Ministry of Instructure and Environment.

More information?

For more information about this project or what Decisio can do for you to evaluate policy programs, contact Gerwin van der Meulen (g.vandermeulen [at] decisio.nl). By telephone, it is available at 020 – 6700562.

See also