When it Rains it Pours : Programme Management in a Time of Crisis: IQ-Net Review Paper 46(1)

These are challenging times for ESIF programme implementation. Programme managers are navigating their way through the Covid-19 crisis, which has required a quick and continuously evolving response under very uncertain circumstances, while assessing how provisions will impact programme implementation and the implications for the future. At the same time they must continue spending and supporting existing projects, while meeting regulatory requirements and preparing for closure. They are also preparing programmes for the 2012-27 period within the same uncertain context, dealing with the ongoing negotiation of the MFF, a new regulatory framework and the launch of new recovery instruments – all likely to be impacted by Covid-19. This report discusses the responses of IQ-Net programme managers to these challenges.