A Qualitative Evaluation On Sop Hrd 2007-2013 In Romania - Focus-Group Study

This paper seeks to underline the main problems faced in implementing and using European Union (EU) funds in Romania within the Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development (SOP HRD) during the first programing period 2007-2013. The problems and barriers revealed were identified during a focus-group for the second interim evaluation of SOPHRD, organized by the Management Authority of this program in Nord-Vest region, in November 2014. The focus-group represents a small part of the entire process of evaluating the programme for the development of human resources during its implementation, with the purpose of finding beneficiaries opinions about the efficiency, effectiveness and relevance of interventions financed through SOP HRD. Beliefs, personal recommendations from the participants are presented in order to improve the use of European funds for development of human resources (in particular) and the use of structural instruments (in general). These results and solutions can be efficiently used during the next financial period 2014-2020 to create the framework for every priority axis and key areas of intervention, during the implementation of new projects and within the entire process that these funds require in order to successfully use the structural instruments to catch up with developed countries. Moreover, some of the problems identified can be found in other operational programmes and therefore, this research can be useful for every one that wants to use this kind of financing or has a project of this kind in implementation, without taking into account the European funding source. Besides the qualitative approach given by focus-group research method, this paper is going to present a general approach over SOP HRD in Romania during 2007-2013, from a quantitative perspective (number of projects submitted, approved, contracted, payment rate, absorption rate). Moreover solutions linked to knowledge management practices will be proposed to overcome identified problems in using structural and cohesion funds. We choose to focus our attention on knowledge management solutions due to the fact that we can say that we are now living in a knowledge age. This research is important by connecting knowledge management/knowledge sharing practices with the management of European funds.