About EASY-ECO: A new challenge

EASY-ECO 2008-2010 brochure (PDF, 523 kB)
EASY-ECO 2005-2007 brochure (PDF, 681 kB)

EASY-ECO is a training and conference programme on evaluations in the specific context of sustainable development, in short: sustainability evaluations. Between 2005 and 2010, the EASY-ECO Series comprises seven conferences and ten training opportunities:

EASY-ECO unites twelve European top-class research institutions with the common aim of building sustainability evaluation capacity. This will be achieved by training young researchers in the EASY-ECO Trainings and facilitating the sharing of relevant experience of leading academics, junior researchers, policy-makers and evaluation practitioners at the EASY-ECO Conferences.

The events can be attended individually. However, young researchers who want to complete one of the EASY-ECO Trainings and benefit of the support of experienced academics are highly encouraged to first visit a conference, and then attend one of the EASY-ECO Trainings, finally submitting a paper for one of the conferences following their training.

EASY-ECO ...

• disseminates theoretical knowledge and practical experience among European experts
• provides a modular hands-on education in sustainability evaluations to young researchers, which is unique in Europe
• increases capacities for sustainability evaluations, especially in the new EU member states
• gives contractors and evaluators an overview on evaluation methods and products available, i.e. increasing market transparency
• promotes networking and professional exchange among researchers and practitioners

The conferences and trainings cover fields of application such as

• national strategies and policies for sustainable development
• EU structural funds and agricultural funds (especially in EU new member states)
• Local Agenda 21 activities, urban and rural development programmes
• corporate sustainability and corporate social responsibility
• development assistance

and methodological issues such as

• sustainability impact assessment
• optimisation techniques, such as cost-benefit analysis
• statistical and econometric measures, such as multi-criteria analysis
• quality standards and indicators for evaluations

As the challenge of capacity building is most significant in the new EU member states, their needs will play a prominent role throughout the series of events.

EASY-ECO 2002-2003: Two successful EU conferences

In 2002 and 2003, the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration hosted the first two European conferences on "Evaluation of Sustainability", the precedessors of EASY-ECO. More than 200 outstanding academics, young researchers, evaluators and contractors from 25 European countries, the United States and Canada participated. The conferences were the first ever to provide a European-wide overview of various approaches and methodologies of evaluation in the context of sustainable development. Click here to get an overview of the EASY-ECO 2002-2003 Conferences (including proceedings, papers, presentations and MP3s).

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