- AIReF publishes a resolution establishing objective, transparent criteria for prioritising public spending evaluation studies
- Priority will be given to evaluations with the greatest potential to improve public spending, linked to European commitments, cross-cutting in nature, relevant to the general interest and useful for decision-making, and capable of leveraging synergies with work already under way
- For the first time, AIReF is launching a questionnaire to gauge public interest in future areas of evaluation, the results of which will feed into the prioritisation process
- These initiatives consolidate the impetus given to the evaluation function in recent years under the presidency of Cristina Herrero and reinforce the transparency, predictability and public value of evaluations
The Independent Authority for Fiscal Responsibility (AIReF) today published Resolution 1/2026, establishing the criteria for prioritising public spending evaluation studies. For the first time, it has also opened a public questionnaire to gather proposals on which public policies should be evaluated in the coming years. Together, these initiatives reinforce the transparency, predictability and openness of the institution’s evaluation function.
A stable framework for prioritising evaluations
AIReF’s evaluation function has been progressively consolidated since the first Spending Review (2018–2021) and successive commissions from Autonomous Regions. In 2021, it was reinforced with the creation of the Public Expenditure Evaluation Division within the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan (RTRP) and the application of the comply-or-explain principle to the proposals formulated in the Spending Review. More recently, it received fresh impetus through the Medium-Term Fiscal-Structural Plan, becoming structurally embedded in the public finance planning and monitoring framework.
Evaluation at AIReF is now a core element in the analysis of the effectiveness and efficiency of public policies. The growing number and diversity of commissions received, at both state and regional level, together with the consolidation, maturity and demonstrated value of AIReF’s evaluation work, call for reform of the AIReF Law to afford evaluation the same guarantees of independence and autonomy as those recognised for supervision. Pending such reform, the institution considers it appropriate to establish a framework for prioritising evaluation requests in an objective, transparent and consistent manner.
The adoption of these criteria also responds to the recommendations of the European Union-funded external evaluation to which AIReF voluntarily submitted in 2024, which highlighted the value of a formal prioritisation framework to strengthen the governance and transparency of the evaluation function. This new framework fosters more informed decision-making, strengthens accountability and promotes more efficient use of public resources, consistent with AIReF’s legal mandate.
Main prioritisation criteria
Evaluation studies will be prioritised on the basis of the following criteria, among others:
- Potential for improvements in effectiveness and efficiency, with an impact on the sustainability of public finances. Priority will be given to evaluations where there are reasonable grounds to expect such improvements.
- European commitments set out in public documents such as the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and the Medium-Term Fiscal-Structural Plan.
- Cross-cutting or multilevel scope of the policy evaluated. In line with its mandate as an independent body serving all public administrations, AIReF will prioritise the evaluation of policies that span multiple areas or levels of government. This fosters the generation of transferable and comparable lessons.
- Institutional opportunity, public relevance and informational value for decision-making. Account will be taken of the degree of public interest, timeliness and potential impact of policies on citizens’ wellbeing.
- Synergies with ongoing evaluations. Positive weight will be given to cases where the policy in question is already being evaluated by AIReF, enabling analytical synergies and existing methodological developments to be leveraged.
The application of these criteria will be subject to the technical feasibility of the evaluation, the availability and quality of data, and the requesting body’s commitment to the evaluation process.
Public consultation to guide future evaluations
In parallel, and to gauge the public interest that will feed into the prioritisation process, AIReF has for the first time launched a public questionnaire to identify potential areas for evaluation. With this initiative, AIReF broadens its listening reach and incorporates the public perspective as a complementary input in identifying areas for analysis.
Participation is anonymous and the results will help guide the future planning and prioritisation of evaluation work, reinforcing the transparency and value of evaluations for decision-making. AIReF will draw on the results when opening dialogue with the Government on the evaluation needs and opportunities to be included in the next Spending Review cycle (2026–2030).
A strategic boost to the evaluation function
The adoption of these criteria and the launch of the public questionnaire coincide with the end of the term of office of the outgoing President, Cristina Herrero, a period during which the evaluation function received significant impetus. Over these years, evaluation has been consolidated as a structural function of the institution with the creation of the Evaluation Division in 2021, reinforcing AIReF’s role as an independent body at the service of all public administrations and contributing to the improvement of the effectiveness and efficiency of public spending.
