European Social Fund Participants Survey

What kind of survey is it?

The results of the European Social Fund (ESF) Participants Survey are used to assess the effectiveness of the use of European Social Fund money.

Who commissions the survey?

The survey is conducted in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance.

Why are the data needed?

Since 2014, Estonia has been allocated nearly €600 million from the European Social Fund (ESF), which is used to finance retraining, support person services, training programmes, and other activities for the unemployed. The effectiveness of using these funds cannot only be measured by spending, but also by results. This is done by looking at the participants' position in the labour market at the start of an activity and exploring how it has changed four weeks and six months after the end of the activity. Most of the data are obtained from databases. Occasionally, participants also need to be interviewed.

How often is the survey conducted?

The survey takes place once a month.

How are the participants selected?

Data on participants are collected from the organiser of an activity. Feedback is collected with a sample survey among persons who have participated in activities under ESF measures. The sample includes persons who have participated in one or more ESF-funded activities.

How are the data collected?

This survey can be completed online.

How can I make sure that it is a survey by Statistics Estonia?

The survey of participants in ESF-funded activities is a short questionnaire that can be completed online via LimeSurvey. If you have any questions, please contact our customer support by phone at +372 625 9300 or by e-mail at klienditugi [at] stat.ee (klienditugi[at]stat[dot]ee).

Where are the results published?

Data collected from the questionnaires of participants, databases, and surveys of respondents are compiled in a single database. The data are used to calculate performance indicators to measure the effectiveness of the use of ESF funds. A report is also submitted to the European Commission.

Examples of performance indicators include:

• the number of participants who were unemployed or inactive at the start of the activity but who had found a job four weeks after the end of the activity
• the number of participants who were in employment within six months of the activity
• the number of participants who had improved their labour market situation within six months of participating in the activity