The publication of the “Best Practices Guide and Toolkit for Evaluation” ends the work programme of the European Jean Monnet ‘CECCUT’ network.

The Jean Monnet academic network ‘CECCUT’, which brings together the University of Lille, the UCLouvain, the West University of Timi?oara and the Luxembourg Institute of Socio-Economic Research (LISER), established a work programme in 2018 to explore how the European Capital of Culture initiative could foster this crossborder urban cohesion.

The current guide is a key product of this work programme. It has been drawn up in particular taking account the workshops conducted between 2018 and 2022 by the Jean Monnet network and including academics, cultural operators and public or associative actors involved in the implementation of the European Capital of Culture year.

The guide aims to help public and private actors involved in ECoC projects, specifically when they are located on state borders. It points out the opportunities and the elements to be taken into account in order to make the best use of this European initiative to strengthen cross-border urban cohesion policy.

Relevant best practices are developed on the basis of a series of concrete actions or cultural programmes related to the European Capital of Culture initiative or to other key frameworks of cross-border urban cohesion in Europe. The evaluation toolbox is based on a presentation of the generic methods and indicators associated with the initiative, the experience of cultural actors in evaluating their projects and a perspective on this evaluation when it is organised on the basis of cross-border operations.