Blomeyer & Sanz and its consortium partners recently completed the midterm evaluation of the Financial Mechanism Office (FMO) local development programmes in 10 beneficiary countries. The main purpose of this mid-term evaluation was to ‘identify and assess the extent to which the EEA and Norway Grants, through the implementation of local development programmes, are contributing to the creation of structural change at local level and under the supported themes’ in each country. The evaluation addressed 17 evaluation questions, which were grouped under four evaluation criteria: effectiveness, efficiency, coherence and bilateral cooperation. The assignment aimed to inform strategic learning for the programming of the next financial mechanism in the area of local development, poverty reduction and social inclusion. The evaluation involved extensive desk research covering over 160 programme and project level documents and other contextual documents; numerous scoping consultations and over 100 interviews with the stakeholders and the FMO. Furthermore, a survey of donor project partners and a case study on the Grants’ support to Roma inclusion and empowerment through the local development programmes were also conducted.