The  evaluation  standards  aim  to  contribute  to  the  improved implementation and exploitation of Research, Technological Development and 
Innovation (RTDI) measures by promoting meaningful evaluation procedures to foster strategic intelligence building and evidence-based decision-making in the fi eld of science, technology and innovation (STI) policy. They address:

1. authorities commissioning RTDI evaluations (often ministries in charge of research, technological development and innovation and their respective measures, programmes and policies);
2. evaluators carrying out RTDI evaluation studies; 
3. organizations and stakeholders subjected to evaluations, such as funding agencies,  public  research  organizations,  universities  or  intermediary organizations  (e.g.  technology  transfer  offi  ces,  technology  and  science parks, and innovation centres etc.).

The  evaluation  standards  provide  information  about  the  purposes  and  characteristics  of  evaluations  in  the  fi eld  of  STI. They  introduce  an  internationally acknowledged  terminology  and  evaluation  theory  framework,  guide  users  in practical  issues  concerning  governance,  conduct  and  use  of  RTDI  evaluations. 
Additionally, they provide many practical hints on how to plan and implement evaluations,  including  the  writing  of  Terms  of  References  (ToR)  to  procure external RTDI evaluations and the structuring of meaningful evaluation reports, to mention just a few.
The publishing of RTDI evaluation standards is motivated by the complexity and  heterogeneity  of  research  and  innovation  systems,  which  requires  ERDF and IPA countries to possess strategic intelligence in order to design, implement and follow-up RTDI measures at diff erent spatial levels (local, national, regional and European) by addressing issues of relevance, effi  ciency, effi  cacy, impact and sustainability. 

Standards are published in several languages - please see below for language selection.