MATRA (2003–2005)

Coordination Committee on Drug Affairs (KKB) and the responsible ministry for drug affairs initiated to find experienced but objective, independent professional team to evaluate mid-term Hungarian drug strategy. The strategy itself - in accordance with the EU drug strategy – determines evaluation activity as one of the main tasks.

Evaluation of the implementation of drug strategy is unique not only in the country but also in Europe.

The project had two significant goals:

1. to work out evaluation methods of policy and strategic programmes and to train a professional work team to be able to carry out similar projects in the future;

2. to harmonize evaluation activities with policy making activities.

In addition professional recommendations can be born as a result of the evaluation which means strong help also in the everyday practice to improve the functioning of the coordination structure.

Project started in 2003 and was managed by the Dutch Trimbos Institute in cooperation with NDI. Overall cost of the project was 300,000 EUR financed by the MATRA Pre-accession Project and the Dutch Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Through the evaluation leading experts, policy makers, KEF representatives were interviewed (in total 100 interviews) and for the more exact results also focus groups were organized.

The project due to the characteristics of data collection did not focus on the numbers (e.g. How many people have already tried illegal drugs?) but to the procedures and methods to make suggestions for protocols (e.g. How can we make the coordination committee more efficient? How can we optimize decision makers' key position to be more effective?).