Developing a pilot evaluation framework

SPROUT uses city pilots in which innovative mobility solutions are introduced and observed in a real-world environment. Such field studies are used to derive city-specific policy responses that support the implementation and avoid the negative consequences of the solutions.

Field studies require an implementation and evaluation framework that defines the problem to be addressed, the scope of the test and the questions that should be answered through the pilot implementation. The SPROUT evaluation framework refers to the following questions:

How can the financial and operational feasibility of the operator be measured?
How can the sustainability of the mobility solution be assessed?
How can the policy measures be identified such that they enhance the positive impacts and reduce the negative impacts of the mobility solutions?

To answer those questions, the SPROUT team compiled a comprehensive implementation and evaluation framework for conducting the pilots. The SPROUT framework follows a three-stage approach that combines different objectives, tests, and assessment methods. It consists of

the preparation phase, in which the research questions are specified, an implementation plan is established, and relevant indicators are defined;
the use phase in which the pilot is operative and data are collected; and
the analysis phase in which the project is evaluated.

The SPROUT Evaluation framework builds upon well-known and proven CIVITAS methodologies The SPROUT project adapted the generic FESTA methodology to cover the pilots’ activities:

FESTA means ‘Field opErational teSt supporT Action’. It is a common Field Operational Tests (FOT) methodology widely used in national and European projects. The FESTA approach consists of three stages: The preparation phase, the use phase, and the analysis phase. The following sections outline how the approach was carried out in the SPROUT project.