In cooperation with partners from science, market research and opinion research, the Fair Finance Institute offers scientifically sound evaluations and assessments of instruments and measures related to the financial and monetary systems. Based on this, recommendations are made about the further development of the assessed activities.
Everything important at a glance
BASIC APPROACH
An evaluation concept based on the standards of the Evaluation Society (DeGEval) is developed together with the client, and if necessary, other stakeholders are also asked to provide input. Appropriate evaluation methods can then be selected from the entire range of known instruments, including qualitative interviews, standardised telephone surveys of a few thousand people and online surveys. Which methods are utilised depends not only on the questions but also on other factors such as time, money and personnel resources as well as the client’s time schedule.
Ideally, an evaluation concept is created at the same time as the measure to be evaluated is developed. This makes it possible to greatly optimise the validity, timeliness and effort required to compile the results. For this reason, when developing policy instruments or products, FaFin also offers the creation of this type of concept as a standard service on request.
Another important principle of the evaluation by FaFin is that existing as well as still-to-be-developed measures from policymakers, financial regulators and stakeholders are coordinated, making them targeted and effective. This is why we always try to get an appropriate view of the influencing environment when developing evaluation concepts.
FaFin places great importance on being able to derive viable optimisations for the future from the evaluation carried out, not just a retrospective assessment.
The founder of FaFin has already carried out evaluations for German municipalities, federal states, federal ministries and authorities, trade associations, consumer advocacy centres, and other organisations.
EXAMPLE "QUICK-CHECK SUSTAINABILITY" ROBO-ADVISOR
Robo-Advisors are an example of so-called “fintechs” (financial technology) – who use (new) technologies to develop financial services. Robo-Advisors offer classic services of a traditional financial advisor, broker and manager in digital and automated form.
In a “quick check” in October 2018, the Fair Finance Institute investigated the role that ESG-investment criteria play for Robo-Advisors.
This Quick Check is the Fair Finance Institute’s entry into a broader monitoring of FinTechs and their contribution to a more sustainable development (“Conscious FinTech Monitor”).
Further information and download of the “Quick-Check” (in German language): here.
EXAMPLE EVALUATION NON FINANCIAL REPORTING
The Fair Finance Institute, together with the Institute for Ecological Economic Research (IÖW) and Arqum, is evaluating CSR reporting in accordance with the CSR Directive Implementation Act (CSR-RUG) on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt, UBA). The main focus of the project is the evaluation of reporting on environmental issues.
The following questions, for example, will be addressed: What role do the recommendations of the Task Force on Climate Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD) and the guidelines of the European Commission and on climate-related reporting play in reporting practice? To what extent is the currently reported information useful, especially for financial investors, for a more sustainable orientation of their activities? The FaFin is participating in this project, especially in order to answer the questions concerning the financial world.