Abstract

The scope of the Deliverable 6.1 is to introduce the causal qualitative model developed in the context of the PERCEIVE project, as a part of the Working Package 6. The report begins with a short introduction that highlights the necessity of developing a model for simulating: (i) the manner in which the European Cohesion Policy funds are distributed among the regions under study and the factors that affect the related absorption, along with the (ii) the diverse streams of communication of the European Cohesion Policy projects and outcomes that influence the citizens awareness. The analysis of the system is focused on the EU structural funds, namely the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF) during the two previous programming periods (i.e. 2000-2006, 2007-2013). In fact, the multilevel nature of the system (i.e. EU, regions, beneficiaries), the dynamic behaviour over the programming periods, as well as the complexity reflected through the multiple intertwined feedback loops render the System Dynamics methodology as the appropriate approach to map and model the system under study. Thus, we briefly present the basic elements and procedures of System Dynamics technique.