The federal ESF-programme aims at developing employment perspectives for long-term unemployed (LTU) recipients of UB2-benefits (also known as “Hartz IV”). The programme addresses both the demand and the supply side of the labour market. On the one hand, employers should be advised and supported by job-hunters to offer LTU an employment perspective. On the other hand, up to 33,000 LTU should be promoted and supported by mandatory coaching activities after having taken up a new job.

The evaluation is supposed to investigate to which extent the programme contributed to the reduction of long-term unemployment, to the sustainable improvement of the employment prospects of hard-to-place UB2-beneficiaries and to the reduction of benefit recipience. Furthermore, it will be analysed if there is a targeted allocation of participants into the programme and whether the programme increases the societal integration and capabilities (according to A. Sen) of participants. There will be a specific focus on the innovative elements of the programme, i.e. the job-hunters and the coaching activities during employment. Finally, the extent to which the programme contributes to equal opportunities is also an essential part of the evaluation.