Module 2: Setting up a monitoring and evaluation framework and defining indicators

This module highlights the importance of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) in sustainable urban mobility planning by introducing a monitoring and evaluation framework, process description and practical tools developed by the SUMPs for BSR project, tailored to help small and mid-sized cities with different capacities build effective local M&E processes. 

What will you learn?

✔ Basic principles for the monitoring and evaluation framework
✔How to select suitable indicators taking into account available resources and local needs, and how to align them with the SUMI  and TEN-T regulation requirements
✔How to create local monitoring and evaluation plans – where to start and what to consider
✔Different data collection methods
✔Monitoring methodology, evaluation methodology and how to use the results
✔Stakeholders’ engagement importance in monitoring and evaluation processes
✔Real-life examples of local monitoring and evaluation plans, effective use of data and selection of indicators.

Register

Agenda

 🗓️Workshop: 11.02.2026, 09:00–11.30 CET

Is your city lacking a monitoring and evaluation plan for SUMP? Are you in the process of selecting the most suitable set of mobility indicators for your city? And how do you spot why walking levels might be lower than expected, even when your city seems built for it?

Join this workshop to explore how a well‑chosen set of indicators can help you make sense of perceptions, identify real mobility challenges, and support clearer discussions when developing or updating your SUMP. Based on a real case from a medium‑sized city, the session walks you through two common issues: pedestrian safety concerns and low walking shares.

You’ll get a chance to work hands‑on with the Indicator Selector Tool from the SUMPs for BSR project, helping you reflect on what matters most for your own context. 

The workshop offers a unique opportunity to test your knowledge, exchange your ideas with colleagues, learn from the experiences of similar cities and deepen your understanding of the monitoring and evaluation for SUMP.

  • 09:00–09:10 | Welcome & Framing Ira Sibelius, Union of the Baltic Cities Sustainable Cities Commission c/o City of Turku, Finland
  • 09:10–09:30 | Choosing Mobility Indicators: process, indicator examples, and monitoring methodologies, to be able to perform evaluation and to interpret results necessary to take further actions. Marcin Wolek, University of Gdansk, Poland
  • 09:30–09:40 | Challenge Briefing Marcin Wolek, University of Gdansk
  • 09:40–10:20 | Group work begins: Developing M&E plan
  • 10:20-10:30 | Break
  • 10:30-10:55 | Group Work Result Sharing
  • 10:55-11:10 | Monitoring of School Mobility in Panevezys Jokūbas Leipus, Panevezys city municipality, Lithuania
  • 11:10-11:25 | Evaluation for SUMP in Gävle Maria Uusitalo, Gävle municipality, Sweden
  • 11:25–11:30 | Wrap-Up & Next Steps

Background & additional materials

An Excel-based tool developed within the SUMPs for BSR project to support cities in selecting a set of indicators for monitoring Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs). The tool enables filtering and prioritisation of KPIs by city size, policy theme, importance, data collection effort, indicator level, and EU alignment, supporting evidence-based decision-making.
To preserve full functionality, the tool is provided as a ZIP archive containing an Excel (.xlsm) file and must be extracted before use. When opening the file, users are required to enable macros in Excel in order to use interactive features such as PDF export of filtered indicators and resetting all filters.
Access the tool

The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan Template, designed to support sustainable urban mobility planning (SUMP), provides a comprehensive guide for cities of varying capacities to develop or improve their M&E processes. It explains the role of M&E in the planning cycle, differentiates between monitoring and evaluation, and highlights common mistakes in developing M&E schemes. The template includes a checklist to help cities identify the recommended pathway through the M&E Plan Template based on their experience and resources. It provides a structured indicator table template to list and describe selected indicators, including objectives, descriptions, classification, data sources, baseline and target values, responsible parties, and resources.
Access the template

The guidelines provide a comprehensive step-by-step description of the SUMP implementation and co-creation process. It provides associated activities, aims, task descriptions, guidance on timing and coordination, and how to address the involvement of regional and national government structures that delineate the legal frameworks within which a SUMP functions. 

Access the guide

The guide applies the SUMP Guidelines to the planning realities of smaller cities and towns and their specific challenges, including fewer resources and experience in strategic mobility planning, stronger car-dependency and weaker public transport. The guide provides smaller cities and towns with planning methods, tools and policies that have proven to work well in smaller urban areas. It also includes a variety of good practice examples from all over Europe, highlighting the benefits of SUMP for some of the most common problems in smaller cities and towns.

Access the guide

The Intelligent Energy Europe project CH4LLENGE supported mobility practitioners in improving local transport planning processes and developing quality Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans. It addressed the four most pressing challenges in sustainable urban mobility planning: participation, cooperation, measure selection, and monitoring and evaluation. In 2016, CH4LLENGE released four SUMP Kits to support mobility practitioners in SUMP preparation and delivery. Each kit consists of a Quick Facts Brochure, a SUMP Manual and an e-learning course. The brochures present concise summaries of the challenges while the manuals are dedicated to providing detailed advice underpinned by city examples.

Access the kit

This , produced by the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) as part of its Sustainable Mobility Project 2.0, sets out the results of a piece of work to develop a comprehensive set of sustainable mobility indicators for cities. The indicators are described with SMART (specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-based) methodologies that will allow cities to perform a standardised evaluation of their mobility system. This report provides definition, parameters and calculation methods of the most common mobility indicators.
Access the methodology and the calculation method

The SUMP Learning Programme for mobility practitioners consists of 7 e-courses on different parts of SUMP cycle. The courses tackle different phases in the SUMP process starting from how to initiate a Sustainable Urban Mobility Plan (SUMP) and prepare a SUMP vision in cooperation with various stakeholders, elaborate the SUMP strategy and select SUMP measures and on how to finally implement SUMP. Each course contains 4-7 modules and concrete case examples from European cities. All courses also include exercises that help to review your city’s own SUMP practices and practice what you have just learned and links to useful webinars.

Access the courses

The EU city database on SUMPs is an information repository featuring Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans (SUMPs) and other urban mobility plans in EU Member States. It provides information on the 431 urban nodes on the trans-European transport network (TEN-T network), and other EU cities with a population above 50,000, that are at different stages of SUMP development.

Access the database

Interested in learning more?

This webinar from October 2025 brings together leading voices in sustainable urban mobility to share practical insights and inspiring examples. Hear Morgane Juliat (Rupprecht Consult) on how active mobility is transforming cities, and Marcin Wołek (University of Gdansk) on frameworks for monitoring progress. Learn from Cēsis municipality (Latvia) and City of Turku (Finland) about real-world approaches to active mobility data and citizen engagement. Finally, Ira Sibelius (UBC Sustainable Cities Commission) and Monika Parafinaitytė-Rae (JSC Gaučė ir Ko) discuss building local capacity for change.

Exercises

Coming soon…

Slides

Basic Principles of Monitoring and Evaluation Framework
Monitoring & Evaluation Framework Developed by the SUMPs for BSR
Developing Monitoring for Sustainable Mobility in a Small City
Monitoring and Evaluation for SUMP in Malmö


PDF: Basic Principles of Monitoring and Evaluation Framework, Kristina Gaučė
PDF:M&E Framework Developed by SUMPs for BSR, Marcin Wołek
PDF:Developing Monitoring for Sustainable Mobility in a Small City, Ritvars Šilkovs
PDF: Monitoring and Evaluation for SUMP in Malmö, Andreas Nordin

After the session

Webinar recording

Slides

• PDF/PPTX link here