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. It introduces 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. 

Participants will explore why M&E is essential—not just for tracking progress, but for making informed decisions based on real data and a clear understanding of the current mobility landscape. This is especially important in areas where data gaps persist, such as active mobility and urban logistics. In this way, M&E supports data-driven decision-making and helps cities plan sustainable measures with confidence.

The module guides participants through the steps of creating a local M&E plan, structuring their processes and selecting meaningful indicators that are locally relevant and align with European standards. City experts will share hands-on examples and lessons learned to support adoption.

The module is delivered in cooperation with an experienced SUMP trainer, Dr. Kristina Gaučė, leading expert in sustainable urban mobility with over 20 years of experience in planning, policy development, and project management. She holds the role of a key trainer in capacity-building activities with JASPERS.

Module 2

This module explains how Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) supports data-driven urban mobility planning. It introduces the SUMPs for BSR M&E framework and tools, guiding participants in creating a local M&E plan, choosing indicators, and addressing data gaps—especially in active mobility and logistics—through practical examples from BSR cities.
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Before the session

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


➜ By the end of the module, participants will be equipped to structure their own M&E processes, choose suitable indicators, and meet regulatory requirements with confidence. This module is designed for practitioners and experts involved in mobility planning, data collection, and performance evaluation.

Agenda

🗓️Webinar: 04.02.2026, 09:00 CET

  • 09:00–09:10 | Welcome & Framing Ira Sibelius Union of the Baltic Cities Sustainable Cities Commission/City of Turku
  • 09:10–09:20 | Keynote presentation: UMI indicators, TEN-T requirements for data collection TBC
  • 09:20–09:40 | Basic Principles of Monitoring and Evaluation Framework: M&E principles and methodologies, selecting mobility indicators based on available resources and local needs, and data collection methods. Kristina Gaučė, Gauce ir Ko
  • 09:40–10:00 | M&E Framework Developed by the SUMPs for BSR Project recommendations for cities of different sizes with different levels of experience and resources. Marcin Wolek, University of Gdansk
  • 10:00-10:20 | Case Studies: Setting up Local Monitoring and Evaluation Plans: special focus on challenges, outcomes, and lessons learned.  City of Cesis/Ritvars Šilkovs, City of Malmö/ Andreas Nordin
  • 10:20-10:30 | Wrap up and next steps

 🗓️Workshop: 11.02.2026, 09:00 CET

  • 09:00–09:10 | Welcome & Framing Ira Sibelius Union of the Baltic Cities Sustainable Cities Commission/City of Turku
  • 09:10–09:30 | Choosing Mobility Indicators: process, indicator examples, monitoring methodologies and data collection methods, to be able to perform evaluation and to interpret results necessary to take further actions. Marcin Wolek, University of Gdansk
  • 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
  • 10:55-11:25  | City Case Presentations: Cities present their monitoring and evaluation cases and how their results have impacted further SUMP implementation. City of Gävle and City of Panevezys
  • 11:25–11:30 |  Wrap-Up & Next Steps
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Background & additional materials

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.

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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.

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Exercises

Coming soon…

After the session

Webinar recording

Slides

• PDF/PPTX link here