How was the evaluation performed?

The evaluation comprised four elements:

• an online inquiry of all graduating and supervising members,
  
• the analysis of membership data and acceptance of GGG measures in the last five years,
  
• the assessment by external experts as well as
  
• several discussions with the presidential board, faculties, PhD-students, the GGG executive board and employees on aims and measures of the GGG.

The evaluation was carried out by a monitoring group consisting of the PhD representatives, the executive board, student deans and employees. The process was observed with a critical eye by an external expert group of graduate schools from other universities and the PhD student group of the trade union GEW:

• Prof. Dr. Thomas Gschwend (Graduate School of Economics and Social Sciences der Universität Mannheim)
  
• Prof. Dr. Steffen Mau (Bremen International School of Social Sciences)
  
• Johannes Moes (Projektgruppe DoktorandInnen der GEW)

The interim results of the inquiry and the data analysis were discussed in a hearing with representatives of the presidential board, the faculties, the executive board, PhD-students and employees in November 2013. They were introduced as a basis in the agreement of the presidential board, the faculties and the GGG for the further development of the graduate school in January 2014.