Europe Aid Making Technical Cooperation more effective EC

Europe. Aid Making Technical Cooperation more effective _________ EC Guidelines on Technical Cooperation and Project Implementation Units - Key messages - _________ EUROPEAN COMMISSION

The Backbone Strategy on Reforming TC and PIU Europe. Aid Reforming Technical Cooperation and Project Implementation Units for External Aid provided by the EC (July 2008) Objectives: • Providing good quality TC that supports countryled programmes based on strong partner demand • Providing support through partner-owned project implementation arrangements with substantial reduction of parallel Project Implementation Units 4 slides 2

Eight guiding principles 8. Consider innovative options for TC provision 7. Avoid use of Parallel PIU & promote effective Project Implementation Arrangements 6. Work through harmonized and aligned actions 1. Primary aim is Capacity Development EC Technical Cooperation 5. Take account of country/sector requirements Europe. Aid 2. Demand led approach where TC is not provided by default 3. Strong result orientation 4. Country owned & managed TC processes 6

Europe. Aid Four purposes of Technical Cooperation Partner-owned TC support Capacity Development support is the most complex and demanding type of TC support!

The Backbone - five working axis Europe. Aid 4. Communication, knowledge management, training 1. Strategic dialogue 2. Improve design management & accountability 3. Improve tendering, contracting & other procedures 5. Implementation and monitoring of the Strategy 6

Guidelines on Making TC more effective • To implement the TC reform at programme level • Practical advice on how to operationnalize the 8 principles • Target : EC staff + partner countries satkeholders, TC providers, other donors Europe. Aid Key issue for credibility of the Gs is that incentives and procedures change to make it possible to follow these Gs 7

Guidelines: Table of contents • Chapter 1 – Reading Guide and Key Terms • Chapter 2 – Reforming Technical Cooperation • Chapter 3 – Demand-driven and harmonized TC Support • Chapter 4 – Results-oriented TC Support • Chapter 5 – Programme Implementation Arrangements • Chapter 6 – Monitoring, Evaluation and Quality Assurance Europe. Aid

A summary in three lines Europe. Aid 1. Convert ownership of programmes and implementation arrangements into a practical concept 2. Assess and adapt to demand, context and capacity – and harmonize. 3. Let results be the driver – and get them right The guidelines recognise that it is not always feasible to go all the way to perfect ownership and clear results. 9

Focussing on the partner’s programme D o n Donor TC inputs & activities Activities by partner and by donor TC inputs, under partner leadership is wrongly assumed leading to “may” lead to Sustainable capacity and results Europe. Aid

Ownership in practice Partner-owned TC support • What partners do is the primary factor. Support through TC is the secondary factor. • Partners: invest resources (leadership, political capital, staff time. . ) • Donors do not do programmes and do not do capacity development! Donors play second fiddle. That is important for the music, but not glamorous. Europe. Aid

Demand, context and capacity Assessing demand for TC • How “specific” is the demand? • What is the “power” behind it? • Transparent information on TC costs • Scope of the demand • Who takes initiatives • Who drafts To. R Europe. Aid Demand is not a constant, and can be nurtured – but. . when working with multiple stakeholders, whose demand counts? 12

Demand, context and capacity Adapting to context and capacity • Europe. Aid Look at the context and at the incentives to performance in country systems • Donor practices (topping-up) • Good practices in capacity assessments : o o o Self-assessments of capacity are the best Make assessments an integral part of CD Avoid gap assessments 13

Demand, context and capacity Harmonise whenever possible Europe. Aid 1. Keep other donors in the loop 2. Put all harmonization options on the table with partners: 1. Harmonisation around objectives/results, individual supply 2. TC support delegated to one agency 3. Pooling of funds, administered by the partner 4. Full partner implementation 3. Start harmonizing TC around analytical agenda 14

Look for results beyond TC deliverables Result-oriented TC support nnn Start from feasible impact, work backwards to determine if and how TC support may be relevant and feasible Recurrent inputs Internal resources TC support Capacity CD processes Outputs Outcomes Wider impact Europe. Aid

Europe. Aid Result-oriented TC support Getting the right inputs • Look beyond – far beyond – TA from OECD countries • Making good TOR: Pay much more attention to: - process (who, how, ownership. . . ) - content (results chain, governance. . . )

Changing roles Result-oriented TC support • ‘Who does what? ’ is as important than ‘What is done? ’ • . . . the devil is in the details (who calls meetings, sets the agenda. . . ) • If the partners do not articulate strong demand, then play a facilitating role Ø Ø Europe. Aid Start where the partners are Pay attention to the setting and the communication process 17

Programme implementation arrangements • Partner-owned and partner managed • Embedded in the local institutional context • Varying between more autonomous or more Europe. Aid integrated structures Ø over time Ø depending on purpose and expected results 18

Programme implementation arrangements Europe. Aid Five key parameters: 1. Governance and accountability 2. Management set-up 3. Logistical autonomy 4. Relations between TC experts, partners and the EC 5. EC’s and other donors’ roles More autonomous or more integrated depending on purpose / nature of the programme and changing over time !! No blueprint solutions – help partners to get it right and flexible 19

Quality Matrix of TC Europe. Aid Monitoring of TC support 1. Demand, 2. Fits the 3. The 4. Link to 5. The adequate ownership and capacity of partners context and existing capacity support is harmonised and sustainabilit y of benefits considered outputs and expected outcomes programme implementation arrangements are appropriate • Commitment and demand • No critical constraints • Existing capacity enable absorption • Results defined beyond TC deliverables • Implementation is adequate for results • Partner participation • Synergies and harmonisation options explored • Similar programmes/ TC support has worked • Stand-alone TC support clearly justified • Managerial • Partner inputs autonomy is are specified adequate • Partners lead and are accountable to domestic stakeholders 20

Quality Grid: self assessment at country level To be attached to the Action Fiche for “significant” TC operations and all TC focused programmes 1. How have key stakeholders express their demand (…) ? 2. How does the context analysis confirm that TC is the appropriate aid response (…) ? 3. What synergies and harmonization options have been explored (…)? 4. How are outputs and expected outcomes defined (…)? 5. How is the PIA design based on results to be achieved (…)? Europe. Aid

Guidelines: Table of annexes Europe. Aid • Annex 1: Aid effectiveness commitments in the area of TC • Annex 2: Court of Auditors’ Recommendations • Annex 3: The cycle of operations for « TC support » • Annex 4: Quality assessment grid • Annex 5: Format for mutual performance dialogue • Annex 6: Short guide to EC rules and procedures – How to apply EC procedures to TC table of content

Thank you for your attention! Europe. Aid For further information: • Internet: o www. ec. europa. eu/europeaid/what/delivering-aid/aideffectiveness/index_en. htm • www. capacity 4 dev. eu • Intranet: o www. cc. cec/dgintranet/europeaid/activities/adm/technic al_cooperation/index_en. htm • Functional mail box: Europe. Aid-TC-PIU@ec. europa. eu