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Making Technical Cooperation more effective

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EC Guidelines on Technical Cooperation and

Project Implementation Units - Key messages -

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EUROPEAN

COMMISSION

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The Backbone Strategy on Reforming TC and PIU

Objectives:

• Providing good quality TC that supports country-led programmes based on strong partner demand

• Providing support through partner-owned project

implementation arrangements with substantial

reduction of parallel Project Implementation Units

Reforming Technical Cooperation and Project

Implementation Units for External Aid provided by the EC

(July 2008)

4 slides

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7. Avoid use of Parallel PIU & promote effective Project ImplementationArrangements

ECTechnical

Cooperation

1. Primary aim is Capacity Development

2.Demand led approach where TC is not provided by default

8. Consider innovative options for TC provision

3.Strong result orientation

6. Work through harmonized and aligned actions

5. Take account of country/sector requirements

4.Country owned & managed TC processes

Eight guiding principles

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Four purposes of Technical Cooperation

Capacity Development support is the most

complex and demanding type of TC support!

Partner-ow

ned TC

support

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1. Strategic dialogue

2. Improve design management & accountability

3. Improve tendering, contracting & other procedures

4. Communication, knowledge management, training

5. Implementation and monitoring of the Strategy

The Backbone - five working axis

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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

Key issue for credibility of the Gs

is that incentives and procedures

change to make it possible to

follow these Gs

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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

EuropeAidA summary in three lines

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

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The guidelines recognise that it is not always feasible

to go all the way to perfect ownership and clear

results.

EuropeAidFocussing on the partner’s programme

Don

or

TC

inp

uts

&activ

itiesg

gg

gg

is wrongly assumed leading to

Sustainablecapacity and

results

“may” lead to Sustainablecapacity and

results

Activities by partner and by

donor TC inputs, under

partner leadership

Partner-ow

ned TC

support

DonorTC inputs &activities

EuropeAidOwnership in practice

• 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.

Partner-ow

ned TC

support

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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 ToR

Dem

and, context and capacity

Demand is not a constant, and can be nurtured –

but ....when working with multiple stakeholders, whose

demand counts?

EuropeAidAdapting to context and capacity

• Look at the context and at the incentives to

performance in country systems

• Donor practices (topping-up)

• Good practices in capacity assessments :o Self-assessments of capacity are the besto Make assessments an integral part of CDo Avoid gap assessments

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Dem

and, context and capacity

EuropeAidHarmonise whenever possible

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

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Dem

and, context and capacity

EuropeAidLook for results beyond TC deliverables

nnn

TC suppo

rt

CD processes

Recurrent inputs

Capacity Outputs Outcomes

Wider impact

Internal resour-ces

Start from feasible impact, work backwards to determine if and how TC support may be relevant and feasible

Result-oriented T

C support

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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...)

Result-oriented T

C support

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Changing roles

• ‘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

Start where the partners are

Pay attention to the setting and the communication process

Result-oriented T

C support

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Programme implementation arrangements

• Partner-owned and partner managed

• Embedded in the local institutional context

• Varying between more autonomous or more

integrated structures

over time

depending on purpose and expected results

Program

me im

plementation arrangem

ents

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Programme implementation arrangements

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

Program

me im

plementation arrangem

ents

!! No blueprint solutions – help partners to

get it right and flexible

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Quality Matrix of TC

1. Demand,

adequate ownership and capacity of partners

2. Fits the

context and existing capacity

3. The

support is harmonised and sustainability of benefits considered

4. Link to

outputs and expected outcomes

5. The

programme implementation arrangements are appropriate

•Commitment and demand

•Partner participation

• No critical constraints

•Existing capacity enable absorption

•Similar programmes/TC support has worked

• Synergies and harmonisation options explored

•Stand-alone TC support clearly justified

•Results defined beyond TC deliverables

•Partner inputs are specified

•Implementation is adequate for results

•Managerial autonomy is adequate

•Partners lead and are accountable to domestic stakeholders

Monitoring of T

C support

EuropeAidQuality 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 (…)?

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Guidelines: Table of annexes

• 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

EuropeAidThank you for your attention!

For further information:

• Internet: o www.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/what/delivering-aid/aid-

effectiveness/index_en.htm

• www.capacity4dev.eu

• Intranet:o www.cc.cec/dgintranet/europeaid/activities/adm/

technical_cooperation/index_en.htm

• Functional mail box: EuropeAid-TC-PIU@ec.europa.eu