Transcript Twinning Covenant Drafting Seminar

37th RTA Training
04-05 December 2008
Practical advice on Twinning
Rules and Procedures
Twinning & SIGMA Co-ordination Team
Introduction
Objectives of this presentation:

Participants: RTAs without or with limited
experience in Twinning

Preparation for your future work

To share the best twinning practice

Answer some of your queries/questions
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Contents

Role of the EC Delegation

Relations with the Host Administrations
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RTA the backbone of TW

The RTA forms the core of a twinning project:




Daily involvement/expertise
Coordination of all activities
Ensures the smooth project implementation
Ensures continuity of results

RTA faces a complex challenge - professional,
managerial, personal

Good specialist knowledge of the sector

Good management skills, but not manager only!
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RTA the backbone of TW

RTA should not be responsible for logistics and
accounting

Team work and backing assistance should be
provided in MS administration
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RTA Assistant

The profile: good interpreter/translator and good organiser

Qualifications:
experiences

Right arm of RTA, closest colleague

Facilitator of communication

Works full time in accordance with local working hours

CFCU to be informed about over hours

Job description to be respected by all
perfect
language
skills,
professional

Work ethics to be considered

Not employed by public administration in the last 6 months

Must be acceptable for the beneficiary
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Role of the EC Delegation
•
In General
facilitator
and
guardian
of
fair,
transparent and consistent application of
the Twinning Rules – Twinning manual
•
Actors: Sectoral Task manager, TW Coordinator
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Role of the EC Delegation
•
In particular
- programming
- selection – host organisation
- contract drafting, training
- RTA training, welcome pack
- implementation (ex-ante control–IQR + StC)
- finalisation
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Role of the EC Delegation
•
Specific support for RTA
- Welcome pack (network, useful guide)
- Mission letter
- briefing on practicalities, relations
- adviser – general / specific
- organisation of formal and informal events
- focal point
- intermediator
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Welcome Pack

Welcome Pack
-
use as reference upon need
-
Available from
Delegations
TW
team
and
EC
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Mission Letter

Issued by the EC Delegation after the notification

Certifies that the RTA is a long-term EU expert

Incl.: the legal duration of TW contract

Needed for:
 arrival
 issuance/renewal of residence permit
 customs clearance
 leave
 and in other ‘cases of need’
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Role of the EC Delegation
•
Project implementation
- monitoring of project activities
- assessment of reports
Main focus on mandatory results/effcient use
of funds
- participation in project Steering
Committees
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EC Delegation

Meet your contacts at the EC Delegation:



Sectorial task manager:





Sectorial Task Manager (to address all issues)
Twinning team (TW rules and procedures)
monitors project implementation
reporting
organises monthly progress meetings
participates in Steering Committee meetings
EU visibility guidelines
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Relations with the Host
Administrations

Beneficiary Institution

CFCU

BC NCP
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Beneficiary Institution

Meet your host institution

Meet all the relevant people (BC PL, RTA counterpart,
Component leaders, other relevant institutions)

Project Kick-off event

You have to establish the appropriate contacts:

at practical expert level (daily)

at decision-making level (weekly/monthly)
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CFCU /
Administrative Office
Pre-EDIS

Meet your contact person at the CFCU and NCP Office

Make contact with the twinning manager at CFCU
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CFCUs specific requirements:




on financial reporting requirements, etc
Paying agent (advance, interim and final payments)
Observer in project Steering Committee meetings
Approves quarterly financial reports
Under EDIS

Meet Administrative Office (AO) representative

AO performs financial and administrative monitoring
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Local NCP office
Solving horizontal problems;
- VAT
- Work permit
- Residence permit
- Import of personal belongings
- Direct contact with beneficiary institution
- Work conditions / Material resources
- Observer in project Steering Committee
Meetings
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MS Embassy

Inform and/or visit your Embassy upon arrival

Ask home administration to write to the
Embassy

Find out who is the person in charge of TW
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Before and after arrival

Get advance information from the
beneficiary, fellow RTAs in town, country
guides, etc.
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RTA Status

You are a foreign technical expert

Subject to legislation in BC/differs from country to country

You are not a diplomat

RTAs are not exempted from VAT on personal purchases

Family members cannot take up employment in BC
(unless they obtain a work permit)

Usually no work permit is
but residence permit within 90 days

Exemption from fiscal charges including visa costs and
customs clearance costs (FWA)
needed
for
RTA
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Visa

Differs from country to country

Get a visa from the BC consulate in MS

Visa free of charge for RTA and his/her family

Please check for necessary documentation
(photos,
passport,
application
form
and
mission letter, etc)
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Accommodation

Book a hotel (welcome pack; internet)

First 30 days - 100% per diem for RTA and 50% per
diem for family members – Keep hotel invoice

Find permanent accommodation within 30 days

Check the reimbursement band for accommodation

Contact real estate agents – fees up to 2months’ rent
(differs from country to country)

Note that only basic rental cost is reimbursed

Not eligible costs - deposits, utility costs, cleaning

Keep receipts for actual payments
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RTAs network

The list of RTAs should be available from Delegation

The RTAs on-duty = invaluable source of information
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Many RTAs have done what you are about to do

It is easier to solve common problems in twinning in a
group – stick together!
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Checklist

Assistant
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Permanent accommodation

Residence permit (ID card)

In some countries work permit

Registration at place of residence

RTAs are exempted from customs duties
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Kick–off Phase

Kick-off within 2-4 weeks

Coordinate with other relevant projects (EU, bilateral)

Clarify:

work-plan

reporting and communication lines

steering committee requirements
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Kick–off

Kick-off within 2-4 weeks

EU visibility guidelines to be respected (EU logo - EU funded project
- http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/visibility/index_en.htm)

Support of MS Embassy, but clear message: EU funded project

Presence of media

Avoid long speeches, use clear and dynamic
presentations (first 30 minutes most important time)
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Project implementation

As a RTA you are at the heart of the project

Maintain close contacts with all key players

You must ensure:

Regular reporting to PLs, ECD and CFCU/AO
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Regular organisation of Steering Committee meetings
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Full transprency in the implementation conditions/timely
share problems with your partner
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Regular Reporting

Interim Quarterly Report (IQR) jointly signed by MS and BC PLs

In practice prepared by RTA’s

Report Template Annex C4 and C5 of TW Manual
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Two parts technical and financial:


Account of activities and benchmarks achieved, timing and
delays, assessment of progress, recommendations
Account of actual expenditure vs budged expenditure

FREQUENCY: Every project quarter

TIMING: Within the month following the reporting period

Note: the 2nd IQR represents a crucial point for monitoring

Closely monitored by the EC Delegation or CFCU/AO

Evaluations: beneficiaries and independent evaluators
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Steering Committee

Key players and important decisions

PURPOSE: Discuss progress; decide on
corrective measures; approve and sign IQR

TIMING: Within the month following a project
quarter or more frequent when needed

Distribution of the draft IQR before the
meeting
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Steering Committee

PARTICIPANTS:
 Chair: MS and BC PL
 RTA, BC counterpart, EC Delegation, CFCU/AO,
NCP Office
 RTA Assistant takes minutes – add. interpretation
from TW budget not eligible

ORGANISATION: RTA with the help of the assistant
 Venue: provided by the BC
 Invitations sent out by both project leaders
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Modifications &
Implementation

Regularly consult TW Manual

In extraordinary cases consult
ECD or CFCU/AO
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Most frequent problems
and solutions

Language and
integration
Good assistant + use of professional
translation and interpretation services

Not sufficient
support by MS
Project Leader
Max. involvement of MS PL
3 days/month + 1 visit per quarter

Not sufficient
involvement of BC:
Insist on identification of people for
each component – use but do not
abuse their cooperation
Respect local working culture
Try to be flexible and adaptable


too many tasks to
too few people
high level of staff
turnover
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Most frequent
problems and solutions

Not equipped with
facilities from project
start
Request assistance from the
BC PL and/or EC Delegation to
obtain what you need

Too much burden of
administrative work
Focus on the substance of the
project!
Delegate administrative
functions
Use the PMC for logistical,
financial support
Overall coordination
indispensable
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Conclusion

If the project is too complex, over ambitious


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Arrange meetings with all key players
Ensure appropriate access to the decision makers
Use ‘train of trainers’’ approach
Use/coordinate STEs’ input

Multi–beneficiary institutions - insist upon formal
agreement between them

Project runs off schedule: take corrective actions

Be flexible but stick to the rules! and keep the
twinning spirit throughout your project!
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Twinning Philosophy

Result-oriented partnership

Strong commitment/ownership by the BC
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Contact details

Give us your contact details

The EC Delegation/AO(CFCU needs your
up-to-date contact data (phone, fax; e-mail;
etc)
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Read before taking up duty!!!
RTA CONDITIONS
TW Manual – ANNEX B:

DETAILED TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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More Info
http://europa.eu.int/comm/enlargement/pas/t
winning/index/htm
THANK YOU
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