Skirmantas Pileckas

1. TWINNING WORKSHOP 5 – 9 July 2010 Baku, Azerbaijan Skirmantas Pileckas

2. Previous related experience Skirmantas Pileckas • Twinning contact point • 2000 – 2002 Ministry of Economy in Lithuania • Horizontal Twinning Programme Manager: • 2002 - 2004 European Commission Delegation to Lithuania • 2004 - 2006 European Commission Delegation to Turkey • TAIEX expert since 2007 • International Twinning / TAIEX trainings in: - Belgium - Turkey - Macedonia - Bulgaria - Lithuania - Azerbaijan

3. Introduction Preparation, selection, contracting Management of TW projects Main TW principles Financial management and control Draft TW contract Twinning light Private sector inputs Visibility requirements TW specialities TW contract details TW contract budget TW Risk Factors Publicity Non-Eligible Costs Topics of presentation

4. Twinning history and main facts • Legal framework • What is Twinning? Introduction

5. Twining history • Twinning is an initiative of the European Commission Established – 1998 Preparation for the enlargement of the EU • Targeted administrative co-operation for IB • Mainly related with transposition Acquis Communautaire

6. TW main facts (1) • PHARE (1998) • Transition Facility (2004) • CARDS (2002) • TACIS (2003) • MEDA (2004) • IPA (2007) • ENPI (2007)

7. ENPI Regions - South & East

8. ~ 1200 TW TW main facts (1) • PHARE (1998) • Transition Facility (2004) • CARDS (2002) • TACIS (2003) • MEDA (2004) • IPA (2007) • ENPI (2007)

9. Legal framework • ENPI: Regulation (EC) No 1638/2006 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 2006 • Provide support in 2007-2013 • EU assistance under the Neighbourhood and Partnership Instrument • Promote enhanced cooperation and progressive economic integration • Encourage partner countries’ efforts at promoting good governance and • Equitable social and economic development • Twinning instrument doesn’t form part of the EU Financial Regulation

10. What is Twinning? • Basic principles: (1) • TW is a joint project of grant nature (w/o Public Procurement) • TW is NOT traditional one-way TA • Cooperation between the public sector – not profit-making consultancy • TW is NOT designed to provide only advice • Focus on results not inputs or activities • TW is NOT aiming to replica MS administrative system

11. What is Twinning? • Basic principles: (2) • BC always selects MS partner • MS partner(s) undertake to transfer its expertise (consultant approach) • BC undertakes to implement project jointly • Requires BC political commitment • Long term MS + BC partnership envisaged • TW is labour intensive

12. What is Twinning? • Basic principles: (3) • MS full time Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA) • RTA(s) min. 12 months • Short-Term and Med-Term MS experts • TW must bring a concrete operational result • (mandatory result) EU acquis or other EU policies transfer • TW partners committed towards mandatory result, and • Achieve – 50% (MS+BC); Function – 50% (BC)

13. What is Twinning? • Basic principles: (4) • MS + BC credibility expressed in Twinning work plan: • Agreed before starting work • Partial flexibility, but • Very clear benchmarks → Final result • Monitoring of progress towards the final result!

14. What is Twinning? • Potentials of TW success: • Goal is relatively clear, i.e. the BC has a vision • MUST: • Sufficient political will exists • Empowerment of legislation drafting and adoption • Sufficient BC commitment to ensure required resources •  Experience shows that TW is seccsesffull where: • BC has clear view which ministries should have responsabilities • BC has not yet adopted the necessary legislation

15. What is Twinning? • TW Manual !!!

16. Main Twinning Principles • Key players (personal and institutional responsibilities) • Role of Key Institutions • Roles of other relevant parties

17. MS Project Leader BC Project Leader Key players Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA) BC RTA Counterpart

18. MS Project Leader Key players • MS Project Leader (PL) : • Works at home administration but • Project supervision & co-ordination • MS PL is not an Adviser • MS PL directs the implementation of the project • MS PL should be a high-ranking official to ensure • commensurate dialogue • backing at political level • Always complemented by RTA(s) = backbone of TW

19. BC Project Leader Key players • BC Project Leader (PL) : • BC PL is required in each TW project, as • Counterpart of the MS PL • BC + MS PLs ensures steering and co-ordination project • A high ranking official in the BC administration, who • Operates at the appropriate political level • BC & MS PLs close co-operation is essential!

20. Key players • Resident Twinning Adviser (1) • Civil servants or equivalent staff • Seconded for min 12 months to be based and work in BC • RTAs remains permanent employees of MS administration • Nationals of MS only • Min. three years’ relevant practical experience • University education is required • A good working knowledge of English, French or German RTA

21. Key players • Resident Twinning Adviser (2) • RTAs’ status = TA experts status • Not automatically entitled to diplomatic status, however • MS may grant this status or BC extends such privileges as a matter of courtesy • Max. 3 years in total in one country • Max. up to two successive TW assignments • RTA training in EC Headquarters • Working conditions same as BC administration RTA

22. Key players • RTA general duties: • Independency • Impartiality • Confidentiality • Pre-agreed publications • All RTAs’ work become property of BC • MS and EC permitted rights of to use all results (BC permission) RTA BC RTA Counterpart

23. Role of Key Institutions • European Commission (1) • Planning • Programming

24. Programming system Beneficiaries PFs NCP PAO PFs European Commission Management Committee COMDEC PAO Beneficiaries PROJECT

25. Programming & Implementation Overall approach: European Commission + PAO Programming Implementation MS Partner BC Partner

26. Role of Key Institutions • European Commission (1) • Provision of guidance about the Twinning procedures • Management of the Twinning project funds • Payments • Quality check of the Twinning fiches • Circulation of the Twinning fiches to MS NCPs • Reception and registration of Twinning proposals transmitted by MS • Dispatch of Twinning proposals to beneficiaries

27. Role of Key Institutions • European Commission (2) • Verification of eligibility of proposals • Organisation and management of Selection meetings • Chair and voting member of the Evaluation Committee • Drafting of the notification letter of outcome of selection to MS • Signature of the Twinning Contract • Approval of inception, quarterly and final report • Collect and archive all the documents of the Twining project, and make them available to the audit and evaluation missions

28. Role of Other Relevant Parties NCP - National Contact Point for IB • Designated public official in each MS and BC • Tasks: communication, facilitation and liaison • Information channelling between EC, BC and MS NCPs • Facilitates TW in BC and MS • Filtering and submitting TW project proposals (MS) • Co-ordination of TW administration • Resolving any horizontal administrative obstacles • Attending Commission meetings with other BC and MS NCPs • Entrust mandated body status requests • NCPs meetings organised by EC

29. Role of Other Relevant Parties • Mandated bodies: • Proven competence in acquis implementation • Non-for-profit structure • Public ownership and capital • Under supervision of MS ministry • Sufficiently broad permanent staff • Ex-ante accreditation by Twinning team in Brussels • No umbrella organisations

30. Call for proposals (incl. recirculation) • Submission of proposals • Key elements of Twinning proposals • Eligibility (e.g. Mandated bodies) • Selection process Preparation, Selection & Contracting

31. TW Twinning Project Cycle Analysis Identification Audit Call for Proposals Evaluation Selection of TW partner Monitoring Preparation TW Contract Reporting EC Project Implementation

32. Call for Proposals • Project Fiche(s) circulated to all MSs • MS NCPs → Relevant home administration • MS NCPs should control compliance • All invitations are published at relevant DG

33. TW Proposals - Key elements • Subject to agreed deadlines (~ 6-8 weeks) • MS prevented to act as commercial entity • Follows standard template • Minimum requirement to be respected • However, not fully elaborated project • Exception - partial proposal (conditions) • Single application per MS

34. TW Proposals - Key elements • Respect TW rules • Reflect Fiche requirements • Full referencing and contact details are required • Incl. Fiche component (if multiple) • Single MS or Consortia • If Mandated body → Prior EC approval • Relevance of MS system/reform • Implementation strategy! • Key staff CVs → min. PL, RTA and key STEs

35. Eligibility • Not all MS institutions are eligible! • MS administrations – OK • MS semi-public institutions – tbc: • proven competence (EU acquis, TW relevant field) • non-profit structure, non-commercial business purpose • public ownership • sufficient level of permanent staff • under the permanent and structural supervision of a government authority

36. MSs Consortia • Joint MSs proposal is permitted • Main and Junior partners • Prior MSs agreement is required • Separation of responsibilities and tasks • Usually max. 2 (exceptionally 3) • Other MSs experts allowed

37. Selection of TW partners • No pre-selection by the EC • EC oversight (guarantee consistency and fairness) • Min. participants in the selection meeting: • BC PL and RTA counterpart required • MS PL and RTA(s) • Written and oral presentation assessed • Selection meetings always in BC • Evaluation of all TW proposals

38. Selection of TW partners • Registration of proposals: • Timely submission • Proposals to be registered • EC notes all proposals (not TWL) • MSs informed about all received TW proposals • Respect DEADLINES

39. Selection of TW partners • Selection meetings: • Timely submission • ECD will organize the selection meetings • The Selection Committee must be nominated • Scheduling of Selection meeting • Venue is responsibility of ECD

40. Selection of TW partners • Selection formalities: • Selection Fact Sheet (template) for all proposals takes into account: • qualitative aspects of the proposal and the presentation • experience of RTA/PL • experience of organisation in co-operation projects • proposed working methods, etc. • Communication of results: • EC communicates the choices BC to MS partners individually • with a copy to the MS/BC NCP, PAO • EC will publish a summary of all final selections of each BC

41. Selection of TW partners • Selection failure: • Re-circulation is possible • 2’nd circulation (consult with EC) • Re-programming to TA (Management Committee approval)

42. Draft TW Contract • Twinning contract elements • Twinning work plan • Approval process • Contract signature (inc. notification)

43. Special Conditions(up-front contract) Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetuer adipiscing elit. Pellentesque leo purus, adipiscing eget, sagittis elementum, tempus et, ligula. Nullam sagittis. Proin blandit sollicitudin sapien. Fusce elit sapien, convallis id, malesuada vitae, aliquet ac, risus. Nunc lacinia urna sit amet ligula. Aliquam ac mauris. In lacinia dignissim ligula. Integer dolor velit, commodo eget, suscipit vitae, sagittis eget, quam. Ut porta, dolor sagittis venenatis pulvinar, tortor nulla elementum orci, eget convallis arcu sapien at velit. Nunc eget dui eu ligula porta luctus. Pellentesque sed eros. Suspendisse lacinia, justo sit amet fringilla elementum, ligula ante vestibulum nulla, sed aliquam mauris risus at turpis. Nullam nec nibh sit amet justo feugiat elementum. Nunc pharetra turpis eu mi. Morbi libero. Sed mollis dapibus lectus. Morbi dictum. Donec ac lectus nec nisl sagittis bibendum. Ut eget neque tempus urna rutrum facilisis. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Quisque faucibus posuere nisi. Vivamus in justo quis neque blandit laoreet. Aliquam fermentum lectus. Vestibulum sagittis bibendum dui. Mauris id tellus vitae tortor tincidunt porta. Nulla facilisi. Integer urna metus, blandit nec, tristique vitae, blandit eget, felis. Maecenas turpis ligula, dictum non, congue ac, nonummy bibendum, tellus. Morbi eget dui quis libero vulputate venenatis. Sed egestas velit id velit. Mauris et tortor. Nunc orci. In sit amet arcu. Mauris eu diam nec risus aliquet fringilla. Vestibulum a nunc venenatis quam dapibus sodales. Nam eu lectus sit amet metus congue vulputate. Nam mollis est. Nam vitae justo non velit suscipit ullamcorper. Phasellus sit amet justo vitae est pharetra facilisis. Suspendisse in augue quis augue rhoncus nonummy. Ut pretium purus ut sapien. Ut ac ante. Integer porttitor blandit elit. Suspendisse venenatis, ligula in pharetra hendrerit, odio arcu sollicitudin nunc, sit amet lacinia neque nunc quis sapien. Integer eu nibh vitae purus aliquam tristique. Contract Annex: A1 Contract Annex: A2 Contract Annex: A8 Project Identification Fiche Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, Consectetuer adipiscing elit. Pellentesque leo purus, adipiscing eget, sagittis elementum, tempus et, ligula. Nullam sagittis. Proin blandit sollicitudin sapien. Fusce elit sapien, convallis id, malesuada vitae, aliquet ac, risus. Nunc lacinia urna sit amet ligula. Aliquam ac mauris. In lacinia dignissim ligula. Integer dolor velit, commodo eget, suscipit vitae, sagittis eget, quam. Ut porta, dolor sagittis venenatis pulvinar, tortor nulla elementum orci, eget convallis arcu sapien at velit. Nunc eget dui eu ligula porta luctus. Pellentesque sed eros. Suspendisse lacinia, justo sit amet fringilla elementum. Ligula ante vestibulum nulla, sed aliquam mauris risus at turpis. Nullam nec nibh sit amet justo feugiat elementum. Nunc pharetra turpis eu mi. Morbi libero. Sed mollis dapibus lectus. Morbi dictum. Donec ac lectus nec nisl sagittis bibendum. Ut eget neque tempus urna rutrum facilisis. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Quisque faucibus posuere nisi. Vivamus in justo quis neque blandit laoreet. Aliquam fermentum lectus. Vestibulum sagittis bibendum dui. Mauris id tellus vitae tortor tincidunt porta. Nulla facilisi. Integer urna metus, blandit nec, tristique vitae, blandit eget, felis. Maecenas turpis ligula, dictum non, congue ac, nonummy bibendum, tellus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, Consectetuer adipiscing elit. Pellentesque leo purus, adipiscing eget, sagittis elementum, tempus et, ligula. Nullam sagittis. Proin blandit sollicitudin sapien. Fusce elit sapien, convallis id, malesuada vitae, aliquet ac, risus. Nunc lacinia urna sit amet ligula. Aliquam ac mauris. In lacinia dignissim ligula. Integer dolor velit, commodo eget, suscipit vitae, sagittis eget, quam. Ut porta, dolor sagittis venenatis pulvinar, tortor nulla elementum orci, eget convallis arcu sapien at velit. Nunc eget dui eu ligula porta luctus. Pellentesque sed eros. Suspendisse lacinia, justo sit amet fringilla elementum. Ligula ante vestibulum nulla, sed aliquam mauris risus at turpis. Nullam nec nibh sit amet justo feugiat elementum. Nunc pharetra turpis eu mi. Morbi libero. Sed mollis dapibus lectus. Morbi dictum. Donec ac lectus nec nisl sagittis bibendum. Ut eget neque tempus urna rutrum facilisis. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Quisque faucibus posuere nisi. Vivamus in justo quis neque blandit laoreet. Aliquam fermentum lectus. Vestibulum sagittis bibendum dui. Mauris id tellus vitae tortor tincidunt porta. Nulla facilisi. Integer urna metus, blandit nec, tristique vitae, blandit eget, felis. Maecenas turpis ligula, dictum non, congue ac, nonummy bibendum, tellus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, Consectetuer adipiscing elit. Pellentesque leo purus, adipiscing eget, sagittis elementum, tempus et, ligula. Nullam sagittis. Proin blandit sollicitudin sapien. Fusce elit sapien, convallis id, malesuada vitae, aliquet ac, risus. Nunc lacinia urna sit amet ligula. Aliquam ac mauris. In lacinia dignissim ligula. Integer dolor velit, commodo eget, suscipit vitae, sagittis eget, quam. Ut porta, dolor sagittis venenatis pulvinar, tortor nulla elementum orci, eget convallis arcu sapien at velit. Nunc eget dui eu ligula porta luctus. Pellentesque sed eros. Suspendisse lacinia, justo sit amet fringilla elementum. Ligula ante vestibulum nulla, sed aliquam mauris risus at turpis. Nullam nec nibh sit amet justo feugiat elementum. Nunc pharetra turpis eu mi. Morbi libero. Sed mollis dapibus lectus. Morbi dictum. Donec ac lectus nec nisl sagittis bibendum. Ut eget neque tempus urna rutrum facilisis. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Quisque faucibus posuere nisi. Vivamus in justo quis neque blandit laoreet. Aliquam fermentum lectus. Vestibulum sagittis bibendum dui. Mauris id tellus vitae tortor tincidunt porta. Nulla facilisi. Integer urna metus, blandit nec, tristique vitae, blandit eget, felis. Maecenas turpis ligula, dictum non, congue ac, nonummy bibendum, tellus. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, Consectetuer adipiscing elit. Pellentesque leo purus, adipiscing eget, sagittis elementum, tempus et, ligula. Nullam sagittis. Proin blandit sollicitudin sapien. Fusce elit sapien, convallis id, malesuada vitae, aliquet ac, risus. Nunc lacinia urna sit amet ligula. Aliquam ac mauris. In lacinia dignissim ligula. Integer dolor velit, commodo eget, suscipit vitae, sagittis eget, quam. Ut porta, dolor sagittis venenatis pulvinar, tortor nulla elementum orci, eget convallis arcu sapien at velit. Nunc eget dui eu ligula porta luctus. Pellentesque sed eros. Suspendisse lacinia, justo sit amet fringilla elementum. Ligula ante vestibulum nulla, sed aliquam mauris risus at turpis. Nullam nec nibh sit amet justo feugiat elementum. Nunc pharetra turpis eu mi. Morbi libero. Sed mollis dapibus lectus. Morbi dictum. Donec ac lectus nec nisl sagittis bibendum. Ut eget neque tempus urna rutrum facilisis. In hac habitasse platea dictumst. Quisque faucibus posuere nisi. Vivamus in justo quis neque blandit laoreet. Aliquam fermentum lectus. Vestibulum sagittis bibendum dui. Mauris id tellus vitae tortor tincidunt porta. Nulla facilisi. Integer urna metus, blandit nec, tristique vitae, blandit eget, felis. Maecenas turpis ligula, dictum non, congue ac, nonummy bibendum, tellus. Twinning contract elements • Joint responsibility of both – BC and MS

44. Twinning contract elements • Key elements: • Special Conditions (up-front document) • Annex A1: Work Plan (Description of the action) • Annex A2: General Conditions applicable to EC-financed grant contracts • Annex A3: Budget for the Action (including co-financing part by Final Recipient) • Annex A4: Contract-award procedures • Annex A5: Standard request for payment and financial identification form • Annex A6: Expenditure Verification Report • Annex A7: Special Financial Annex • Annex A8: Mandates (if MS have formed a consortium)

45. Twinning contract approval • Final draft TW contract → IB Steering Committee • Approval is ECD responsibility • MS & BC PL initialise A1 & A3 compulsory and binding opinion on the relevance of TW work plan in relation to the EU acquis and its latest developments at that stage • Signed TW contract → EC 15 WORKING DAYS

46. Twinning contract approval • IB Steering Committee opinion Recommend to finance Conditionally approved Unconditional approval Rejection Amendment required Full debate Rework Written proc.

47. Twinning contract signature • Contracting Authority and MS signs and initial contract • High MS official • Consortium → Lead MS signs • MS & BC PL initialise annexes A1 & A3 • No need to sign A2, A4-8

48. EC EC NCP PAO Equivalent MS line ministry Usually line ministries Beneficiary MS partner ECD Twinning contract signature TW Contract

49. Twinning contract signature • Notification of all signatories: • Responsibility of the ECD • The Beneficiary Administration • MS partner(s), MS/BS NCP, NAC • The European Commission (CC only) • Notification → Official start of the project • No costs are eligible before notification (except preparatory costs)

50. Timing and deadlines • Staff involvement • Monitoring and reporting requirements • Twinning contract modifications Management of TW projects