Support to National Coordinating Units – NIS and Mongolia

Detailed description of project Back

The immediate objective of the project is to improve and strengthen the planning and co-ordination capacities of partner governments (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Moldova, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Mongolia) in relation to EU support and related external assistance programmes. Project counterparts (NCUs) are those public administrations responsible for EU and other external aid planning and management (Government Ministries, Cabinet of Ministers, and President’s Administrations).

The support seeks to address the following:

• Human resource constraints at senior and middle management levels in partner country administrations responsible for planning and co-ordination of EU support and of related external assistance;
• The present underdevelopment of consultation and outreach mechanisms through which civil society organisations, including the private sector, can inform and influence the forms and channels of external assistance;
• The continuing need to improve the coherence and co-ordination of the EU programme and other external development assistance in partner countries, within an agreed framework of national and international priorities and objectives.

The principal focus of the project is centred around two main axes:

• Institutional strengthening;
• Human resource development and management.

Sub-components include:

Component 1: Institutional Strengthening

• Support to the institutional setting of the NCUs;
• Advice on EU aid programming;
• External aid coordination;
• Promotion of wider stakeholder consultation.

Component 2: Human Resource Development and Management

• Strengthening of NCU’s internal work organisation, development of appropriate management systems and tools;
• Reinforcing Human Resource Development processes;
• Skills development (training).

Type of services provided

Each of these 13 NCU’s is supported by a team of one LT EU expert, 2 local LT experts and a pool of ST expertise. Russia and Ukraine are supported by 2 LT EU experts and respectively 4 and 3 LT local experts.

Key services provided include:

• Overall policy development with respect to EU aid planning and programming, inclusive the link with overall external aid co-ordination;
• Definition and implementation of relevant processes and procedures, inclusive consultation mechanisms with wider stakeholders (civil society);
• Support to the formulation of national strategy papers; sectoral and thematic papers and national inputs into the preparation of Indicative Programmes and Action Programmes;
• HRD: training strategy development; training needs analysis; design and development of training materials, vocational and skills training;workshops; seminars; study tours (target group: NCU,relevant line Ministries and other Government administrations);
• Organisation development: job descriptions; MIS/ database development; internal management systems.

In order to promote continuous training, and with a specific focus on self-learning a number of key deliverables are produced. These include:

• Practical handbook on “Basic Programming Techniques and Technical Tools” (PCM, logical framework);
• Practical handbook on “The Basics of Monitoring and Evaluation”;
• Operational Guide to EC Aid Programming.

These are complimented with inter alia Staff Manuals, Manual on Standard Operational Procedures, Practical guide on Training Needs Analysis, Staff Appraisal Manual and a variety of Technical and Policy Papers dealing with specific subjects.

PROMAN is specifically responsible for project direction for Central Asia (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Tadjikistan), next to supporting the Project Director with overall backstopping.