ANNEX 1. IDTIFICATION Title Technical Cooperation Facility - Suriname Total cost 2,300,000 (EC contribution 100%) Aid method / Management mode DAC-code 15010 Project approach Partially decentralised management. Sector: Economic and Development Policy/planning CRIS FED/2008/19979 2. RATIONALE 2.1. Sector context The Technical Cooperation Facility has a 5 year operational period 2008-2013. It aims to facilitate and support the implementation of the Suriname Country Strategy Paper by providing: - Technical Assistance for the main stages of Project Cycle Management in keeping with the objectives of the Cotonou Agreement: 1.625M ; - Training Support for Projects and Programmes: 0.314 M ; - Conference and Seminars for State and Non State Actors: 0.2M. 2.2. Lessons learnt The lessons learnt from previous and ongoing TCF programmes include: (i) further administrative, managerial and organizational strengthening of the NAO s office which is incorporated in the Ministry of Planning and Development Cooperation (MinP&DC), (ii) reenforcement of technical ministries to carry out their own EC cooperation related tasks, (iii) further improvement of the communication and information exchange between the NAO office and the Commission as well as other national, regional and international entities and institutions by the improvement of the ITC capability and its effective use in and by the NAO office, (iv) further improvement of the NAO s office s access to information concerning EC development cooperation oriented and/or related seminars, conferences and training programs, (vi) further improvement of the attendance as well as the capacity to coordinate and/or organize such events on a national, regional and international level. 2.3. Complementary actions The Technical Cooperation Facility is based on the programmes and projects being implemented in the 9 th EDF and those that will be implemented in the 10 th EDF. It aims at facilitating and supporting the implementation of the CSP in Suriname. As such it will be complementary to the ongoing and forthcoming program/project administrative management. Following is a summary overview of the ongoing projects: Focal sector: Transport Transport Policy Sector Study 6.ACP.SUR.046 (0,5 M ) Rehabilitation, upgrading, expansion and institutional strengthening of the Nieuwe Haven Terminal. Physical Rehabilitation 7.ACP.SUR.045 (0,495 M ) / 9.ACP.SUR.002 (29,8 M ), Institutional Strengthening 9.ACP.SUR.003 (0.5 M ) Construction Road to the Ferry Terminal 7.ACP.SUR.048/ 8.ACP.SUR.012 (13.2 M ) Institutional Strengthening of the Transport sector (3.1 M )
Rehabilitation of the Eastern part of the Suriname East-West 137 km road connection: Meerzorg Albina. As the cost of this road rehabilitation (rough estimate 60-70 m ) exceeds the amount available under the 10th EDF (17.5 M ), it is envisaged that the rehabilitation be jointly funded between the EC, France (Agence Française de Développement, AFD) and the Inter-American Development Bank IDB. Both organisations have expressed their strong interest and they would participate in the funding through loans. However, if this joint funding is not possible, another road will be identified for rehabilitation Projects and programmes outside focal sectors Technical Cooperation Facility 9.ACP.SUR.05 (1.129 M ) Technical Cooperation Facility 9.ACP.SUR.12 (0.866 M ) Support to the Domestic Private Sector (DPS)/Suriname Business Forum (SBF) 9.ACP.SUR.07, (2.4 M ) Suriname Sustainable Tourism Capacity Building Programme 9.ACP.SUR.13 (1.5 M ) Suriname NGO Institutional Strengthening Programme 9.ACP.SUR.15 (1.7 M ) Restoration of the St. Paul and Peter Cathedral 9.ACP.SUR.01 (2.8 M ) 2.3.1. Regional co-operation Integrated Development for the Caribbean Rum Sector 8 ACP TPS 125 70 M. Caribbean regional Tourism Sector Development Programme 8 ACP RCA 35 (8.0 M ) Caribbean Integration Support Programme (CISP). Under this 40.5 M EC CARICOM/CARIFORUM contribution agreement programme, Suriname receive support for the establishment and operation of the Caribbean Translation and Information Centre (CRITI) as well as for the establishment and operation of the Caribbean Competition Commission (CCC) Support to Caribbean Knowledge and Learning Network. 9 ACP RCA 010 1.99 M. 2.4. Donor coordination During 2007 aid effectiveness was enhanced through better donor coordination. Over the course of the year the Acting Head of Delegation met regularly with the locally represented donor community and in particular the two member states present in Suriname (i.e., The Netherlands and France). Efforts to further enhance coordination as donor coordination groups are expected to start functioning for certain sectors will also continue in 2008. Harmonisation of donor programmes and procedures as well as alignment of donor procedures with those of the government need further efforts. In this context it should be noted that Suriname has not signed the Paris Declaration and the five principles 1 are not adhered to in any systematic manner. Donor coordination is mainly donor led (with the exception of the education sector) and there has not been any progress towards harmonization. The EU code of conduct has not been discussed. However, the Government is presently preparing with UNDP assistance and Dutch funding a multi annual plan to strengthen donor coordination, monitoring and implementation of the Paris Declaration. 3. DESCRIPTION 3.1. Objectives The overall objectives of the TCF are; 1 Paris Declaration 5 principles are: 1. OWNERSHIP: Partner countries exercise effective leadership over their development policies, and strategies and co-ordinate development actions 2. ALIGNMT: Donors base their overall support on partner countries national development strategies, institutions and procedures 3. HARMONISATION: Donors actions are more harmonised, transparent and collectively effective 4. MANAGING FOR RESULTS: Managing resources and improving decision-making for results 5. MUTUAL ACCOUNTABILITY: Donors and partners are accountable for development results
The implementation of the Government's Development Strategy through the support of sound development programmes financed from the European Development Fund (EDF). The fostering of a more coherent and informed approach to development and trade issues. The project purpose of the TCF is the identification and successful implementation of actions under the NIP and other EDF funds together with improved awareness amongst key actors in the Republic of Suriname of general issue of development, trade etc and of EU policies in these areas by means of training for the beneficiaries in the Republic of Suriname. 3.2. Expected results and main activities The programme is expected to produce the following results: i) Identification of programmes to be financed from the EDF. ii) Preparation and formulation of programmes to be supported from EDF. iii) The NAO will be enabled to ensure satisfactory monitoring of and tendering procedures for ongoing projects where this cannot be provided for in the projects themselves or other projects. iv) Audits and evaluations of other projects will be financed through this initiative whenever they cannot be financed out of the project itself or where it is convenient or efficient to combine a number of audits/evaluations of related interventions. v) Increased understanding of development and trade issues by key actors. Overall these results will impact on the country's MDGs, poverty and cross cutting issues. The following activities will be undertaken; TAF Technical Assistance Facility Funds under the TCF will be used to facilitate and support the implementation of the CSP for Suriname. It is proposed that these services will be provided by consultants and/or individual experts recruited by or on behalf of the NAO in accordance with EDF procedures in particular Annex IV to the Cotonou. The cost of this TCF component will be 1.625 M. TFPP Training Facility for EU Projects & Programmes This will finance various educational actions such as seminars and/or awareness-raising activities prior to or during the formulation of a project or programme for example Project Cycle Management workshop of stakeholders in a sector identified in the NIP in accordance with EDF procedures. The cost of this TCF component will be 0.314 M. CS Conferences and Seminars these include: (a) more general short-term training activities for ACP officials and/or non-state actors on topics related either to the priorities of the ACP-EU Partnership Agreement or to EDF or other EU administrative and financial procedures and (b) participation by ACP officials or non-state actors in international meetings or seminars on development or trade themes. The latter are normally organised by bodies or organisations other than the Commission (including UN bodies) in accordance with EDF procedures. The cost of this TCF component will be 0.2 M. 3.3. Risks and assumptions No specific risks are identified. It is assumed that the country will remain politically and economically stable. 3.4. Crosscutting Issues Programme studies funded by the TCF will include matters concerning environmental sustainability, gender equality, good governance and human rights where directly appropriate and relevant.
3.5. Stakeholders The main stakeholders are the public sector (Government of Suriname (GoS) and its agencies) and the private sector (NSA s, NGO s). Given that the central objectives of the GoS, amongst others, are growth and poverty reduction based on Private/Public Partnership (PPP), the vulnerable target groups are the unemployed, the homeless, single parents and children, communities outside of the centre of economic and social action, small and medium entrepreneurs. The primary role of the key stakeholders is to mutually cooperate and insure that both are strengthened in their institutional, organizational, planning, management and monitoring capacity such that they operate sustainable efficiently in par with each, thus contributing effectively to sustainable growth and poverty reduction. Key issues emerging from the analysis of the institutional framework and of the organisational capacity are: (i) short term technical assistance projects, (ii) the organization of and participation in seminars and conferences, (iii) continuous training support for projects and programmes on national, regional as well as international level. The TCF project fills a financial gap that otherwise cannot be satisfied given the current organisational capacity of the GoS and the resulting strength of the countries economy. Local commitment and/or ownership of the project idea arise from the three components proposed by the GoS as described as the overall and specific objective of this TCF action fiche. 4. IMPLEMTATION ISSUES 4.1. Method of implementation The TCF will be implemented by partially decentralised management through the signature of a financing agreement with the National Authorising Officer, who may request the European Commission to implement technical assistance contracts under Annex IV to the Cotonou Agreement. The funds available under the TCF will be primarily used for individual Technical assistance contracts for various activities as well as for Programme Estimates managed by the NAO. The Commission controls ex ante the contracting procedures for procurement contracts > 50.000 EUR and ex post for procurement contracts 50.000 EUR. The Commission controls ex ante the contracting procedures for all grant contracts. Through the programme estimates, payments are decentralised for operating costs and contracts up to the ceilings indicated in the table below: The Authorising Officer ensures that, by using the model of financing agreement for decentralised management, the segregation of duties between the authorising officer and the accounting officer or of the equivalent functions within the delegated entity will be effective, so that the decentralisation of the payments can be carried out for contracts up to the ceilings specified below. Works Supplies Services Grants < 300.000 EUR 150.000 EUR < 200.000 EUR 100.000 EUR 4.2. Procurement and grant award procedures/programme estimates 1) Contracts All contracts implementing the action must be awarded and implemented in accordance with the procedures and standard documents laid down and published by the Commission for the implementation of external operations, in force at the time of the launch of the procedure in question. 2) Specific rules of grants No grants will be awarded
3) Specific rules on programme estimates All programme estimates must respect the procedures and standard documents laid down by the Commission, in force at the time of the adoption of the programme estimates in question. 4.3. Budget and calendar The estimated cost of the Technical Cooperation Facility is 2,300,000, including provision for contingencies is broken down as follows: Activity Cost ( ) TAF (Expertise required including: fees, living allowances and reimbursable expenses) TFPP (including Supplies and equipment, rental of premises and incidental expenditures, flights, registration, per diem) CS (including incidental expenditures, communication tools and equipment) 1,625,000.00 70.65% 314,000.00 13.65% 200,000.00 8.70% Audit (of this programme) 69,000.00 3.00% Evaluation (of this programme) 57,500.00 2.50% Contingencies (1.5 %) 34,500.00 1.50% TOTAL 2,300,000.00 100% Foreseen operational duration is 48 months as from the signature of the Financing Agreement. 4.4. Performance monitoring The NAO office will be responsible for monitoring performance of the TCF. Key indicators measuring progress mentioned in the Log frame will also be collected. 4.5. Evaluation and audit Progress in the implementation of the studies will be monitored by the NAO. The results and impact of the TCF will be assessed by means of an independent external final evaluation at the end of the period of implementation.