Practical guide for Structural Funds interventions
Background
Many memberstates have experience with Structural Funds operations. Yet this experience is not always in a practical way available for others nor is it transferred to other memberstates. This was the main reason to start a project to establish a practical guide. EIPA, the European institute for public administration and ERAC a specialised consultant in the Netherlands for structural funds interventions therefore took the initiative. This was made possible by the Dutch government in view of the exchange of experience to new memberstates.
Content
The guide provides practical step-by-step guidelines about all aspects of dealing with the Structural Funds on the programme as well as the project level, including tips and ways of dealing with the different issues:
- Structures and Principles
- Plans and programming (from the first step until drafting the programme documents)
- Organisation and programme bodies (description of tasks and responsibilities)
- Financial management and control
- Project development
- Project management
- Project monitoring
- Programme monitoring and
- Evaluation
The information is based on practical experience using the official guidelines. It goes beyond the guidelines and should make management in practice more simple.
Target audience
This presentation is interesting for people from the recently accessed countries (learning from best practice as well as for people working longer with the Structural Funds ( thinking about the methods used and possible improvements). It gives an overview of all important aspects and directions for the best way of dealing with these aspects. The guidelines are based on experience gained by developing, writing, managing and monitoring European funded programmes and projects.
Presentation
Luc Broos , director of ERAC will present the Guide during the session of the Open Days. He will go into detail with regard to the content , the use and the impact of the guide. A copy of the Guide is available for the participants on request.
During the presentation we expect a feedback and a lively discussion with the participants.
Luc Broos September 2005-09-08
IPM 440126
7.21.2006
Decentralising Structural Funds' management to the regional level
Decentralising Structural Funds' management to the regional level
Decentralised programming = Decentralised implementation? Or, Why (further) decentralisation of implementation is a bad idea
Since programming will focus on the NUTS 2 level in the future, there will be a tendency to decentralise management of Structural Funds and Instruments to this level. This paper problematises the management side of this issue, arguing that decentralised programming need not automatically mean decentralised management of the programmes, and indeed that there are many reasons why, particularly in the new Member states, any (further) decentralisation of management is likely to have negative consequences. These conclusions are based on the findings of an institutional capacity measurement recently undertaken at 4 implementing agencies in one new member state (to ensure confidentiality, the results will be presented generically and anonymously). Ten criteria were used to measure capacity at existing institutions; these criteria were adapted for relevance in light of structural funds implementation requirements, and were: Governance; Management practices; Financial resources; Service delivery; Human resources; External resources; Monitoring of projects & programmes; Programme management; Administrative capacity for formulation; Management and Control of Programmes. In addition, an assessment was made of the structures for implementation of structural funds, with comparisons to EU member state institutions, on five criteria: structures for management; structures for programming; structures for implementation; structures for monitoring and evaluation; structures for financial management & control. The presentation concludes with some thoughts and recommendations for future institutional structures for implementation of structural funds.
The experience of the Management Organisation Unit of the CSF
STRUCTURAL FUNDS MANAGEMENT IN GREECE:
The experience of the Management Organisation Unit
of the CSF
Presented by:
Dex. Agourides
Director General
M.O.U. S.A.
http://www.mou.gr/ mailto:dagourides@mou.gr
EU Structural Funds in Greece
Greece is a peripheral EU country with no common land borders with other Member States. The major weaknesses of the Greek economy are infrastructure deficits, unemployment rate above the EU average, high share of employment in agriculture, low productivity (deficits in R&D, skilled workforce and business investment) and a lagging behind telecommunications sector.
The whole of the Greek territory qualifies as Objective 1 Region under the Structural Funds. There are currently 7 areas of intervention and 24 Operational Programmes (11 national and 13 regional). Key priorities:
Ø Infrastructure 56,5%
Ø Support to the private sector 21,9%
Ø Human resources development 19%
For the period 2000-2006, EU structural assistance to Greece amounts to a total of EUR 28 billion (Objective 1, Community Initiatives, Cohesion Fund).
Overall, under the regulations governing the 2000-2006 Structural Funds, there was a major transfer of responsibility to the Member States, while stricter conditions for financial management were put in place. This new regulatory framework was designed to improve effectiveness and transparency. In practice, however, the new system encountered a number of difficulties in Member States.
Implementing CSF Interventions
In Greece, CSF interventions and the tight regulatory framework required the establishment of efficient implementing bodies together with sound financial management at every level of Government. Therefore, a series of reforms in public expenditure management was introduced by law, incorporating detailed implementation procedures. Despite these reforms, several difficulties were encountered in the process of adopting the new implementation and monitoring system, mainly due to:
Ø Incompatible national systems with Community regulations
Ø Serious inflexibilities and inefficiencies in the civil service structure
Ø Inadequate coordination between government departments
Ø Lack of specialised human resources and know-how
Ø Multitude of weak and inefficient Final Beneficiaries
Ø Technological gaps
Ø Cumbersome procedures delaying implementation
Enhancing the management capacity of the Greek Civil Service
The Management Organisation Unit (M.O.U.) was established under the Community Support Framework in order to strengthen the management capacity of the CSF implementing bodies.
It is a non-profit making institution, operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, but is placed outside the civil service. The Unit’s legal status (Societe Anonyme) allows it to bypass the rigid administrative procedures and inflexibilities characterising the Greek civil service. It is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors and its workforce is made up of highly qualified staff, recruited from both the private and public sector.
The MOU has played a vital role in the setting up of the CSF management structure. MOU provided the following:
Ø Selection and recruitment from the private sector of a total 830 specialists for the staffing of 40 Managing Authorities and other administrative bodies.
Ø Deployment of five Expert Teams to support final beneficiaries with management weaknesses (“flying consultants”)
Ø Elaboration of numerous management systems and tools
Ø Implementation of intensive training programmes for staff involved in the implementation of the CSF
Ø Procurement of state-of-the-art office equipment and modern infrastructure facilities for the Managing Authorities
Ø Introduction of modern information technology systems
Ø Study and preparation of innovative management systems in view of the next programming period
Conclusions
The MOU is a unique experience of administrative structure for Greece. It combines staff from both the private and public sector and provides modern infrastructure facilities and high quality services to public authorities. It is a flexible and efficient unit, with high levels of performance, able to respond immediately to a number of urgent needs and requests. Its role is to complement and not to substitute the civil service by providing efficient technical assistance to the CSF implementing authorities.
The experience of the Management Organisation Unit
of the CSF
Presented by:
Dex. Agourides
Director General
M.O.U. S.A.
http://www.mou.gr/ mailto:dagourides@mou.gr
EU Structural Funds in Greece
Greece is a peripheral EU country with no common land borders with other Member States. The major weaknesses of the Greek economy are infrastructure deficits, unemployment rate above the EU average, high share of employment in agriculture, low productivity (deficits in R&D, skilled workforce and business investment) and a lagging behind telecommunications sector.
The whole of the Greek territory qualifies as Objective 1 Region under the Structural Funds. There are currently 7 areas of intervention and 24 Operational Programmes (11 national and 13 regional). Key priorities:
Ø Infrastructure 56,5%
Ø Support to the private sector 21,9%
Ø Human resources development 19%
For the period 2000-2006, EU structural assistance to Greece amounts to a total of EUR 28 billion (Objective 1, Community Initiatives, Cohesion Fund).
Overall, under the regulations governing the 2000-2006 Structural Funds, there was a major transfer of responsibility to the Member States, while stricter conditions for financial management were put in place. This new regulatory framework was designed to improve effectiveness and transparency. In practice, however, the new system encountered a number of difficulties in Member States.
Implementing CSF Interventions
In Greece, CSF interventions and the tight regulatory framework required the establishment of efficient implementing bodies together with sound financial management at every level of Government. Therefore, a series of reforms in public expenditure management was introduced by law, incorporating detailed implementation procedures. Despite these reforms, several difficulties were encountered in the process of adopting the new implementation and monitoring system, mainly due to:
Ø Incompatible national systems with Community regulations
Ø Serious inflexibilities and inefficiencies in the civil service structure
Ø Inadequate coordination between government departments
Ø Lack of specialised human resources and know-how
Ø Multitude of weak and inefficient Final Beneficiaries
Ø Technological gaps
Ø Cumbersome procedures delaying implementation
Enhancing the management capacity of the Greek Civil Service
The Management Organisation Unit (M.O.U.) was established under the Community Support Framework in order to strengthen the management capacity of the CSF implementing bodies.
It is a non-profit making institution, operating under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, but is placed outside the civil service. The Unit’s legal status (Societe Anonyme) allows it to bypass the rigid administrative procedures and inflexibilities characterising the Greek civil service. It is governed by a nine-member Board of Directors and its workforce is made up of highly qualified staff, recruited from both the private and public sector.
The MOU has played a vital role in the setting up of the CSF management structure. MOU provided the following:
Ø Selection and recruitment from the private sector of a total 830 specialists for the staffing of 40 Managing Authorities and other administrative bodies.
Ø Deployment of five Expert Teams to support final beneficiaries with management weaknesses (“flying consultants”)
Ø Elaboration of numerous management systems and tools
Ø Implementation of intensive training programmes for staff involved in the implementation of the CSF
Ø Procurement of state-of-the-art office equipment and modern infrastructure facilities for the Managing Authorities
Ø Introduction of modern information technology systems
Ø Study and preparation of innovative management systems in view of the next programming period
Conclusions
The MOU is a unique experience of administrative structure for Greece. It combines staff from both the private and public sector and provides modern infrastructure facilities and high quality services to public authorities. It is a flexible and efficient unit, with high levels of performance, able to respond immediately to a number of urgent needs and requests. Its role is to complement and not to substitute the civil service by providing efficient technical assistance to the CSF implementing authorities.
MANAGING STRUCTURAL FUNDS AND INSTRUMENTS
MANAGING STRUCTURAL FUNDS AND INSTRUMENTS
ADDRESSING THE ABSORPTION CAPACITY IN THE NEW MEMBER STATES
Mr Stephen O’Sullivan
Assistant Secretary
Banking Finance and International Division
Department of Finance, Ireland
______________________
Introduction
The enlargement of the Union to 25 members and the prospective further enlargements present unprecedented challenges for the Union as a whole and for its constituent Member States. One of these concerns the successful and productive absorption of the very considerable volume of resources to be transferred from the Member States with above average levels of development to those which are catching up.
There are many aspects to the challenge of absorption. I will say a few words about the overall level of financial commitment involved and talk about the challenges that we in Ireland had to overcome in utilising the funding placed at our disposal from the Union Budget over the years. I am fully aware of course that what may have worked reasonably well in one particular setting does not necessarily constitute a model which all will find appropriate for their particular circumstances. Nonetheless, I do hope that some of the lessons that we ourselves have drawn from our experience of planning, drawing down and implementing the Funds will resonate with you.
My main messages to you today will be
The absorption challenges facing the new Member States are greater that those which we in Ireland had to address;
We overcame our challenges by concentrating on partnerships and planning. The main focus of this paper is around these points; and
Our efforts paid off. Thanks to the structural funding transferred to us by our fellow EU Member States, Ireland’s level of GNP on a sustained basis will be 2.5% above what it would otherwise have been.
The scale of the challenge
The scale of the absorption challenge facing the newer Member States is undoubtedly greater than that which we in Ireland had to overcome. Ireland joined the Union in 1973 at a time when our per capita income was around 60% of the EU average. Between 1973 and 1986, Structural Fund receipts averaged 0.9% of GDP per year. From 1987 to 1992 and again from 1993 to 1999, the annual average level of transfers doubled to 1.9%. Since then, these receipts have fallen sharply and now run at under ½% of GDP annually. Obviously, this will decline further in the next financing round.
A few simple points emerge from these data. First, the scale of the financial challenge facing the new Member States is double that which it was for Ireland, at its peak. Second, we in Ireland moved gradually up to that peak over a number of years. The step change in the level of funding inflows for the new Member States is much steeper than that which we had to surmount. Third, the inflows to Ireland were sustained for a very long period indeed. Between 1973 and 2003, Structural and Cohesion Funds receipts averaged 1.3% of GDP. This is a considerable period of time over which to learn from mistakes and to embed the funding flows into the mainstream of annual and medium-term budgetary planning.
Ireland was fortunate in other respects also. While some of those advantages are shared by a number of the newer Member States, others are not.
First, we are small. When it comes to planning and coordination, that helps a lot. Second, ours is a relatively centralised system and that helps too. In saying that, I am fully aware that the broad trend is towards decentralisation and devolution but there is no doubt in my mind that purely in terms of the effectiveness with which plans can be drawn up and integrated with mainstream macroeconomic management, a relatively centralised system has its advantages. And when you are dealing with flows of the order of 4% of GDP annually, their integration with national economic and budgetary planning is vital. Third, in planning to absorb and apply the Structural Funds, we were from the very outset building on a system and structure which was already there and which had to be developed rather than invented. Finally, the scale of the economic development gap which we were attempting to bridge was less than that currently facing some of the new partners.
These are just some of the factors which suggest to me that the challenges facing the new Member States are greater than those which we had to surmount. They are also some of the reasons why the Irish experience is not necessarily a model which will work for all. But for what it may be worth, I will describe what I think were the main elements in our relatively successful absorption record in the hope that some of the points will be of value to you. And it has been, I would argue, a good track record. During the 1989-93 programming period, Ireland was able to absorb something of the order of 95%+ of its Structural Funds allocation. For the 1993-99 Cohesion Fund round, we claimed in excess of 99% of our allocation. Under the current round, we had claimed in excess of 93% of our allocation by the end of 2003.
The keys to success – partnerships and planning
Successful absorption is not just about pulling in the money, it is also about using it well. If I had to sum up in just two words the key to Ireland’s story, those words would be partnerships and planning.
I said just a moment ago that a relatively centralised system has been one of the factors explaining our good record. Let me now explain and qualify that. The key decisions on the application in Ireland of available Structural Funding are made by central Government on the basis of recommendations made to Government by the Department of Finance. As this Department is also responsible for economic and budgetary planning, including taxation policy, this would appear to be a very highly centralised system of decision-making. However, it is necessary to qualify that view by looking at the process by which the decisions are reached and this is where partnership comes in.
Your first partner – the European Commission
The key partnership is of course that between the Member State and the European Commission. The many legal and political responsibilities of the Commission in this domain embrace regulatory issues, the efficient and proper execution of the EU budget and the consistent pursuit of an economic development agenda in individual Member States which is consistent with the overall goals which the Union sets for itself. This gives the Commission a central role from the highest political level down to desk officer level in influencing programme design, monitoring execution, evaluating the results and achieving financial closure at the end of the funding round. Furthermore, aside entirely from the legal rights and responsibilities of the Commission in this process, individual officers within the Commission are a rich and helpful resource and, in our experience, are of particular value to smaller Member States. So my first recommendation when it comes to successful absorption would be to establish and nurture a genuine working partnership at all levels with the Commission. There will be many occasions when views will diverge and when you may feel, sometimes rightly, that the Commission has got it wrong or is being unnecessarily inflexible but the core point here is that the Commission fundamentally shares your interests in terms of an efficient and effective application of the available funding. It is your first partner in this process. While the final sign off domestically on the National Plan is obviously made by the national Government, the Commission will have been a key partner at all stages in the development of the proposal put to Government.
Domestic partnership – the central Government sector
So also will the domestic actors in the process. The quality of the domestic partnership process is of prime importance in ensuring successful absorption. While the partnership with the Commission is a factor common to all Member States, the nature of the domestic partnership process will differ from country to country.
Domestic partnership starts within the central Government sector. In Ireland, the Department of Finance carries out many of the coordination functions at central level. We do not have a separate Ministry dedicated wholly to regional policy including Structural and Cohesion Fund matters. There may well be disadvantages to this, of course, but one of the advantages of Ireland’s set-up is that centralisation facilitates the integration of the Structural Funds with the domestic budgetary forecasting decision-making process. There is in my view a lot to be said for relatively centralised arrangements for drawdown, accounting, application and monitoring but of course systems of government differ and one size will not always fit all. However, in countries where the functions are dispersed across more than one Government Department, effective coordination along agreed policy lines is clearly vital especially at the planning stage.
Wider Social Partnership
The partnership between central Government and the regional actors can be seen as a special case of the wider process by which decisions are reached on the domestic economic development agenda. In Ireland’s case, that wider process is quite formalised. There has been in Ireland since 1987 a structured partnership encompassing Government and the representatives of the main economic and social interest groups. Originally conceived in the context of arriving at a national consensus on pay developments, the remit of this partnership soon expanded to include discussions across the broad spectrum of economic and social development priorities. Since 1987, six three year agreements have emerged from this process. This social partnership has made a significant contribution to our economic development. It has been used as a forum wherein opinions can be expressed on the development priorities which should be addressed in the National Development Plan and on results obtained. It has contributed to the building of a consensus on the contents of the Plan and has thereby facilitated the absorption of available Union funding.
PLANNING AND Implementation
Developing and perfecting the overall strategy is not sufficient in itself. Delivery structures play a major role in assuring a high level of absorption. I would see the important issues as these:
Early political agreement and broad consultation
I have already mentioned the quality of the partnership at domestic and EU level. In addition, I would emphasise the need for early political agreement for both the content and process of the planning procedure. This is particularly necessary to strengthen the ability of the key officials to deliver on the chosen strategy. Our experience is that political agreement should be concerned with the over arching issues and not with the detail of programme.
Ex-ante evaluation
A good ex-ante evaluation will help ensure that the operational elements of the programmes are consistent with the objectives. It will also improve the reliability cost and demand forecasts. Programme designers, therefore, need to fully consider the ex-ante conclusions. Despite our best attempts, it is not always possible accurately to cost schemes which will be implemented over a seven year timeframe. We have found that conditions will change with implications for the outturn on costs and demand. I am happy to see the initiative being pursued by the Commission and the EIB in this regard with their proposals for the JASPERS and JEREMY support programme for the new member states.
Delivery Structures and Administrative Capacities
Our experience suggests that it is better to build on or adapt existing delivery structures rather than to establish new ones. Inevitably, new structures take longer to develop the relationships and working modalities that are needed for effective implementation, particularly in the early years of a Plan. Existing structures, even if they have to be adapted, have operational resources and experience, and here I am speaking in organisational and human resource terms, which can be of immediate benefit to the roll out of programmes. Success lies in the effectiveness of administrators and managers. They need to have the technical skills needed to supervise programme execution. Officials should have active engagement with Commission officials.
Flexible Programming
The Commission will agree the financial plan at the CSF and operational programme level. There is little freedom on how the EU commitments are allocated across the years, as they must inevitably match with the Financial Perspectives. The programmes will take some time to get to full implementation status due to such reasons as the setting up of control arrangements, promoting schemes, and processing project applications. Therefore, in order to avoid losses under the N+2 Rule it is necessary to ensure that you have a mix of some high spending elements in the operational programmes. We have relied on some of these “winners” in the early years of implementation to ease the pressure on slower spending schemes and those that take more time to roll out.
Accessibility to Project Promotors
Too often good schemes fail because inadequate thought has gone into communication with the potential beneficiaries or the process for accessing funding is made too complex. You need to design schemes to be easily accessed by the target group for which they are intended. We have found it useful to provide resources to support the project promotor in preparing applications. This has the added advantage of ensuring an efficient project selection process by raising the quality of the applications.
Project Pipeline and Project Selection
I think Ireland has a number of useful experiences with respect to organising the project pipeline or stream. I like to describe this as parallel project development in that a number of projects are at different stages of development at the same time. In Ireland, strong central control ensured that only critically important and strategic projects were developed initially. However, given the certainty with respect to funding, we also pursued a policy of developing the next tier of projects in order to ensure no discontinuity in effort.
CONCLUSIONS
I’m aware that I have taken a broad interpretation of my brief here today. I have perhaps strayed outside the question of “Managing Structural Funds and Instruments” to consider some of the issues which arise at the macro level in tackling the question of how best to absorb available EU funding. In conclusion, let me say that
The absorption challenges facing the new Member States are greater that those which we in Ireland had to address;
The key to successful absorption is to focus on partnerships and planning;
The first partner is the European Commission whose desk officers are a rich and helpful resource, especially for smaller countries;
On the domestic scene, early political agreement is vital as are excellent relations across the main central Government agencies involved;
A relatively centralised system facilitates the integration of the Funds with decisions on the domestic public expenditure;
This has to be balanced by very broad genuine consultations with the key domestic actors;
On the planning side, good ex ante evaluation is the key;
Where possible, build on and adapt existing delivery mechanisms;
Focus on high spending elements early in the programming period;
Financial absorption is not an end in itself. What matters is physical investment and projects delivered. Project cost inflation can lead to a situation where the financial absorption record looks good but the actual content is less than planned;
Resource those seeking to access schemes, especially when it comes to smaller community-based and demand led schemes;
Do not wait until your plan is approved before you start thinking about your projects. It is essential to think of how projects will be developed at the earliest possible stage. Despite failure to agree the Financial Perspectives, all member states should be working on how to ensure a ready stream of projects for the new programming period;
Administrative capacity most be reinforced with ability, not numbers of personnel. The aim should be to use modern management methods and structures in support of the Funds. Members States can be innovative in their own right in this regard.
Thanks for your attention
12 October 2005
ADDRESSING THE ABSORPTION CAPACITY IN THE NEW MEMBER STATES
Mr Stephen O’Sullivan
Assistant Secretary
Banking Finance and International Division
Department of Finance, Ireland
______________________
Introduction
The enlargement of the Union to 25 members and the prospective further enlargements present unprecedented challenges for the Union as a whole and for its constituent Member States. One of these concerns the successful and productive absorption of the very considerable volume of resources to be transferred from the Member States with above average levels of development to those which are catching up.
There are many aspects to the challenge of absorption. I will say a few words about the overall level of financial commitment involved and talk about the challenges that we in Ireland had to overcome in utilising the funding placed at our disposal from the Union Budget over the years. I am fully aware of course that what may have worked reasonably well in one particular setting does not necessarily constitute a model which all will find appropriate for their particular circumstances. Nonetheless, I do hope that some of the lessons that we ourselves have drawn from our experience of planning, drawing down and implementing the Funds will resonate with you.
My main messages to you today will be
The absorption challenges facing the new Member States are greater that those which we in Ireland had to address;
We overcame our challenges by concentrating on partnerships and planning. The main focus of this paper is around these points; and
Our efforts paid off. Thanks to the structural funding transferred to us by our fellow EU Member States, Ireland’s level of GNP on a sustained basis will be 2.5% above what it would otherwise have been.
The scale of the challenge
The scale of the absorption challenge facing the newer Member States is undoubtedly greater than that which we in Ireland had to overcome. Ireland joined the Union in 1973 at a time when our per capita income was around 60% of the EU average. Between 1973 and 1986, Structural Fund receipts averaged 0.9% of GDP per year. From 1987 to 1992 and again from 1993 to 1999, the annual average level of transfers doubled to 1.9%. Since then, these receipts have fallen sharply and now run at under ½% of GDP annually. Obviously, this will decline further in the next financing round.
A few simple points emerge from these data. First, the scale of the financial challenge facing the new Member States is double that which it was for Ireland, at its peak. Second, we in Ireland moved gradually up to that peak over a number of years. The step change in the level of funding inflows for the new Member States is much steeper than that which we had to surmount. Third, the inflows to Ireland were sustained for a very long period indeed. Between 1973 and 2003, Structural and Cohesion Funds receipts averaged 1.3% of GDP. This is a considerable period of time over which to learn from mistakes and to embed the funding flows into the mainstream of annual and medium-term budgetary planning.
Ireland was fortunate in other respects also. While some of those advantages are shared by a number of the newer Member States, others are not.
First, we are small. When it comes to planning and coordination, that helps a lot. Second, ours is a relatively centralised system and that helps too. In saying that, I am fully aware that the broad trend is towards decentralisation and devolution but there is no doubt in my mind that purely in terms of the effectiveness with which plans can be drawn up and integrated with mainstream macroeconomic management, a relatively centralised system has its advantages. And when you are dealing with flows of the order of 4% of GDP annually, their integration with national economic and budgetary planning is vital. Third, in planning to absorb and apply the Structural Funds, we were from the very outset building on a system and structure which was already there and which had to be developed rather than invented. Finally, the scale of the economic development gap which we were attempting to bridge was less than that currently facing some of the new partners.
These are just some of the factors which suggest to me that the challenges facing the new Member States are greater than those which we had to surmount. They are also some of the reasons why the Irish experience is not necessarily a model which will work for all. But for what it may be worth, I will describe what I think were the main elements in our relatively successful absorption record in the hope that some of the points will be of value to you. And it has been, I would argue, a good track record. During the 1989-93 programming period, Ireland was able to absorb something of the order of 95%+ of its Structural Funds allocation. For the 1993-99 Cohesion Fund round, we claimed in excess of 99% of our allocation. Under the current round, we had claimed in excess of 93% of our allocation by the end of 2003.
The keys to success – partnerships and planning
Successful absorption is not just about pulling in the money, it is also about using it well. If I had to sum up in just two words the key to Ireland’s story, those words would be partnerships and planning.
I said just a moment ago that a relatively centralised system has been one of the factors explaining our good record. Let me now explain and qualify that. The key decisions on the application in Ireland of available Structural Funding are made by central Government on the basis of recommendations made to Government by the Department of Finance. As this Department is also responsible for economic and budgetary planning, including taxation policy, this would appear to be a very highly centralised system of decision-making. However, it is necessary to qualify that view by looking at the process by which the decisions are reached and this is where partnership comes in.
Your first partner – the European Commission
The key partnership is of course that between the Member State and the European Commission. The many legal and political responsibilities of the Commission in this domain embrace regulatory issues, the efficient and proper execution of the EU budget and the consistent pursuit of an economic development agenda in individual Member States which is consistent with the overall goals which the Union sets for itself. This gives the Commission a central role from the highest political level down to desk officer level in influencing programme design, monitoring execution, evaluating the results and achieving financial closure at the end of the funding round. Furthermore, aside entirely from the legal rights and responsibilities of the Commission in this process, individual officers within the Commission are a rich and helpful resource and, in our experience, are of particular value to smaller Member States. So my first recommendation when it comes to successful absorption would be to establish and nurture a genuine working partnership at all levels with the Commission. There will be many occasions when views will diverge and when you may feel, sometimes rightly, that the Commission has got it wrong or is being unnecessarily inflexible but the core point here is that the Commission fundamentally shares your interests in terms of an efficient and effective application of the available funding. It is your first partner in this process. While the final sign off domestically on the National Plan is obviously made by the national Government, the Commission will have been a key partner at all stages in the development of the proposal put to Government.
Domestic partnership – the central Government sector
So also will the domestic actors in the process. The quality of the domestic partnership process is of prime importance in ensuring successful absorption. While the partnership with the Commission is a factor common to all Member States, the nature of the domestic partnership process will differ from country to country.
Domestic partnership starts within the central Government sector. In Ireland, the Department of Finance carries out many of the coordination functions at central level. We do not have a separate Ministry dedicated wholly to regional policy including Structural and Cohesion Fund matters. There may well be disadvantages to this, of course, but one of the advantages of Ireland’s set-up is that centralisation facilitates the integration of the Structural Funds with the domestic budgetary forecasting decision-making process. There is in my view a lot to be said for relatively centralised arrangements for drawdown, accounting, application and monitoring but of course systems of government differ and one size will not always fit all. However, in countries where the functions are dispersed across more than one Government Department, effective coordination along agreed policy lines is clearly vital especially at the planning stage.
Wider Social Partnership
The partnership between central Government and the regional actors can be seen as a special case of the wider process by which decisions are reached on the domestic economic development agenda. In Ireland’s case, that wider process is quite formalised. There has been in Ireland since 1987 a structured partnership encompassing Government and the representatives of the main economic and social interest groups. Originally conceived in the context of arriving at a national consensus on pay developments, the remit of this partnership soon expanded to include discussions across the broad spectrum of economic and social development priorities. Since 1987, six three year agreements have emerged from this process. This social partnership has made a significant contribution to our economic development. It has been used as a forum wherein opinions can be expressed on the development priorities which should be addressed in the National Development Plan and on results obtained. It has contributed to the building of a consensus on the contents of the Plan and has thereby facilitated the absorption of available Union funding.
PLANNING AND Implementation
Developing and perfecting the overall strategy is not sufficient in itself. Delivery structures play a major role in assuring a high level of absorption. I would see the important issues as these:
Early political agreement and broad consultation
I have already mentioned the quality of the partnership at domestic and EU level. In addition, I would emphasise the need for early political agreement for both the content and process of the planning procedure. This is particularly necessary to strengthen the ability of the key officials to deliver on the chosen strategy. Our experience is that political agreement should be concerned with the over arching issues and not with the detail of programme.
Ex-ante evaluation
A good ex-ante evaluation will help ensure that the operational elements of the programmes are consistent with the objectives. It will also improve the reliability cost and demand forecasts. Programme designers, therefore, need to fully consider the ex-ante conclusions. Despite our best attempts, it is not always possible accurately to cost schemes which will be implemented over a seven year timeframe. We have found that conditions will change with implications for the outturn on costs and demand. I am happy to see the initiative being pursued by the Commission and the EIB in this regard with their proposals for the JASPERS and JEREMY support programme for the new member states.
Delivery Structures and Administrative Capacities
Our experience suggests that it is better to build on or adapt existing delivery structures rather than to establish new ones. Inevitably, new structures take longer to develop the relationships and working modalities that are needed for effective implementation, particularly in the early years of a Plan. Existing structures, even if they have to be adapted, have operational resources and experience, and here I am speaking in organisational and human resource terms, which can be of immediate benefit to the roll out of programmes. Success lies in the effectiveness of administrators and managers. They need to have the technical skills needed to supervise programme execution. Officials should have active engagement with Commission officials.
Flexible Programming
The Commission will agree the financial plan at the CSF and operational programme level. There is little freedom on how the EU commitments are allocated across the years, as they must inevitably match with the Financial Perspectives. The programmes will take some time to get to full implementation status due to such reasons as the setting up of control arrangements, promoting schemes, and processing project applications. Therefore, in order to avoid losses under the N+2 Rule it is necessary to ensure that you have a mix of some high spending elements in the operational programmes. We have relied on some of these “winners” in the early years of implementation to ease the pressure on slower spending schemes and those that take more time to roll out.
Accessibility to Project Promotors
Too often good schemes fail because inadequate thought has gone into communication with the potential beneficiaries or the process for accessing funding is made too complex. You need to design schemes to be easily accessed by the target group for which they are intended. We have found it useful to provide resources to support the project promotor in preparing applications. This has the added advantage of ensuring an efficient project selection process by raising the quality of the applications.
Project Pipeline and Project Selection
I think Ireland has a number of useful experiences with respect to organising the project pipeline or stream. I like to describe this as parallel project development in that a number of projects are at different stages of development at the same time. In Ireland, strong central control ensured that only critically important and strategic projects were developed initially. However, given the certainty with respect to funding, we also pursued a policy of developing the next tier of projects in order to ensure no discontinuity in effort.
CONCLUSIONS
I’m aware that I have taken a broad interpretation of my brief here today. I have perhaps strayed outside the question of “Managing Structural Funds and Instruments” to consider some of the issues which arise at the macro level in tackling the question of how best to absorb available EU funding. In conclusion, let me say that
The absorption challenges facing the new Member States are greater that those which we in Ireland had to address;
The key to successful absorption is to focus on partnerships and planning;
The first partner is the European Commission whose desk officers are a rich and helpful resource, especially for smaller countries;
On the domestic scene, early political agreement is vital as are excellent relations across the main central Government agencies involved;
A relatively centralised system facilitates the integration of the Funds with decisions on the domestic public expenditure;
This has to be balanced by very broad genuine consultations with the key domestic actors;
On the planning side, good ex ante evaluation is the key;
Where possible, build on and adapt existing delivery mechanisms;
Focus on high spending elements early in the programming period;
Financial absorption is not an end in itself. What matters is physical investment and projects delivered. Project cost inflation can lead to a situation where the financial absorption record looks good but the actual content is less than planned;
Resource those seeking to access schemes, especially when it comes to smaller community-based and demand led schemes;
Do not wait until your plan is approved before you start thinking about your projects. It is essential to think of how projects will be developed at the earliest possible stage. Despite failure to agree the Financial Perspectives, all member states should be working on how to ensure a ready stream of projects for the new programming period;
Administrative capacity most be reinforced with ability, not numbers of personnel. The aim should be to use modern management methods and structures in support of the Funds. Members States can be innovative in their own right in this regard.
Thanks for your attention
12 October 2005
5.26.2006
All Different All Equal Campaign
In 1996 The Council of Europe ran this campaign against racism and discrimination. In this 10th year anniversary the emphasis is much more on cultural diversity and positive aspects - promoting Human Rights, Diversity and Participation. The partnership bewteen the European Commission and the Council of Europe is launching the campaign in June 2006 and it will run until September 2007. It will have a young people and grass roots approach. There are National Campaign Committees organising activities on a National level, with much campaign material and slogans being translated into many many languages. International educational activities will also be organised around the main themes, including seminars, training for trainings, youth fora etc.
Quality standards are being developed so that activities and education events can have the possibility to be awarded the "All Different All Equal" logo. It will also be possible for places to be awarded this (schools, workplaces, organizations, institutions etc).
Have a look at the preparation website for a calendar of events, discussion platforms, fora etc:
http://alldifferent-allequal.info
Contact your National Campaign Committee - find the details by clicking here.
Quality standards are being developed so that activities and education events can have the possibility to be awarded the "All Different All Equal" logo. It will also be possible for places to be awarded this (schools, workplaces, organizations, institutions etc).
Have a look at the preparation website for a calendar of events, discussion platforms, fora etc:
http://alldifferent-allequal.info
Contact your National Campaign Committee - find the details by clicking here.
5.16.2006
Technical and Political Support from Britain to Macedonia
Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Macedonia, Radmila Sekerinska and the UK Ambassador to Macedonia, HE Robert Chatterton Dickson, signed four Letters of Understanding for bilateral technical assistance between the Secretariat for European Affairs and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, United Kingdom.“We are entering a period when Macedonia will increasingly receive messages that the three conditions for membership will be administration, administration and administration. That does not mean that political and economical criteria are losing on importance, but that we will fulfil them only if we have the necessary administrative capacity, knowledge, competence and transparency”, Sekerinska emphasised.She added that during the British Presidency of the EU, Macedonia was granted the status of candidate country for EU membership and that this is a fact that will be written in history. Sekerinska expressed her gratitude for the UK assistance and stressed that the positive energy continues to flow through the projects that are to be implemented.The Ambassador Chatterton Dickson said that Britain has been a long-standing supporter of Macedonia’s integration into the European Union. “Like all countries that want to join EU, Macedonia faces challenging tasks moving the process forward. Government machinery and public opinion must be ready for the demands both of the accession process and the eventual membership. That is why today the Deputy Prime Minister and I have signed the first direct contracts between the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the Macedonian Government. They are a practical sign of British political support for Macedonian integration into the EU”, the Ambassador stressed.Within the framework of this bilateral technical co-operation, the United Kingdom will support four projects in the following areas: strengthening the administrative capacity for the EU integration process of the Republic of Macedonia, developing an ICT network to support the “National Programme for Approximation of the Acquis”, improving the administrative and negotiation capacity and supporting the development of a new communication strategy in the European integration process of the Republic of Macedonia.
www.sei.gov.mk
5.13.2006
5.08.2006
THE STRATEGY REGARDING CONSUMERS? PROTECTION FOR 2006-2008
Our vision on consumers? protection defines the leading objective, the fundamental objectives, the main directions for action and the operational objectives.The leading objective, the absolute goal to be achieved, is consumers? protection, understood as a defence of consumers? fundamental rights: life, health and security protection; life, health and security protection; protection of economical interests; the guarantee of the vital needs; access on a market with a full range of quality products and services; an healthy environment; information; education; association.The fundamental objectives are the main directions for action in creating an European legislative and institutional system in order to insure an increase of consumers protection:a) strengthening the individual and associative self-protection capacity, so that it can become the main method of consumers? protection;b) improving State?s activity of direct and not direct protection.The main directions and objectives for action for accomplishing the fundamental objectives are:1. Improving and developing the legislative frame to insure it?s systemic operating and to conclude the process of harmonization with the legislation of the European Union.1.1. Promoting a project to modify Law no 296/2004 Law regarding the Consumption Code which should combine the present 8 laws and ordinances and should stipulate:- Inclusion among the fundamental consumers? rights of the right to have as guaranteed the satisfaction of the vital needs and of the right to an healthy environment;- Precise ways of defending consumers? economic interests (especially the right to compensation) because this right is stipulated by present legislation, but the legislation lacks the provisions to insure quick and advantageous compensations for consumers;- The obligation for the central consumers? protection authority to take measures to accomplish the activity of informing, advising and educating the consumers, by elaborating a national strategy in this area, as well as including consumers? education in schools and adopting measures for a real support of the NGO?s.1.2. Overseeing of legislative activity in the area and sustaining/promoting (through specific campaigns) the initiatives and projects aimed at insuring the optimum functioning of the legislative system for a real protection of consumers? rights.2. Developing the institutional system and improving its functioning:2.1. Promoting the project regarding the set up (through a proper modification and completion of Law no 21/1996 Competition Law) of the Competition and Consumers? Protection Council as an autonomous administrative authority (not dependent on the Government) competent to apply the law of consumers? protection; this will allow a concerted action of the two structural components and will increase the efficiency of consumers? protection activities;2.2. Sustaining the project regarding the reorganization and functioning of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Surveillance of Products and Services Market and for Consumers? Protection, enabling to:a) clearly affirm the place and purpose of each institution inside the reaction and decision making organisms in order to eliminate the repetitions and superposition in the surveillance and control activity and to eliminate the lack of reaction in certain cases of violations of the legislation;b) reorganizing the institutional subsystem which grants approvals, authorizations, licenses classification certificates and the expertise and certification subsystem guaranteeing the elimination of obstacles from the free circulation of goods and an increase of their part in preventing and finding the deviations from the legislation;c) developing the advisory and nongovernmental organisms subsystems to increase their role in: the elaboration of national strategies and programs regarding consumers? protection; the market surveillance activity; the out of court and in court settlement of litigations between economic agents and consumers; informing and advising consumers.2.3. Developing the cooperation relations with specific institutions and organisms from the Member States; these relations will lead to integration in the European and international institutional system.3. Developing the consumatorista movement:3.1. Setting up of the National Consumption Institute (as an NGO), recognized by law, which should develop activities such as: forming trainers for consumers? associations; consultancy for the founding of associations and for improving their activity; carrying out comparative tests, studies and researches in the area; informing, advising and educating consumers, inclusively by publishing materials similar to the ones published in the Member States;3.2. Sustaining the process of consumers? stratification,horizontally and vertically, in order to set up associations in all counties and cities, federations at all counties? level and an national level organism as a legitimate representative for all at central level.4. Improving the activity of informing, advising and educating consumers through:4.1. Creating an informatic system regarding products and services with a high and direct risk for consumers? life, health and security;4.2. Accomplishing a systematic activity of informing, advising and educating consumers in collaboration with civil society?s structures and State?s institutions;4.3. Promoting the project for including the consumers? education in schools, at all school-levels and not only within instructive activities and classes but as an interdisciplinary approach and as main course in vocational and apprentice schools, in industrial and economic high schools and in universities, in order to train the future specialists in the field.5. Carrying out studies, researches and comparative tests to ground the activity of informing, advising and educating the consumersOperational objectives:1. Organizing and developing a national level campaign to persuade State?s institutions to modify and complete Law no 296/2004 - Law regarding the Consumption Code and elaborating an own legislative initiative.2. Elaborating a national strategy project regarding the support for setting up and developing of consumers? associations which (after a public debate) should be presented to the College for Consultancy of Associations and Foundations.3. Elaborating a national strategy project regarding the informing, advising and educating the consumers which (after a public debate) should be presented to the College for Consultancy of Associations and Foundations4. The analysis of the laws in force or of those that recently came into force for quick reactions when shortcomings are being ascertained and for a proper informing of consumers.5. Developing activities and actions to promote projects regarding the set up of Competition and Consumers? Protection Council and the reorganization and functioning of the Inter-Ministerial Committee for the Surveillance of Products and Services and Consumers? Protection.6. Obtaining the right of representation among consultancy organisms at central level.7. Affiliation at European and international organizations and organisms with the same field of activity8. Setting up of the National Consumption Institute and setting up of proper conditions for its efficacious functioning, including external support.9. Setting up mediation and arbitration organisms, in cooperation with Romania?s Chamber of Commerce and Industry, employers? organizations and professional associations.10. Organizing seminars, conferences, symposiums, in cooperation with other consumers? organizations, to sustain the process of associative stratification of consumers, horizontally and vertically. 11. Realization of market overseeing by using a investigators and delegated persons network, all over the country, to record the cases of products and services with a high and direct risk for consumers? life, health and security and the cases of counterfeits.12. Carrying out expert appraisement (through physical-chemical and mechanical analysis) to establish products? authenticity and origin.13. Granting information, consultancy and public relations services to consumers and legal persons, in order to recognize counterfeits and fakes and to prevent this phenomenon, by elaborating a proper safety system.14. Granting awards, scholarships, donations, for consumers and legal persons whose purposes and objectives are to identify and fight counterfeits.15. Starting, developing, sustaining and promoting programs and projects within training courses and any other connected activities meant to ensure the fulfillment of associations? objectives.16. Publishing informing, advising and educating materials for consumers.17. Promoting the dialogue and cooperation with employers? organizations and consultancy organisms to increase their part in ensuring a real consumers? protection.18. Setting up partnership relations with central and local public administration organisms, with duties in consumers? protection, to develop activities of informing, advising and educating the consumers.19. Organizing a national level campaign to promote the project regarding including the consumption education in schools.20. Elaborating consumers? protection manuals for universities and colleges in cooperation with universities and the Ministry of Education.21. Establishing cooperation relations with research institutes, expertise laboratories (including foreign ones) to perform studies, researches and comparative tests.
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European House Skopje is an NGO in Macedonia that promotes European values, democracy, human rights, and regional cooperation. Its...
