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| EC To Build Capacities of Govt. Ministries--Signs Technical Assistance Agreement |
| Published on February 27, 2009 | Email To Friend Print Version
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The European Commission (EC) has approved a new three-year long term technical assistance for capacity development of the office of the National Authorizing Officer (NAO) of Liberia.
The Minister of Planning and Economic Affairs, Hon. Amara Konneh, made the disclosure yesterday in Monrovia and noted that the support is intended to improve the efficacy, efficiency and impact of Liberia-EC cooperation by enabling the NAO to perform and fulfill its responsibilities as set in the Cotonou Agreement. The agreement governs partnerships between the EC and developing countries in Africa, Caribbean and the Pacific.
The Long Term Technical Assistance and the National Authority Office (LTTA & NAO) envisage enhancing capacities in development planning, programming and implementation of the office of the NAO. It will, in particular, build its ability to manage European funded programmed and projects from their identification to their execution, monitoring and evaluation.
The office of the National Authority Officer in Liberia will be responsible for the management of the European Development Fund (EDF) and represent the government of Liberia in the management of all the development operation financed by the EDF.
The project, which is expected to start with a three-month inception phase, will be followed by the implementation phase. Minister Konneh said technical experts are already at the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs (MPEA).
The Minister noted that results to be achieved by the Consultants during the project include a sustainable institutional set-up for the administrative and financial management of EC-funded projects, which guarantees that the foreseen procedures and timeframes are complied with in accordance with the Cotonou Agreement.
He said a system, including a methodology, instruments and capacities for programming, management, financing, monitoring and evaluation of programs and projects is set up and applied with the participation of sectors, with direct beneficiaries been line Ministries, implementing partners, and other relevant government institution.
The project is to also substantially improve global coordination of cooperation in inter-sectoral and inter programs/projects).
The additional EC assistance to the Government of Liberia is being handled by the Ministry of Planning and Economic Affairs which is designated to assume the role of National Authorizing Officer (NAO) in the management of the European Development Fund once sufficient internal capacity has been built.
NAO function was taken from Liberia because of the civil war. It is currently headed by the EC Delegation to the Ivory Coast. Minister Konneh said the NAO is expected to move it office to Liberia as soon as the Government of Liberia meets the final regulation.
The EC support to the Ministry of Planning and setting up an EC Unit within the Ministry is a further step in a process that aims at reassigning the role of the NAO to the government.
The present Long Term Technical Assistance is possible under the Institutional Support and Capacity Building Program.
The EUR 7.4 million capacity building program was designed in 2007 to support the functioning of key public ministries, institutions and commissions involved in the peace and reconstruction process.
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