Marin

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Twinning in Armenia
TWINNING LAUNCHING WORKSHOP

• Mariné Mizandari
• Multi-Country Programmes
• Yerevan, 27th November 2007

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PRESENTATION OUTLINE
? Armenian Administration and Twinning Facility
New Perspectives
? State of Play First Steps of Twinning
Operations in Armenia
? Key Actors in Twinning and Main Steps of
Twinning Cycle
? Main Features of Twinning Operations in
Armenian context
?Indicative Pipeline of Twinning Projects in
Armenia
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Armenian Administration and Twinning Facility

• Current situation
• Armenia inherited a regime of Public
  administration.
• Some of these administrations needs to be
  restructured and updated.
• The Twinning projects will allow Armenian Public
  Institutions
• To develop and/or strengthen their administrative
  capacity
• To implement and enforce law
• To control laws enforcement
• These reforms will permit Armenia to move closer
  to the EU, to meet EU standards and thus make
  free circulation of persons, goods, services and
  capital possible

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State of PlayFirst Steps of Twinning Operations
in Armenia

• Programme Administration Office (PAO) established
  in the end 2006 within the Ministry of Finance
  and Economy.
• Twinning envelope of 5 million has been made
  available from the National Action Programme 2007
  by the EC. The amount of 500.000 from the NAP
  2006 is foreseen for support to the PAO.
• Focal Points have been designated within the
  Public Administrations.
• Several meetings have been held between the EU
  representatives and Armenian Authorities (from
  April 2006 until now).
• Support is being provided to the PAO through the
  EC Delegation and framework contract.
• Campaign of information and sensitisation,
  necessary due to the novelty of Twinning
  instrument, has started.
• Finally, very preliminary pipeline of Twinning
  Projects has been established, based on the first
  project proposals or just ideas submitted by
  Armenian Public Institutions.

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Key Actors in Twinning
INSTITUTIONS INVOLVED PAO Armenian Public
Administration (Focal Points) NCP (of EU Member
States) EC Delegation to Armenia EC Headquarters
PERSONS INVOLVED Project Leaders Resident
Twinning Adviser (RTA) RTA Counterpart Short Term
Experts
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Key Actors PAO

• PAO (Programme Administration Office),
  established within the Ministry of Finance and
  Economy, - Unit dedicated to the co-ordination
  and management of twinning and TAIEX operations
  in Armenia.

• Assists the Armenian Administration at all stages
  of the twinning preparation development of
  proposals preparation of twinning fiches and
  contract drafting
• Central point of communication between the
  European Commission, the EU MS NCPs and the
  Armenian Administrations/Focal Points.

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Key Actors Project Leaders, EU MS and Armenian

• Should be a high-ranking officials who are in a
  position to operate at the appropriate level.
• Will continue to work in their administrations
  but devoting a portion of his/her time to
  conceiving, supervising and coordinating the
  project
• The Member State PL Should devote to the project
  a minimum 3 days a month, including a visit on
  the spot every 3 months.

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Key Actors RTA and his Armenian Counterpart
RTA Resident Twinning Adviser

• Civil servant from an EU MS who will work in an
  Armenian administration for at least twelve
  consecutive months
• Provides technical advice and assist the
  Armenian Administration as outlined in the
  twinning work plan agreed between the EU MS and
  Armenia.
• Responsible for the day-to-day coordination and
  implementation of the Twinning project in
  Armenia.
• RTAs Armenian
  Counterpart
• Ensures close cooperation in the day-to-day
  implementation of the twinning project
• Sufficiently experienced on the subject of the
  twinning project

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Main steps of Twinning Cycle

• The Twinning project idea is firstly identified
  within the Armenian Public Institution. The focal
  point of this Armenian institution submits the
  concept note to the PAO.
• If the PAO and the EC Delegation agree with the
  project concept, the Armenian institution will be
  assisted by an expert, selected by the EC
  Delegation, to draft a Project fiche.
• The project fiche should be approved by the EC
  (DEL and AIDCO/A6), after the thorough checking
  of its content and format.
• After the approval, the Project fiche will be
  circulated to 27 Member States.
• The NCPs will submit the proposals of MS
  administrations for the Twinning Project to the
  EC Delegation to Armenia.

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Main steps of Twinning Cycle

• The Selection and Evaluation meetings will be
  held in Armenia. The Armenian administration will
  choose, together with EC representatives, the
  future partner only on a quality basis, since the
  budget is already defined in the Project Fiche.
• The selected MS institutions will draft a
  Twinning contract in close co-operation with the
  Armenian administration, with support of the PAO
  and Delegation.
• The contract will be signed only after detailed
  verification by all involved actors Armenian
  beneficiary Institution, PAO, the EC (DEL and
  AIDCO/A6).
• After the signature of the contract, the project
  is implemented during at least 1 year and a new
  synergy is created following the day-to-day
  co-operation between the MS and Armenian
  institutions.

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Main Features of Twinning Instrument in
Armenian Context

• Oriented to mandatory results
• Flexibility
• Demand-driven
• Based on principle first come, first served on
  a quality basis
• (during the starting phase)

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Indicative Pipeline of Twinning Projects in
Armenia

• National Statistical Service
• Ministry of Environment
• Department of Aviation