1. FIRST EVALUATION OF THE TWINNING INSTRUMENT IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD REGION IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD REGION Gerard Bouscharain Jean-Bernard Moreau This Project is funded by the European Union NCP meeting,16-17 June 2011 This Evaluation is implemented by HTSPE Limited

2. CONTENTS 1.Evaluation Scope and Method 2.Facts and Figures 3.Findings and Results 4.Recommendations The views expressed in this PowerPoint presentation are the sole responsibility of the HTSPE Experts and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Commission, nor those of any of the national authorities across the ENP Region. The European Commission is the European Union’s Executive Body

3. Scope of the Evaluation Scope of the Evaluation Evaluate the institutional Twinning Instrument implemented Evaluate the institutional Twinning Instrument implemented in the ENP Region in the ENP Region Identify lessons learnt, best practices and key recommendations for future EU-funded Twinning activities Identify lessons learnt, best practices and key recommendations for future EU-funded Twinning activities

4. 16 ENP Partner Countries ENP-East Belarus Ukraine Moldova Georgia Armenia Azerbaijan ENP-South Syria Jordan Lebanon Israel Palestinian Territories Egypt Libya Tunisia Algeria Morocco

5. After 7 years implementation in the ENP region, time has come for a comprehensive evaluation of the Twinning Instrument

6. Sampling Approach Our main concern has been to make the Twinning Project sample as representative as possible Sample: 6 Countries Ukraine Azerbaijan Jordan Egypt Tunisia Morocco 3 Sectors Trade & Industry Finance Justice & Home Affairs 18 Projects + 2 3 projects per country 1 project per sector +2 non-priority projects

7. Method for data collection and analysis Method for data collection and analysis Based upon the Joint Evaluation Unit Methodology Review of all documentation available 7 (5+2) evaluation criteria Application of 10 evaluation questions to the 18+2 projects Submission of evaluation questionnaires to 80 stakeholders, including EUD, PAO-UGP, RTAs and Beneficiaries Approx. 100 interviews in the 6 selected countries Data processing, review of results, analysis Highlight of main findings, conclusions and recommendations Relevance Effectiveness Efficiency Sustainability Impact Coherence (Complementarity Community Value Added

8. Since 2004… 156 twinning projects launched in 12 ENP Countries for an overall budget of € 160 million focusing on Institutional Capacity Building and legal harmonisation/approximation mainly in the Finance, Trade and Industry, Justice and Home Affairs sectors (54% of total) (February 2011) FACTS & FIGURES

9. Twinning = Accelerator of Reform “Twinning is a unique & extremely “Twinning is a unique & extremely valuable instrument” To the question, what is your opinion on the twinning instrument ? 100 % positive answers 100 % positive answers from BENEFICIARIES PAO/UGP PAO/UGP RTAs RTAs EUD EUD FACTS & FIGURES

10. To the question, what is a Twinning ? An instrument/tool to…. “…Reach the Acquis” (30% of answers) “…Adopt/approximate laws, norms” (25%) “…Implement the AA or PCA actions plans” (15%) “…Bring ENP countries closer to EU values” ( 10%) “…Accompany national structural reform” (0%???) “…Facilitate trade” (20%) FACTS & FIGURES

11. High Quality of MS Expertise 90 % positive answers from beneficiaries Especially when RTA/CRJ has Technical Expertise Management Skills Communication Skills FACTS & FIGURES

12. Other comments…. Lots of beneficiaries declared to be insufficiently informed on the existence of the Twinning Instrument Lots of beneficiaries declared to be insufficiently informed on the existence of the Twinning Instrument The reference to the EU Acquis is not evenly understood among stakeholders (EUD/PAO-UGP/beneficiaries) The reference to the EU Acquis is not evenly understood among stakeholders (EUD/PAO-UGP/beneficiaries) Various opinions and proposals are expressed by stakeholders to improve some of the twinning procedures Various opinions and proposals are expressed by stakeholders to improve some of the twinning procedures 70 % positive answers 90 % positive answers for improvement FACTS & FIGURES

13. Uptake of Cross-Cutting Issues into Project Design Uptake of Cross-Cutting Issues into Project Design Study Tours: high expectation to expose nationals to EU best practices and for networking Study Tours: high expectation to expose nationals to EU best practices and for networking Complementarity of twinning activities with Complementarity of twinning activities with other donors’ intervention + TAIEX/SIGMA Twinning vs. Technical Assistance Twinning vs. Technical Assistance 100 % positive answers 90 % positive answers when relevant 50 % misunderstanding by beneficiaries … Other comments FACTS & FIGURES

14. To better respond to the needs of beneficiary institutions… But also to launch the twinning process in the ENP region During a first phase The Demand-Driven Approach Has been applied…. Provisional Findings Provisional Findings EUD PAO UGP

15. Twinning Projects are successful when: Responding directly to beneficiary needs Responding directly to beneficiary needs Realistic, feasible and focused on specific issues Realistic, feasible and focused on specific issues Beneficiary institutions are fully committed Beneficiary institutions are fully committed Sufficient absorption capacity by the beneficiary Sufficient absorption capacity by the beneficiary High quality of EU MS expertise High quality of EU MS expertise Key Conditions for Success Provisional Findings Provisional Findings

16. High influence of the political context High influence of political context on the impact of Twinning Activities The Twinning Instrument is a tool for accompanying national reform that should not be imposed upon the beneficiaries from outside The more integrated a twinning project is at the highest political level, the more successful its outcome is likely to be The more an administration is involved at senior-level, the more significant the impact of twinning activities is likely to be Provisional Findings Provisional Findings

17. DIS Beneficiary Institutions European Commission Brussels EUD The Twinning Instrument rests upon the central role played by PAO/UGP... PAO UGP From identification to contracting phase From project start to completion in supporting Beneficiary Institutions Whether in a Decentralised or Centralised Implementation System Provisional Findings Provisional Findings

18. Continue the Demand-Driven Approach together with a more… Provisional Recommendations Twinning Phase 2 Strategic Approach Twinning Programming Twinning Governance 1. The Demand Driven Approach Twinning Phase 1 SAAP ENPI NIP P3A DCFTA CIB Actions plans PCAs AAs BA EU EUD DIS PAO F4

19. Twinning strategy and programming 2. Improve twinning “governance “ Implementation of twinning activities and support to Beneficiary Institutions Overall twinning coordination and supervision of 12 (out of the 16) ENP countries EUD: in-country implementation of twinnings, supervision and support to PAO/UGP Beneficiary Institutions European Commission Brussels EUD DIS PAO UGP DEVCO F4 Ex - A6 Provisional Recommendations

20. Beneficiary Institutions European Commission Brussels EUD In most ENP countries visited, 3. PAO/UGP performance and institutional capacity must be reviewed and/or strengthened DIS PAO UGP Audit strengths & weaknesses Review role & mandates Resources, incl. staffing Accompanying measures Provisional Recommendations

21. 4. Improve Twinning impact, sustainability and feasibility Provide better information upstream of twinning implementation Provide better information upstream of twinning implementation Select only realistic, feasible and focused projects Select only realistic, feasible and focused projects Better assess the beneficiary institution needs and relevance Better assess the beneficiary institution needs and relevance to EU Institutional Building issues Better assess real absorption capacity of beneficiaries Better assess real absorption capacity of beneficiaries Take into account staff availability and turnover Take into account staff availability and turnover Check/request full commitment of the beneficiary institutions Check/request full commitment of the beneficiary institutions EUD Provisional Recommendations PAO UGP

22. 5. Further improve MS Expertise Technical Expertise Management Skills Communication Skills Still remain language barriersand the need for better exposure to local context Need to extend and improve training for new RTAs, PLs Creation of dedicated material, such as training manuals, websites, hotline.... Provisional Recommendations MS

23. Reduce the Twinning project fiche design phase Reduce level of details on the Twinning Fiche and simplify the drafting process Reduce project fiche preparation duration and costs 6. Twinning Management System and some procedures should be reviewed and simplified Manual Provisional Recommendations MS European Commission Brussels EUD

24. 7. Twinning vs. Technical Assistance TA or TWG ??? not yet well understood by all Beneficiaries TA provides services (“deliverables”) TWG consists in inter-institutional cooperation between MS civil servants working with BC counterparts with the aim to achieve mandatory results jointly agreed The difference between TA and TWG should be further clarified upstream to stakeholders /beneficiaries upstream to stakeholders /beneficiaries TWG eligibility criteria should be considered more strictly Whenever possible, the choice between TA and TWG should always Whenever possible, the choice between TA and TWG should always be examined carefully in terms of adequacy and efficiency be examined carefully in terms of adequacy and efficiency PAO UGP Mandatory results Provisional Recommendations

25. 8. Communication & Visibility Actions PAOs/UGPs should increase and repeat the number of C&V actions on the three institutional capacity building instruments, upstream of the programming phase PAOs/UGPs should increase and repeat the number of C&V actions on the three institutional capacity building instruments, upstream of the programming phase C&V aims to provide full information to stakeholders and also mobilise the support of senior officials to the twinning process C&V aims to provide full information to stakeholders and also mobilise the support of senior officials to the twinning process C&V actions are often too limited and conducted too late in the project design phase C&V actions are often too limited and conducted too late in the project design phase Kick off meetings SeminarsMediaConferences Leaflets Websites Publicity Materials Provisional Recommendations

26. Take advantage of similar twinning projects implemented in other ENP and/or IPA countries (e.g. project fiches, Thesaurus...) and... Develop regional networking between ENP countries to benefit from similar twinning experience already implemented elsewhere Develop systematic ex-post Twinning evaluation (Project-Country- Programme) 9. Other comments, lessons learnt, new ideas

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