Challenges in implementing MB IPA statistical cooperation programmes MGSC, 2014 Jelena Budimir March, 2014

MBPs in Serbia MBP 2007 – Service Contract MBP 2008 – Service Contract MBP 2009 – Grants + Service Contract MBP 2011 – Grants + Service Contract MBP 2012 – Grants + Service Contract MBP 2014 - in preparation – more active role of enlargement NSIs in programme preparation Main objective for all MBP: to improve the availability and quality of official statistics Programme is very well constructed and covers the various statistical domains Tendency over time is to rely more on grants rather than on service contracts

Service Contract Vs. Grants Main advantages allows some flexibility in activities and budgets less management burden on the NSI allows for access to a network of experts high ownership of the project by the NSI flexibility in project design: project in all statistical domains can be included grant countries can choose experts (subcontracting) Main disadvantages less beneficiaries influence in designing and implementation of the project risk of badly performing company number of competitive private company in the area of statistics is limited less project ownership of NSIs workload for the application is high less flexibility in project implementation high management burden on the NSI difficulties to access a wide network of expert

Challenges in implementing MBP grants Internal organization (set up the internal procedures, line of communications, responsible persons for different tasks/DCP, internal deadlines, etc.) Inter-institutional cooperation (Ministries, National bank, etc) Organization of the technical assistance: finding the external experts organization of the study visits

Technical assistance: External experts The advantage for having expert subcontracting in grants is that grant countries can choose experts, and that they are not imposed by the contractor. Usually there are no problems in finding the expert. The only problem is when beneficiaries' technical units do not know the suitable expert. In that case access to the wide network of experts is needed. Solutions To contact Eurostat and ask for suggestion Assistance by the Contractor? Creation of the shared pool of experts among NSIs? Coordination role of Eurostat? Different rules in different NSIs on engagement of experts. Who to contact: international cooperation or expert directly?

Technical assistance: Study Visits On average only 50 per cent of the study visits were completed within MB IPA 2011 since it is very difficult to find EU Member States willing to host the study visit. Solutions: SV could be organised jointly for several countries Organization of the SV to be part of the service contract? More visibility of the whole programme’s outputs among MS (and in general) is needed. The impact of these difficulties: In the new programme less funds are planned for technical assistance

Challenges in implementing MB IPA statistical cooperation programmes Thank you for your attention! Jelena Budimir March, 2014