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Introduction The EU is a supersize donor Profile of consultants How to get a job Surviving procedures Other concerns (# of consultants, virtual world-virtual quality, rate trend, getting paid, body shops) Why TACU

EU largest donor worldwide* 27 EU countries + EC together responsible for 60% of all development aid (around €48 billion) USA provides 21% Growing budget until 2015: 0.7% GNI European Commission on its own: –Second largest donor of humanitarian aid –Third largest donor of development aid (after USA and Germany) –Present in more than 150 countries *based on OECD/DAC figures (2008)

EU budget: What’s in it for us? Total Devco budget: €9.987 billion Top 5: –Infrastructure and transport: €1.034 billion (8.8%) –Human and social development: €1.364 billion (11.6%) –Economic and institutional reforms: €1.394 billion (11.8%) –Conflict prevention and fragile states: €1.650 billion (14%) –Multi-sector: €2.559 billion (21.8%) EC annual report (2010)

Technical assistance Projects are always tendered Contractors need to be eligible Two main types of contracts: –Service contracts –Framework contracts Tender procedures described in detailed regulation…

A consultant’s profile Key experts: –Older men (!): 50+ –Internationals –Often public service or consultancy background –At least university level Short-term experts –Mostly men –International or (increasingly) national –In practice at least 15 years working experience –Public service, international development or consultancy background –University level

How to get a job Your CV is key! Targeting vacancies is essential Identify suitable (decent) contractors Be prepared for “box-ticking operations” Make yourself ready for procedures… … and waiting

Surviving procedures Tendering takes time… TACU survey: up to 60% delays: –Average decision time service contracts is 152 days (official maximum is 90 days) –Average decision time FWC is 26 days (official maximum is 14 days) –Balkans and Turkey are “famous” for delays Experts are often out of work and waiting... Ever heard of “SoE&A”?

Technical Assistance Consultants United Membership organization open to all individual experts/consultants regardless of nationality Catalyst: campaign to ban SoE&A (2010) Mission: to promote the interests of professional consultants working in technical assistance contracts for donor-funded development cooperation Provides information and legal advice to members in contracting disputes, lobbies and negotiates with donors to reform their TA procedures Plans to expand beyond EC: all other donors to be covered or united.org

TACU’s main concerns Procedures for experts/consultants Getting paid Rates and reimbursements (trends) Facilities (insurance) Number of consultants “Body shops” Technical assistance: A virtual world with virtual quality?

TACU’s drive for change Fundamental changes of EuropeAid regulations: –Abolish the Statement of Exclusivity and Availability –Change the basis for evaluating tenders from excessive dependence on the CVs of proposed experts to the quality of the technical proposal

TACU’s package to be negotiated Short-term changes: –Pay full EU-approved per diems for all short-term missions –Pay short-term experts in full for travel days –Make the insurance provisions transparent –Sort out the mess over evidence of past work experience –Change the minimum time spent on site by KEs from 95% to 80%

More TACU proposals for change (2) More short-term changes: –Abolish specifying the amount of time spent on site for STEs and FWC assignments –Make relevant experience as valuable as formal education –Compensate experts financially as a sanction to be applied to contracting authorities that fail to meet their tender evaluation deadlines –Reimburse experts for local expenditures at fair rates

Questions? Henry Leerentveld Chairman, TACU – Key Expert Stephen Dewar General Secretary, TACU – Key Expert Michael Gericke Advisory Board Member, TACU – Key Expert Lauren Brander Special Assistant and Project Associate, Devex

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