8.1  GENERAL PRINCIPLES

The 1999 Phare and OBNOVA programmes for Bosnia and Herzegovina will be implemented by the Commission Representation Office in Sarajevo on behalf of the local authorities, in close collaboration with the Office of the National Aid Co-ordinator and the relevant authorities at State, entity or local levels.

Full deconcentration will in principle apply to the management of the programmes by the Commission Representation Office in Sarajevo. However, the CAFAO programme will continue to be managed by DG XXI because of the technical nature of the activities foreseen as well as its particular implementation mechanism.

The Commission Representation and the local authorities will be assisted by a Technical Assistance Unit (TAU) with has for objective the provision of expertise in a wide range of sectors as well as in procurement and project management through both long term and short term experts.

The flexibility offered by the revised OBNOVA Council Regulation will be used to the extent possible to speed-up project implementation. In particular, the Commission will envisage whenever possible co-operation with regional and local government bodies including municipalities.

As provided by the OBNOVA Regulation, Community assistance will be implemented in close co-operation between the Council and the Commission.

8.2  SPECIFIC MODALITIES REGARDING REFUGEE RETURN

The complementarity between the OBNOVA and ECHO Return Programmes as well as the creation of a synergy between the Commission services will be ensured through the establishment of a formal European Commission "Return co-ordination Group". This will be done both in Brussels and in the field.

The Commission will continue working with Non Governmental Organisations (article 3 of Council Regulation (EC) n° 1628/96). In selecting the implementing partners, it will apply the necessary standards of project selection. Transparency will be ensured throughout the process:

- Preparation of calls for proposals and clearly defined eligibility criteria and project descriptions

- Official announcement of the calls for proposals

- Evaluation of proposals by a selection committee

The Representation Office will be assisted by a Monitoring Unit. An extension of the current contract with the International Management Group, Sarajevo (IMG) will be considered following a review of the current performances. The Unit issues monthly reports on each of the individual projects assessing the problems encountered (contract or payment related as well as local difficulties with the authorities for example), the solutions found and the next steps planned.

9  MONITORING, EVALUATION AND AUDIT

The programme will be monitored and supervised by the European Commission Representation Office in Sarajevo (ECRO).

ECRO shall:

a)  monitor the implementation of the programme on the basis of regular reports, and

b)  sign contracts with independent consultants to follow the progress of the programme and its components and carry-out ex-post evaluations after completion of the programme. In particular, a Monitoring and Evaluation Unit will be established in early 1999 to assist with the monitoring and evaluation of the programmes. The Unit will monitor the actual project results against those planned as well as the cost of achieving such results. It will also assist ECRO in organising separate monitoring and evaluations on a case by case basis.

In order to facilitate these activities, a detailed set of indicators of achievement will be defined for each component according to its objectives and targets.

The accounts and operations of the programme components may be checked at regular intervals by an outside auditor contracted by the Commission, without prejudice to the responsibilities of the Commission and the Community's Court of Auditors.

1999 PHARE AND OBNOVA - Table of Contents