Building blocks for sustainability!

 

Considering the EC policy framework for Western Balkans, the requirements of the IPA regulation, and specific needs of each beneficiary country, CBIB provides focused assistance to the beneficiaries. Our support ranges from every day, on-the-job assistance to tailor-made trainings/workshops/seminars, adjusted to the needs of the target group – national authorities, joint management structures or potential applicants/future grant beneficiaries.

During more that three years of joint efforts under CBIB, under the firm guidance of the Commission and its Delegations in the Region, with full cooperation of national and Joint Management Structures, as well as other relevant actors, wheels of IPA CBC have been set in motion and the process is moving forward successfully.

The major achievements from June 2006 to date are the following:

National Level

• Organization of 60 bilateral meetings and 7 workshops during the programming process supported and facilitated;
• Support provided in setting up joint programming structures – Joint Programming Committees and Drafting Teams for all 8 borders;
• One regional meeting in Belgrade with around 50 participants and a Regional CBC Forum in Zagreb organized during the programming period (February/March 2007) as opportunities for solving the outstanding issues related to programming and the set up of structures;
• Assistance and guidance through all stages of the programming process (initial negotiations, SWOT and Situation Analysis, definition of programme strategy: priorities and measures, implementing provisions);
• Preparation and timely submission of 8 cross-border programmes among Western Balkan countries;
• Capacities of national authorities and joint structures for cross-border programme preparation strengthened;
• Assistance provided to national authorities in establishing Joint Management Structures – Joint Monitoring Committees and Joint Technical Secretariats and their Antennae for all 8 programmes;

Programme Level

• Around 100 representatives of the Operating Structures and Joint Monitoring Committees trained in 5 two-day trainings on programme preparation and implementation (Skopje, Podgorica, Sarajevo, Tirana, Pristina);
• Joint Monitoring Committees and Joint Technical Secretariats established and rules of procedures and manuals necessary for their smooth operation prepared and adopted;
• Regional CBC Forum organized in Skopje, in June 2008, gathering 100 IPA CBC stakeholders, providing a discussion platform for important programme management and implementation issues;
• 3 four-day trainings on programme management and implementation for the Operating Structures and staff of JTSs and Antennae organized in Kotor, Sarajevo and Skopje;
• Hands-on support provided in the preparation of necessary documents for launching first Calls for Proposals for all 8 programmes;
• Annual Reports on Implementation prepared for all 8 programmes;
• First round of Calls for Proposals launched and support provided during the 38 events in the information campaign;
• 6 three-day trainings on project proposal evaluation organized in 6 countries for the representatives of OS, JMC, JTS and independent assessors;

Project Level

• Conducting a region-wide awareness campaign on IPA and IPA CBC among WB countries - 1600 people in 25 events in 7 countries informed about the new EC financial instrument, its Component II, content of cross-border programmes, eligible territories and actions;
• Training Potential Applicants in project preparation – 650 people trained in 20 two-day training sessions;
• Project Preparation Manual developed and available in local languages;
• Developing a set of information, didactic and promotional tools to make sure that timely information reach as wide an audience as possible and thus enable the participation of all eligible partners in the process;