Belgium and ACP Countries - Implementation support for the @CP-ICT programme

Lot:3 - Telecommunications and information technologies - EuropeAid FWC Beneficiaries 127054

DONWLOAD Terms of References

One expert category I is required. The expert will be responsible for carrying out requested
tasks under this assignment as described under requested services.
Administrative support is required to be supplied by the consultant to assist the expert in
administrative tasks under the assignment.

Ø Profiles required

The expert category I
Ø Shall have extensive knowledge of and experience in the ICT sector in developing
countries and a relevant advanced university degree with a minimum of five years of
experience in financial and administrative management and planning.
Ø Knowledge of EU Development Policy is essential.
Ø Very good knowledge and practice of financial and contractual EDF Regulations and
Procedures (9th EDF), is essential.
Ø Prior participation in assessment/evaluation/monitoring of EC funded proposals would
be an advantage.
Ø Prior participation in the formulation of Calls for Proposals of EC funded projects
would be an advantage
Ø Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.
Ø Experiences in ACP regions countries would be an advantage.
Ø Ability to lead a team and organise and oversee administrative and logistic support.
Ø A working knowledge, including ability in writing, of English and French are
essential.

4. LOCATION AND DURATION

Ø Duration of the assignment
The assignment is expected to start around 01/06/2010, and last for 24 months.
Based on the number of contracts to be monitored, the amount of person/days required is
estimated as follows:

Input days 120

Ø Location(s) of assignment
The expert and administrative assistance will be available to be in Brussels when required
over the whole duration of the assignment.
It is expected that there might be periods where tasks to be performed will be concentrated,
notably after one year of the projects implementation period, when interim reporting is due
and requests for payment, and towards the end of the contract implementation period.
A maximum of 10 return trips (+DSA) to Brussels can be reimbursed for Expert 1.
A maximum number of 8 return trips (+DSA) for project support missions can be reimbursed
for Expert 1.
The establishment of adequate office facilities in Brussels where the consultants will be able
to carry out their work will be the responsibility of the consultant.

Global objective

Background
Part of the @CP-ICT programme is implemented by means of the Call for Proposals
EuropeAid/127057/D/ACT/Multi. The award of contracts followed the rules mentioned in the
Practical Guide to Contract Procedures for EC External Actions.
The activities to be supported following the call for proposal address intra-ACP needs, in
accordance to the project purpose. Activities will be carried out by regional, sub-regional or
national-level institutions (where appropriate) that provide locally-appropriate capacity for
ICT strategy, policy and regulation. Within this intra-ACP context, initiatives will be
supported
a) Focusing on research, knowledge-management, knowledge-sharing and learning
networks or
b) Involving the ACP Parliamentary Assembly, ACP Parliaments, ACP regional
Parliamentary institutions/bodies, ACP Parliamentarians and ACP local government
organisations, at initiatives relating to the ICT sector; such initiatives are to be supported
by no less than € 3.0 million.
c) With specific highly-targeted expert interventions by international experts, or
international institutions, designed to address specific, complex policy and regulatory
issues of urgent importance to one or more countries.

The specific objectives of the programme will address one or more of the following targets:
i. to develop effective linkages of the ICT sector to national or regional Povertyreduction
Strategy Programmes (PRSPs)
ii. to increase stakeholders awareness for ICT to build sustainable capacity within
regional and sub-regional institutions in ACP regions
iii. to involve the ACP Parliamentary Assembly, the ACP Parliaments, ACP regional
Parliamentary institutions/bodies, ACP Parliamentarians and ACP local government
organisations, at initiatives relating to the ICT sector;
iv. to promote research, knowledge-management, knowledge-sharing and learning
networks on ICT
v. to address specific, complex policy and regulatory issues of urgent importance to
one or more countries
Proposals have been evaluated by an Evaluation Committee appointed by the Contracting
Authority according to the Practical Guide to Contract Procedures for EC External Actions.

Ø Specific objective(s)
Twelve (12) proposals were selected of which 11 have been contracted via grant or
contribution agreements by the ACP Secretariat (see Annex 1). Following these agreements
the beneficiary will have obligations in terms of reporting on implementation progress and
expenditures, and work-plans including budgeting. On the part of the contracting authority
requests for payments will have to be processed and submitted to the European Commission
for payment. Regular reporting on the implementation progress and achievements of results of
the programme is required.

The objective of this assignment is to recruit specialised technical assistance (TA) to assist the
ACP Secretariat in the implementation, monitoring and reporting of the @CP-ICT
programme in ACP Countries. The TA will provide technical and administrative support to
the contracting authority to assure an effective and efficient implementation of the
programme. The TA will operate under the direct supervision of the ACP Secretariat.
Supervision will be ensured, among other mechanisms, by regular discussion sessions to be
held between the TA, the ACP Secretariat, and the EC.

Ø Requested services and outputs
The consultant, working under the supervision of the ACP Secretariat, will be required to:
1. Elaborate and submit an Inception Report which contains, inter alia, full details of:
- A programme monitoring tool, including at minimum, six-monthly Programme
Progress Reports detailing achievements for all activities of the programme and levels
of execution. The Monitoring tool will incorporate the indicators to be used in
monitoring the programme results as set out in the Logical Framework (Annex 2),
- Activities to be launched, the resources for their implementation, and execution
calendar.
2. Construct a “projects database” which contains summary information on each ongoing
project, partner details, budget and timetables, status of execution.
3. Regularly update the information on each project, partner details, budget and timetables,
riders to the grant contracts and implementation status of each project. The information
contained in the projects database and the use of the monitoring tool will serve the expert
for two different purposes. On one hand, it will facilitate the administrative management
of projects, allowing keeping track of deadlines and on the other hand it will allow
monitoring of the project in terms of objectives, activities and results.
4. Assisting the ACP Secretariat to check conformity of the payment requests sent by the
contract beneficiary, before their submission by the Contracting Authority to the European
Commission for payment.
5. Assisting the ACP Secretariat to check conformity of rider requests or any other
contractual changes requests sent by the contract beneficiary, before their submission by
the Contracting Authority to the European Commission for endorsement.
6. Answering on behalf of and under the responsibility of the ACP Secretariat to queries
from the beneficiaries in regard to contractual or implementation issues.
7. According to the rules in force, project beneficiaries will submit to the contracting
authority detailed interim narrative and financial reports explaining the activities
implemented, the state of execution of the budget and results achieved. The consultant
will assist the ACP Secretariat in the assessment, obtaining clarifications on and approval
of submitted progress reports (narrative and financial) by the beneficiaries.
8. The Call for Proposals projects have a maximum implementation period of 24 months
after which a final report needs to be submitted by the beneficiary detailing achievements
against objects and a consolidated and audited project expenditure report will be attached
to the final report. The consultant will assist the ACP Secretariat to elaborate a final
and lessons learned of each project and for the programme as a whole.
9. Assist the ACP Secretariat to maintain a complete archive of correspondence and
documents related to the programme.
10. Upon request by the ACP Secretariat assist in the programming and implementation of
remaining funds under the 9th EDF @CP-ICT programme and possible allocated funds
from the 10th EDF.
11. Assist the ACP Secretariat in preparing and conducting meetings and documentation
related to this programme.
12. Assist the ACP Secretariat in preparing and conducting presentations on and publishing of
interim and final results of the programme.
13. Any other tasks that the ACP Secretariat may request related to the tasks above.

PLEASE NOTE: ONLY SELECTED CANDIDATES WILL BE CONTACTED