Complementary support to the EC Sectorial Budget Support to Ministry of Agriculture

The EC is supporting PROAGRI II, a joint donor sector support program of the Ministry of Agriculture (MINAG),. Proagri has since its start supported institutional development including strengthening of capacities and systems in the area of planning, monitoring and Public Financial Management (PFM) and Human Resource Development (HRD). While there have been important improvements over the years, consecutive evaluations, audits and a recent analysis of capacities within planning, monitoring and PFM indicates that there are serious challenges and weaknesses in the area, especially seen in the new context of decentralization. Responsibility for the area is covered by the directorates for economy, finance and human resources (DE, DAF and DRH) of MINAG at the different levels of the organization. The weaknesses relate both to a general problem of qualifications of the staff, especially at district level, as well as to the management tools used and to key systems within planning, monitoring, PFM and HRD The GON (National Authorizing Officer) and the EC has agreed to support the strengthening of capacities in the area through complementary support to the EC sector budget support. The support will consist of a package of intermittent and short term consultancies, staff and management training. A total number of approximately 44 m/m of category I/II consultancy and 49 m/m of category III consultancies are foreseen (covered by this procurement notice). The EC support will further include a broad program for lifting the professional education level of staff in the two areas at all levels of the organization. The services for the professional education program are expected to be contracted locally directly by the GON.