Monika Dimitrova-Beecher, Head of OPAC: OP Administrative capacity is in the final stretch for optimal implementation

- In 2012, Operational Programme Administrative Capacity announced many new opportunities for application and funds many new projects. What is the reason?
- Operational Programme Administrative Capacity is indeed moving at maximum speed. This has been so since the beginning of 2011 but we had to catch up a lot from the 2009-2010 period. Therefore, as of the second half of 2012, the results of our operation have become visible to the public.

The interest in the programme is growing steadily. The administrations and the representatives of the judiciary have realised that we are a reliable partner and no longer hesitate if they have good ideas for development, optimisation or pressing problems. It is this daily contact that leads to the opening of new opportunities for applying under the programme. We started 2012 with plans for opening nine procedures worth a total of BGN 43 mln. We have opened 16 procedures so far, with a total budget exceeding BGN 95 mln and one more procedure will be opened for application in the middle of November. This is the highest activity registered in the last four years of the programme’s implementation, both in terms of the money available for financing and the number of procedures. The only analogue can be sought in the Indicative Annual Working Programme for 2008 but the schemes opened for applications in 2012 offer eased terms to the beneficiaries, much more targeted at the implementation of the general and the specific objectives of the programme and far more effective.

Since the beginning of 2012, a total of 104 new contracts for granting financial support have been signed under OPAC. Five training seminars with beneficiaries have been organised. By the end of the year, we expect at least 30 new contracts to be signed and two more training seminars for their successful implementation to be held. By comparison, 37 contracts were signed throughout 2011 and, in 2010, their number was even smaller.

We are trying to support our partners in the most important reforms and their key needs, and we are also fulfilling our duties as the Managing Authority of OP Administrative Capacity. We are making endeavours to achieve the objectives of the programme, spend its budget effectively and efficiently and, of course, prevent the loss of funds. We should emphasise the role of Finance Minister Simeon Djankov, who is responsible for the administrative reform and OPAC. We would not have achieved such a success without his assistance and guidance.

- Currently, the administrations and the judiciary may apply for financial grants under seven procedures. Which are they?
- The two major procedures – the schemes for training of employees of the municipal, central and regional administrations - were opened for application in September. As expected, these schemes attracted the greatest interest. They have a total budget of BGN 40 mln, guaranteeing that all good-quality projects can be funded. The projects under the procedure have a minimum threshold of BGN 20,000 and a ceiling of BGN 90,000 and will be implemented via quite a simplified regime, the selection of an external contractor will be through public invitation. The information days across the country on these procedures were very successful and were attended by over 250 representatives of local administrations and more than 150 representatives of the central and regional administrations. We were asked a lot of specific and interesting questions regarding the Guidelines for Application, which confirms our impression that many municipalities, ministries and agencies are preparing their project proposals. The beginning of November is the deadline for application.

The other five procedures were opened for applications at the beginning of October. The beneficiary for two of them is the Council of Ministers administration. This is the first coordinated announcement of two procedures under two different OPAC priorities for achieving one of the most important indicators of the programme. This will also be the first coordinated implementation of two concurrent projects by one beneficiary in order to achieve a common objective. The procedures project the establishment of an integrated information system for the needs of the administration, aimed at increasing the transparency and predictability of its operation, improving its accessibility and the mechanisms for coordination and management of human resources. The integrated system will provide real-time, detailed and reliable information on all aspects of the condition and management of public administration in the country, including human resources and administrative services. This will improve the accountability and efficiency of the administration and will facilitate the adoption of adequate and timely managerial decisions in the sphere of administrative reform.

The first procedure under OPAC, applications for which can be submitted online through UMIS (Unified Information System for Management and Monitoring of the Structural Instruments of the EU in Bulgaria) was also announced in October. This is yet another step of the Managing Authority of OPAC towards making things easier for applicants, optimising and speeding up the process of preparing and submitting proposals. A total of BGN 5 mln will be allocated under the procedure for improving the professional qualification of magistrates by introducing good practices. The Supreme Judicial Council, the Inspectorate at the Supreme Judicial Council, the Supreme Court of Cassation, the Supreme Administrative Court and the Prosecution Office of the Republic of Bulgaria are eligible to apply under the procedure.

The other two opened procedures are directed towards the public administration. Under one of them, OPAC will allocate BGN 1 mln to the Finance Ministry for preparing the legal framework of public-private partnership. Another BGN 4 mln has been earmarked under the procedure for improving the skills of the administrative staff at all levels in specialised areas such as audit and control over the operation of the administration, information security, management of crises, accidents and disasters.

- Won’t the large number of expected projects lead to a delay in their assessment?
- All the seven procedures are very interesting, indeed, and we expect to receive equally interesting and successful projects. The Managing Authority of OPAC has already created a good organisation for accepting and assessing the project proposals. The deadlines for application are evenly distributed throughout November, December and January. In addition, we expect to receive a great number of proposals - about 300 - only under two of the seven procedures. The project proposals under the other five procedures will be between one and seven. Many experts from the directorate will be included in the assessment of projects in order to shorten the terms for their evaluation as much as possible. Evaluators from other administrations will be attracted as well. We expect all the contracts to be signed by the end of April 2013. By way of comparison, I will point out that the contracts with beneficiaries under several procedures announced in 2010 were signed at the beginning of 2012. This indicates that the work of the OPAC Managing Authority has improved and the optimisation of processes as a whole is in the direction of better and faster assessment of projects.

- The coming months are expected to be extremely tense. What else is ahead?
- Only one more procedure will be opened until the end of 2012 and it will be again for specialised training of the administration, with the Council of Ministers as beneficiary. The aim is to ensure uniform quality and qualification of the internal audit units in the different administrations.

As of to date, we plan opening four procedures for application in 2013 and thus, we will negotiate the entire financial resource under the programme. This could change if there is a good basis and interesting proposals for funding. All the four procedures will be directed towards fulfilling the target values of OPAC indicators. One of the procedures has been intended as a sequel to the hugely successful scheme for the functional analyses at municipal administrations. The other procedure will build on the results of one of the projects of the Transport Ministry and is aimed at enhancing the functionality of the portal providing administrative services as an access point to the Single Contact Unit. Administrations providing access to such services will be eligible to apply. The third scheme is generally aimed at combating corruption, and the fourth - at the introduction of effective mechanisms for monitoring and control in the implementation of municipal policies. The Indicative Annual Working Programme of OPAC for 2013 is to be approved at the session of the programme’s Monitoring Committee on November 13-14 and will be published on OPAC’s website at the end of November.

In this connection, we expect activity and good partnership from OPAC’s beneficiaries in order to be able to meet the set targets on time and at adequate quality. We provide a good basis and support and everything else is in your hands - the hands of our beneficiaries.

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