Support to MoLSSF in Preparing as MASOPHRD

Period of implementation: 11.2008- 11.2009

Country –  Romania

Beneficiary – Ministry of Labor, Social Solidarity and Family

Objective:

The general objective of the contract was to continue the institutional and administrative development process, as well as to implement the structures necessary for the actual management of the Structural Funds after Romania’s integration into the European Union, so as to fulfill the commitments made under Chapter 21 in the General Community Aquis “Regional Policy and Coordination of the Structural Instruments” 

The specific objective was to continue the process of strengthening the institutional structures at central, regional and local level so as to obtain an efficient system for the European Social Fund (ESF) and a proper system of management and implementation of the Sector Operational Program “Human Resources Development” (SOP HRD) after the integration into UE as well as to ensure a high level of absorption of the funds.

Activities:

COMPONENT I- Strengthening the capacity of preparing and launching the calls for project proposals

• Improvement of the applicant’s guide for the calls for project proposals; Drafting some recommendations for the Communication Plan;
• Organizing some informing sessions for the potential beneficiaries; Designing and disseminating the informing materials;
• Designing and disseminating the promotional materials and products; Designing and disseminating the best practices guides;
• Analyzing the training needs in the area of project evaluation; Designing the training program and curriculum in the area of project evaluation;
• Training 200 persons from MASOPHRD and OI in project evaluation; Designing and testing on 200 participants the assessment procedures of the correlation between ESF, Lisbon Strategy, National Reform Plan (Lisbon agenda) at project level ; Revising the contracting and pre-contracting procedures and proper assistance to the relevant staff; Designing a training program and curriculum in the area of irregularities;
• Designing a guide for informing the beneficiaries on preventing irregularities; Training 200 persons from MASOPHRD and OI in the area of irregularities;

Component II – Strengthening the technical and financial monitoring capacity at program and project level

• Drafting a report regarding the analysis of the technical and financial monitoring procedures at program and project level; 
• Design and implementation of some recommendations for improving the technical and financial monitoring procedures at program and project level;
• Designing an action plan for the implementation of the improved technical and financial monitoring procedures at program and project level;
• Analyses of the training needs in the field of technical and financial monitoring at program and project level;
• Designing a training program and curricula in the field of technical and financial monitoring at program and project level and in the efficient use of SMIS;
• Training 200 persons from MASOPHRD and OI in the field of technical and financial monitoring at program and project level and in the efficient use of SMIS;
• At least 30 persons from MASOPHRD and OI participated at training sessions; At least 30 persons from MASOPHRD and OI participated at study visits;

Component III – Strengthening the capacity of the projects’ beneficiaries to design and implement quality projects financed under SOPHRD  

• Improving the Beneficiary Manual regarding the projects financed under SOPHRD;
• Organizing an on-line assistance desk for the beneficiaries; Organizing the “Blue Line”- permanent telephone line to support the beneficiaries in implementing the projects financed under SOPHRD and in preventing irregularities;
• Designing the specific training program and curriculum for the beneficiaries;
• Training as many as 3000 beneficiaries; Designing and implementing the questionnaires and surveys regarding the knowledge the potential beneficiaries have related to the strategic horizontal aspects within the priority axis and the major intervention fields;
• Drafting the report on the training needs of the potential beneficiaries SOPHRD;
• Designing the training program and curriculum for the potential beneficiaries;
• Training as many as 2000 potential beneficiaries SOPHRD;
• Assessment of the portfolio of projects financed under ESF (SOPHRD) and of the consistence between these projects and the objectives of the European Strategy for Employment, of the Lisbon Strategy and of the National Reform Plan (Lisbon agenda) .