Timor-leste

The overall objective was to promote inclusive and sustainable socio-economic development of Timor-Leste. The purpose was to increase the effectiveness of National Authorizing Office (NAO) services in delivering the EU - Timor-Leste development cooperation.

The Cooperation Support Facility was designed to contribute to the succesful preparation, implementation, evaluation, and visibility of the development cooperation between the EU and Timor-Leste, aminly through the increase of the effectiveness of NAO services in delivering the EU-TL development cooperation.

The project placed particular emphasis on supporting Timor-Leste’s efforts towards regional integration and enhancing its presence on the international stage. This was achieved through technical assistance provided for the review of Timor-Leste’s Market Access Offer and a detailed cost-benefit analysis aimed at facilitating the country's accession to ASEAN. The project also prioritized capacity building through workshops and dialogue sessions with key stakeholders to ensure alignment with international standards, increasing the visibility of EU-Timor-Leste cooperation efforts, and ensuring that communication and visibility campaigns were effectively implemented to promote both social development initiatives and environmental awareness, such as the EU Plastic Reduction Campaign.

The results to be achieved were as follows:

• Result 1: Improved capacity of the NAO office to oversee programming, identification and evaluation of programme and projects.
• Result 2: Improved capacity for programme implementation of line Ministries and other stakeholders in focal sectors in line with EU policies and strategies.
• Result 3: Increased visibility of the EU - Timor-Leste cooperation and greater awareness on EU and its Member States’ fundamental values, history and culture.

Implemented projects include the following:

• Support services to the launch event of the Skills for Employment and Resilience project.
• Support services for the realization of the Policy Dialogue Meeting on EU Budget Support for Partnership for Improving Nutrition in Timor-Leste (PINTL).
• Support services for the realization of the Policy Dialogue Meeting on Supporting Programme to Deconcentrating and Decentralization process in TL (SPDD-TL).
• Support services for the organization of TL Civil Society Organisations Dialogue.
• TA for support TL Market Access Offer and Cost Benefit Analysis to integrate ASEAN, which included a Synthesis of the meetings with the stakeholders, and beneficiaries; Review of the Timor-Leste Market Access Offer and Cost Benefit Analysis to accede to ASEAN; Power Point Presentation of main findings and recommendations for a validation workshop; Inception Report, Draft Final Report and Final Report.
• Support services for the acquisition of EU-TL Cooperation Visibility and Communication products.
• Support services to the organization of the Photo competition: “Skills and Crafts – The role of women in transferring knowledge and handicraft.
• Support services to EU Plastic Reduction Campaign.
• Organization of Communication & Visibility workshops.
• Support the construction of a Bordalo II’s artwork in Dili
• Support services for the acquisition of a European Union Visibility Item – Backdrop
• Support services for printing projects fiche form

The main objectives of this evaluation were to provide the relevant services of the European Union and the interested stakeholders with:

• an overall independent assessment of the past performance of the PACED, paying particular attention to its intermediate results measured against its expected objectives; and the reasons underpinning such results;
• key lessons learned, conclusions and related recommendations in order to improve current and future Actions.

In particular, this evaluation served to understand the performance of the Action, its enabling factors and those hampering a proper delivery of results in order to adjust its design or implementing modalities;

The main users of this evaluation were the EU Delegations, the NAO's, the Central Banks, the ministries of Finance and Plan and other relevant national partner institutions in PALOP/TL involved in the implementation of the Action evaluated.

The specific Evaluation Questions as formulated below were indicative. Based on the latter and following initial consultations and document analysis, the evaluation team discussed them with the Evaluation Manager and proposed in their Inception Report a complete and finalised set of Evaluation Questions with indication of specific Judgement Criteria and Indicators, as well as the relevant data collection sources and tools.

Once agreed through the approval of the Inception Report, the Evaluation Questions became contractually binding.

Relevance:

To what extent activities implemented, and to be implemented, were consistent with beneficiaries' requirements and country needs?

Effectiveness:

To what extent services provided have contributed to expected results making the best use possible of the available resources?

Efficiency:

To what extent outputs were achieved with the lowest possible use of resources/inputs (funds, expertise, time, administrative costs, etc.)?

Perspectives of impact:

To what extent activities implemented had the positive and durable expected impact? Can it be said that the activities and outputs logically allowed the objectives to be achieved?

Coherence of the Action:

Were there contradictions between the different levels of objective? Were there duplications between the activities/components of the Programme? Were there duplications between the PACED and other interventions (from the beneficiary or other donors)? Were complementarities between PACED and other interventions duly capitalized?

The questions coverd the following fields of analysis:

• a)
  Evaluation of the preliminary results of the action, including factors that have determined its success and failures;
• b)
  Assessment of the impact of the activities implemented within the beneficiary institutions;
• c)
  Assessment of the adequacy of the measures adopted to counter delays and deadlocks in the implementation of the action;
• d)
  Evaluation of the index of appropriation of the results of the action by the beneficiaries;
• e)
  Evaluation of the beneficiaries’ perception of the results of the action (methodology applied, successes, failures, solutions encountered, etc.); Identification of measures taken by beneficiaries to ensure the sustainability of the results of the action.

The general objective of the contract was to contribute to a strengthened common identity of the PALOP-TL by the production and diffusion of knowledge about the origins and current common ties of the PALOP-TL on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the programme between the PALOP-TL and the EU.

• produce audio-visual material about the common history and the current common ties between the PALOP-TL through a short-film contest;
• present/diffuse of material to the public during short-film festivals and/or films about the PALOP-TL in 2017 and 2018;

Global objective:

• To increase NGOs capacity to perform their roles as independent development actors more effectively.

Specific objective(s):

• To strengthen the capacity of Timorese NGOs in proposal writing, project management and management of grant contracts under EU procedures.

The mission was expected to provide EU and the NAO with sufficient information to make an informed judgment about the performance of the ongoing CSF with a view to draw lessons and take appropriate follow-up action if applicable, as well as to formulate the formulation the next EU-funded programme in the CSF II.

The main objectives of this evaluation were to provide the relevant services of the European Union, the interested stakeholders with:

• an overall independent assessment of the past performance of the Cooperation Support Facility, paying particular attention to its performance results measured against its objectives namely the following projects: (1) Technical Assistance to Support Capacity Building to NAO Services, (2) TA to support Visibility, (3) Programme Estimate no.1 and no.2, TA to Ministry of Agriculture and Fishery, TA to President office, and TA to Prime Minister office.
• Key lessons and recommendations in order to improve current (if relevant) and future Actions Assist the EU, the NAO, and the other relevant stakeholders in the formulation of the next EU funded programme in the CSF II, taking into account the finding of the mid-term review.

In particular, this evaluation served the EU and the NAO service with sufficient information to make an informed judgment about the performance of the ongoing CSF with a view to draw lessons, as well as to formulate identification of the next EU-funded programme in the CSF II.

The objective of the mission was to assess and report to the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the European Commission (EC FPI) whether a deployment of an EU Election Observation Mission (EU EOM) to Timor-Leste for the forthcoming General Elections (foreseen for February 2017) would be useful, advisable and feasible. Moreover, the objective of the ExM was to produce specific documents containing clear information and recommendations ahead of the HRVP's decision on the deployment of a possible EU EOM.

More specifically, the ExM:

1. Assessed the pre-election situation in the light of international standards for democratic elections and national legislation. The assessment covered: (i) Electoral framework for general elections (ii) election administration, (iii) human rights and fundamental freedoms, (iv) media, (v) voter registration, (vi) party and candidate registration, (vii) political situation, (viii) security aspects, (ix) logistics and operational matters, and (x) any other relevant issues relating to the elections and possible deployment of an EU EOM.

2. Drew lessons from the previous missions deployed in Timor Leste.

3. Made necessary preliminary logistics related enquiries and provide advice on how to organise the operational component of a possible EU EOM.

4. Assessed the security situation in the country, in particular in connection with the possible deployment of an EU EOM.

5. Advised on the focus, composition, number and length of stay of the Core Team members and long and short-term observers of the EU EOM.

6. Drafted tentative specifications and Terms of Reference of a possible EU EOM and/or an EEM and related estimated costs and budget breakdown.

7. Assessed the relevance of providing support to domestic observer organisations under the EIDHR.

8. Acquired updated information on EU election support (both EU and Member States) and other major actors' plans in this field, including in the area of electoral assistance.

9. Liaised closely with domestic and international election observation organisations that may be present on the ground regarding the preparation of elections. Seek close coordination with the OAS to this purpose.

10. Prepared a number of specific reports as outlined in section “VI. Output” of the ToR.

The expert strengthened the capacity of the Department of Legal and Constitutional Affairs' national legal advisers so that they can assist the President on exerting its functions, namely ensuring the due administrative course of legal diplomas submitted for promulgation, as well as following-up decrees and other acts of legal and constitutional competence of the President.