PWB CHAPTER 4: TECHNICAL COOPERATION PROGRAMME (TCP)

Major Programme 4.1: Technical Cooperation Programme

Achievements

432. The Major Programme responds to urgent and unforeseen requests for assistance from Member Countries, in close association with other components of the Regular Programme. It aims at providing a rapid response to requests that fill a critical gap and are specific and practical in nature. Emphasis is given to increasing production in agriculture, fisheries and forestry and increasing income for small producers. TCP-supported projects typically:

• are of short duration, with limited budget;
• require follow-up action by governments;
• are designed to have a catalytic effect; and
• are complementary to other sources of assistance.

433. TCP assistance is provided in the areas of:

• emergencies;
• investment;
• training;
• project and programme formulation;
• advisory services;
• assistance to development; and
• inter-country cooperation.

All projects funded from TCP resources must satisfy the criteria established by the Governing Bodies and stated in the Programme of Work and Budget (C97/3 paragraph 993). The achievements of TCP assistance are reviewed through a system of theme-oriented evaluations of a sample of projects in the same field which are reported to the Programme Committee through the arrangements for handling evaluation reports.

434. During the biennium, the Organization received 801 requests, of which 36 percent were approved during 1998-99. The review of the requests found that 31 percent did not qualify for support by the TCP. The remaining 33 percent were undergoing further review and development and will be considered for approval in 2000. On average, about 55 percent of requests led to eventual approval of technical cooperation support, although not necessarily in the biennium during which they were submitted.

435. The number and value of new TCP projects approved is shown in Table 4.1-1. During any biennium the resources available for new project approvals include both the TCP appropriation concerned and the return-flow - the total of unspent balances of approved projects consisting of the difference between approved project budgets and actual delivery of projects during the preceding biennium. Thus, in 1998-99, US$ 99.6 million were available for approval, composed of the Regular Programme appropriation of US$ 87.3 million, the return-flow of US$ 10.8 million and US$ 1.6 million uncommitted funds carried forward from the 1996-97 appropriation. TCP project approvals during the 1998-99 period totalled US$ 92.1 million. The provisional carry-over of uncommitted funds from the 1998-99 appropriation of US$ 7.5 million will be added to the 2000-01 appropriation and be committed for projects. Adjustments resulting from the decentralization process, the introduction of Oracle and the effort to use Technical Cooperation among Developing Countries/Technical Cooperation among Countries in Transition (TCDC/TCCT) arrangements as the main source of international expertise temporarily influenced the project preparation and approval process.

TABLE 4.1-1: NUMBER AND VALUE OF TCP PROJECT APPROVALS AND REVISIONS

436. Resources for TCP remained constant, apart from adjustments for cost increases, from 1992-93 through 1998-99. Due to the increasing complexity of projects and associated inputs, the average cost per project increased steadily from US$ 147 600 in 1992-93 to US$ 221 100 in 1996-97, while the number of projects approved declined from 605 in 1992-93 to 422 in 1996-97. During 1998-99 this trend appears to have stabilized with 430 projects approved at an average cost of US$ 214 200 per project.

437. The structure of TCP assistance has undergone major changes over the last four biennia, as shown in Table 4.1-2. After a steady increase in the share of overall approvals for advisory services to 62 percent in 1996-97, it declined to 50 percent in 1998-99. The decline in advisory services was compensated by an increase in the share for projects related to development support, which were mainly in support of the water control component of the Special Programme for Food Security (SPFS) and which absorbed nearly 10 percent of TCP resources. The proportion of projects providing emergency assistance also increased to nearly a quarter of total approvals in 1998-99. Assistance in training and other categories remained unchanged from 1996-97.

TABLE 4.1-2: PERCENTAGE OF APPROVED TCP ASSISTANCE BY PROJECT CATEGORY

438. The composition of expert inputs in approved TCP project budgets was subject to a major transformation during 1998-99, as indicated in Table 4.1-3. In 1996-97, the share of international expertise at UN rates of overall expertise was about 72 percent but was reduced to 39 percent in 1998-99. A drive to utilize more cost effective means of providing expertise to TCP projects included national consultants, TCDC/TCCT experts and FAO staff, with the result that the share of TCDC/TCCT expertise increased from 8 percent in 1996-97 to 20 percent in 1998-99 and the share of national expertise increased from 14 to 23 percent. There was increasing involvement of FAO staff in TCP projects, indicated by the 17 percent share of total expertise inputs in 1998-99, compared to 6 percent in 1996-97.

TABLE 4.1-3: COMPOSITION OF EXPERT SERVICES IN TCP PROJECTS

439. Values of TCP project approvals by region are shown in Table 4.1-4. A noteworthy development is the increased proportion of resources for Europe, which reached over 10 percent in 1998-99. For Asia and the Pacific, overall approvals have shown a steady decline, while the shares for Africa and Latin America and the Caribbean have remained stable. However, fluctuations from one biennium to another are to be expected, as approvals are dependent on the submission of eligible requests.

TABLE 4.1-4: SHARE OF APPROVED TCP PROJECT RESOURCES BY REGION (PERCENT)

Major Programme 4.2: TCP Unit

Achievements

440. The TCP Unit (TCDT) is in charge of management and coordination of the Technical Cooperation Programme. It continued to ensure that approved projects adhered to TCP criteria and to coordinate appraisal and processing of requests for TCP assistance. The decentralized structures were increasingly involved in the appraisal and formulation of TCP project proposals, coordinated with the operating services and technical units at Headquarters. Performance monitoring during project implementation was carried out by field offices with the support of Regional Offices and Headquarters. Contact with governments was maintained, particularly with the assistance of FAORs, to coordinate and prioritize requests for TCP support. The monitoring of follow-up action and evaluation of the impact of TCP projects continued to be an important component of programme management; two theme-oriented evaluations dealing with apiculture and sericulture and legal assistance were carried out by the Evaluation Service (PBEE).

441. In June 1998, new TCP guidelines were issued to guide the work and management of the Technical Cooperation Programme.