Professional experience in the rest of the world (besides Africa) since 1993

 

A. Interim of the technical assistance mission team leader in support to the Papua New Guinea EDF NAO

 

1. Dates: 5 weeks in May - June 2018 and on a regular basis between July and December 2018 (backstopping from Brussels or Ndjamena).

2. Location: Port Moresby, Independent State of Papua New Guinea

3. Beneficiary organisation and parties involved: Support to the NAO unit within the Department of National planning and monitoring)

4. Position: Independent consultant specialised in TA to the EDF NAO

5. Responsibilities:

Comprising two main experts, the TA team was confronted at the onset (first month) with the team leader’s defection as to was to take up a 40 months presence including the coordination of a many “short term” experts amounting to 2,320 days as from July 2018.

 

6. Major activities and achievements:

The consultancy managing the contract (Proman based in Luxemburg) being supposed to submit an inception report, Roland Deschamps was required to draft it early June at latest while launching activities foreseen at the beginning of the assignment in his capacity of interim teal leader.

 

6.1. Establish contact with stake-holders:

With the initial support of the M&E expert (a Dutch living in Fiji), contact was established with main parties concerned within the Department (including the head of the support unit), the European Union delegation and some of the projects being implemented.

 

6.2. Support and advice as to the NAO function

The new team tasked within the Department in supporting the secretary for Planning in his capacity of NAO being mostly staffed with young and inexperienced individuals, Roland Deschamps has provided them with advice on a daily basis. Among others concerning monitoring programmes (as the M&E expert was only there for 2 weeks during his stay) or drafting key documents (reports, ToR, monitoring fiches etc.).

 

6.3. Drafting the inception report

It mostly involved highlighting the relevant points contained in ProMan’s proposal while updating the planning of the numerous activities to be carried out notably through the interventions of short term experts and various specialists foreseen as soon as mid 2018. This involved, amongst other challenges, to revisit the baseline studies produced in 2017 in terms of needs and establish priorities in the eyes of both the country and the EU.

This taking into account that the EDF execution was way behind schedule to such an extent that a whole strand of the current one (10th NIP - National indicative programme) had to be left aside, which represented several million euros in the education sector.

 

6.4. Drafting terms of reference for five support assignments to be provided by short term experts

A works reception mission with respect to the rehabilitation of a training centre ending up to be carried out as a matter of urgency, an initial support was provided by Roland Deschamps in drafting the ad hoc ToR which enabled its execution before the end of June. Another specialised intervention regarding a computerised management system for the national financing and monitoring programme of all projects required advice in updating its ToR. Il was afterwards required to draft some ToR for another three short term assignments with respect to:

 - assessing training needs (EDF procedures notably);

 - budget support (general or sectoral) and making use of the EC’s new financial tool (“blending”) enabling the combined mobilisation of resources from other sources (including a regional “Pacific” facility) as well as from the private sector, which requires an assessment as to PNG’s ability to meet its prerequisites;

 - public support to investment: guidelines and procedures included in a national guide needing an important update.

All this was entered upon as soon as June and carried on till December 2018.

 

7. Skills and experience acquired:

This experience allowed Andraman and Roland Deschamps to increase their experience in a part of the “ACP world” unknown to them so far in spite of many an opportunity having popped up as soon as 2009. At the far end of Asia and at the Indian ocean’s threshold, Papua New Guinea is particular in many respects. Formally under the queen of England’s tutorship since its independence obtained from Australia (still very present) in 1975, it faces numerous and major challenges. The near to 7.7 million inhabitants (several hundred ethnic groups, mainly Papuan), very unequally spread out on a rather vast territory (462,840 sq. km) often very rugged and varied topography (many islands) mostly live in situations of great precariousness with a difficult access to basic socio-economical infrastructures outside the capital, which is notoriously one of the most dangerous cities in the world. Although abounding with oil, natural gas, copper or gold and above all forests, agriculture (and fishing) involves some 4/5th of the population. Exploitation of natural gas should have a positive impact on the country’s economy on the medium run, however, in the meantime the country “boast” many a frightening record such as illiteracy and violence towards women. Furthermore, projects benefiting from external support endure a very high staff turnover (comprising expatriated personnel), PNG being very much up to its bad reputation in spite of a very important tourism potential.

Roland Deschamps’ assignment was a success, the inception report having been submitted on schedule and approved by main parties concerned.

ProMan’s director, Mr Tom Bultereys himself to PNG mid-June in order to officially tender it to the NAO office and inform the EU delegation of its major axes. Moreover, although by himself for three weeks, Roland Deschamps rapidly came out as a genuine interim TA mission team leader. He was actually offered, several times, to fill in from July onwards (3 years), which he could only decline as he could not afford to be separated so far away and for such long time periods (9 to 10 months a year).

His mission’s component that consisted in drafting terms of reference for the above described assignments, the last 3 ones more particularly, was also wrapped up in the time-frame convened to the NAO’s office satisfaction allowing the subsequent first short term experts missions.

In spite of the important challenges to take up, Andraman will be happy to go back to both this country or part of the world in the very next years, as from 2020.

 

B. Paris: Provision of a training programme to international civil servants on the role and responsibilities of the EDF National /Regional authorising officer

 

1. Dates: November 2012

2. Location: Paris, France

3. Organisation and parties involved: Institute Perspective, UEMOA (West African economic and monetary union)

4. Position: short-term expert; in partnership with the Perspective institute (Sofreco)

5. Responsibilities: in charge of providing a 5-days training programme to management staff members of the UEMOA commission (based in Ouagadougou) on several matters related to the EDF procedures (PCM, logical framework approach, tender and contracting procedures…).

6. Major activities and achievements:

Design and execution of a one week month training programme (several components) including the role and responsibilities of the NAO and RAO according to the Cotonou agreement and the practical guide, financial, tender and contracting procedures, the design and drafting of a project (including a practical case study) according to the logical framework approach and the priorities in terms of performance monitoring and evaluation.

7. Skills and experience acquired:

As a regional organisation, the UEMOA is regularly tasked with the management of EDF funded programmes with cross border involvement or impact (such as in the transport & communication sector or the environmental management one). This of course requires from staff of such organisations to master EDF procedures on top of project cycle management ones. A first time experience with respect to an assignment specifically devoted to training in an environment dedicated to education and andragogy or vocational training. I indeed usually provide training on PCM and related matters as a component of support to EDF managed projects assignment. A most interesting collaboration with the Perspective institute at Sofreco headquarters and perhaps a first step towards providing training or educational programmes in the area of managing international public tenders and/ or project management.

 

C. Reinforcement of the monitoring and evaluation system of programmes financed by the Belgian survival fund in sub-Saharan Africa (including assignments outside Africa) (cfr. M&E, Western and Eastern Africa webpages for main components)

 

1. Dates: June 2003 – November 2004

2. Lieu: Brussels, Belgium and Rome, Italy (besides frequent missions in sub-Saharan Africa)

3. Organisation: Belgian survival fund (+€250 million.) / Belgian ministry for Foreign Affairs, external trade and Development co-operation, DG « Development » - 6 rue Bréderode, Brussels.

Initiated by the Belgian parliament in 1983, the BSF has 20 implementation partners including the Belgian technical cooperation agency (BTC), NGO from the du North and the South as well as UN agencies and programmes (IFAD & FAO, UNICEF, UNCDF); It finances interventions in region stricken by extreme poverty and/or where famines occur chronically while systematically taking into account problems related to environmental degradation, unequal opportunities between sexes or gender issues as well as the fight against HIV-Aids. The fund is also supportive to fair trade, mutual responsibility or « empowerment » as well as « ownership ».

4. Position: Specially qualified expert in the field of M&E and in this capacity head of the « Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System » project.

5. Responsibilities:

Making sure that the BSF’s principles are respected as to Project cycle management (« PCM » - 6 phases from identification to programming) according to the logical framework approach - or planning by objectives. Its support focuses on food security, based on an integrated participative approach inclusive of all dimensions of poverty (OECD definitions 2001).

I therefore had to make sure that projects supported would include the social dimension (health, education, basic social infrastructures e.g. water and communications), community (or « societal » : iniquities based on status, protection of vulnerable minorities), political dimension (decentralisation and local development institutions), economy (markets, agriculture and the private sector & micro-enterprises, sustainable management of natural resources) and finally, the security dimension at large (sustainability/viability objectives, prevention of natural crises and social instability etc.

My activities would be divided between implementing or reinforcing PMES within projects supported by the BSF and carrying out field missions in the 20 countries concerned. This while collaborating with implementing partners as to the quality of their M&E systems. As the BSF was to be evaluated in 2005, I would assisted in providing it with tools geared at better assessing its impact and its programmes viability, effectiveness, efficiency and relevancy. This required aiming at more coherence through standardisation of management tools and the harmonisation of objectively verifiable indicators more specifically.

Moreover, I chaired the assessment committee to which all project & programme proposals would be submitted. It was required from each one to follow the causality principle of the logical framework approach: baseline analysis (context and stakeholders), problem tree, identification of expected results and objectives, the strategy (means, costs and schedule) to execute according to assumptions and the risk analysis, the resources the PMES could rely on and its procedures, the definition of OVI (« SMART » or « QQTTP » principles), verification sources logical frame matrix.

Every situation, every project must follow the integrated approach (cf. infra 6.2.).

 

6. Achievements and projects mainly concerned:

I was involved with over 12 on-going projects, notably while carrying out field visits (Uganda, Niger, Kenya et Senegal) and systematically reviewed or revised their intervention logic and logical framework matrix of programmes monitored (cf. infra), on top of proposals submitted to the evaluation committee (20+) as well as of all those in their inception phase. This included many an activity in Brussels and Rome as to major components.

 

6.1. Designing of a reinforcement strategy of the Belgian survival fund’s performance evaluation system: In liaison with all project managers and those in charge of PMES for the Belgian co-operation as a whole (Special evaluator cell), I designed and presented (Mars 2004) a strategy (focused on communication) and started implementing it while preparing the BSF’s mid-term evaluation. This included a series of 12 pilot projects.

 

6.2. Workshops/seminars and PMES reinforcement trainings within the BSF (as from Oct. 2003): On a permanent basis, I would build up the managers’ capacities as well as that of the 3 attachés on posting (Bamako, Kampala and Dar-es-Salaam) while reviewing existing procedures and the overall strategy; This included conducting « workshops » sometimes improvised, which would improve existing PMES (notably for assessing new proposals) as well as holding a major workshop in April 2004 at Foreign affairs HQ in collaboration with the Special advisor for M&E, all Belgian NGO involved and UNCDF officials and experts.

 

6.3. Reinforcement of the PMES with IFAD and the FAO: Historical partner of the GSF, having implemented 20 projects since 1995 and responsible for 1/4 of the portfolio. I visited 3 projects (Uganda and Kenya) and met with management in Rome HQ. Moreover, through the « Joint-Programme » unit based in IFAD HQ, I was involved in the PMES reinforcement initiated by IFAD in 2004, following up on our recommendations.

 

7. Skills and experience acquired:

Essentially, an opportunity much better mastering the logical framework approach and its related performance monitoring and evaluation systems, results-based management and planning by objectives. An opportunity to acquire much more knowledge of the reality of project management in the field: Better assessment of the local context and of different implementing partners.

I also developed my capacity in terms of training / knowledge transmission in theses areas through conducting workshops and short training programmes.

 

D. Tax controller in the communal income services of the Saint-Gilles municipality in Brussels

 

1. Dates: November 2002 – May 2003

2. Location: Brussels, Belgium

3. Organisation and parties involved: Income department (falling under the ministry of Finance) of the Saint-Gilles commune (one of the nineteen municipalities that make up Brussels) managed by a municipality income officer;

4. Position: tax controller (« fiscal administration controller ») :

5. Responsibilities: in charge of the recovery of various unpaid fiscal debts not paid within the official deadlines as indicated by the law as to taxes on real estate, personal income and the registration of motor vehicles.

6. Major activities and achievements: according to what stage the recovery procedures of fiscal claims the following up and updating of fiscal dossiers, in collaboration with banking institutions or bailiffs when required ; assist tax payers in the office’s premises, especially those facing possible prosecution.

7. Acquired skills and experience:

The actual situation of some people facing adversity when involved by recovery procedures of fiscal claims in a municipality within Brussels where many of them are from the lower walks of life or society and often of recent immigration flows.

In-depth knowledge of the details of regulations and administrative procedures involved when a communal income officer and his/her department is tasked with implementing them while making sure deadlines and the possibility of recourse are abided by and the constraints faced.

 

E. Experience with a major international consultancy (specific “rest of the world besides Africa component – cf. EPCM and African folders for other responsibilities and achievements)

 

1. Dates: September 1999 to June 2002

2. Location: Brussels, Belgium (with many a assignment to Romania and Tunisia for EU funded programmes)

3. Organisation/ company: MWH Inc. (Montgomery Watson Harza), Belgian sister company of MWH Inc. (USA & UK).

International engineering firm specialised in contracting, turnkey projects and technical assistance in various areas, world leader with respect to water and environmental issues (wastewater treatment, sewers, hydropower, industrial and household waste management) Numbers 5,500 staff and set-ups across the world (Americas, Europe, Africa, Near-, Middle and Far-east, as well as Oceania). Turnover for 2001 fiscal year: € 850 million.

4. Position: Business Manager, seconded to the managing director of the EPC&M (Engineering, Procurement, Construction & Management) department.

5. Responsibilities:

As project manager, I would, amongst other activities, be involved in identifying, responding and following up international tenders issued by States or multilateral organisations which included contracting eventually.

 

6. Major activities and achievements - main projects (refer to the « EPCM » folder on the main webpage, as well as to the « Monitoring & evaluation » and « Donors and international financial institutions » folders) with most notably as to involvement in “rest of the world”:

 

6.1. Rural electrification project in the West bank / Palestine (€ 7.5 million, financed by the Belgian technical cooperation - BTC): topographic surveys, procurement and delivery and execution of the contract as to the provision and installation of electrification equipment for some 30 villages, the supervision of the works executed during some 2 years on location. Responsibilities involved contributing to the tender early 2000 until contracting early 2001.

 

6.2. Child protection support project in Romania (€ 1.5 million, financed by the EC - Phare): Backstopping of the institutional support project to the national office in charge of taking care of abandoned children, which involved preparing the next support programme, assessing the situation, procurement (food, equipment, didactic material) as well as vocational training for management officials and NGO. This project was about to be suspended after six month of implementation and was therefore put under Roland Deschamps’ direct supervision early 2000. It achieved expected results to the client’s satisfaction in December 2001. Responsibilities included managing of a team of local and expatriated staff (30) and many an assignment in Bucharest between August 2000 and October 2001.

 

6.3. Assessment of vocational training in Romania:

In charge of the coordination of a needs’ assessment mission as to vocational training executed by a team of consultants in Jan.-June 2001 for the Romanian ministry of employment & vocational training (financed by the EC and the European foundation for VT in Milan).

 

6.4. Monitoring and evaluation of all programmes financed by the EC in Central and Eastern Europe

As MWH was tasked between 1995 and 2001 in executing the OMAS contract, which consisted in monitoring and evaluating all projects supported by Phare 1989, I was regularly asked to identify qualified experts as I did for the Framework-contract awarded in 2000 (Environment and infrastructure « lots »). It is to point out that MWH has also been awarded the renewal of the OMAS contract in 2001 on top of Tacis monitoring (former USSR countries).

 

6.5. Industrial waste, wastewater management and procurement

In parallel, I seconded the managing-director in preparing tenders for the construction and management of industrial and domestic waste grounds as well as wastewater treatment stations in Bulgaria and Romania (€20to €30 million worth contracts financed by the ERDB and the EC’s Programme); I also looked into the possible implementation of a procurement centre (€ 40 million - MEDA) for Vocational training equipment and material and went on several assignments in Tunis in 2001.

- Evaluation of a telecommunication project (€25 million) in Tanzania financed by Belgium through a State-to-State loan (Sept.-Dec. 2000):

Following a request submitted by Siemens Inc. to secure the rescheduling of Tanzania’s telecommunications system rehabilitation project initiated since 1991, the Finexpo committee (Foreign affairs and Treasury department) tasked us to provide expertise for its evaluation. An expert was sent on location and though a « Performance Monitoring and Evaluation System », included his technical conclusions in a report that was presented to the director general of the Belgian foreign trade office in January 2001;

 

7. Acquired skills and experience:

 

This professional experience with MWH, although initially focused on wastewater and environmental management, would regularly overflow on to other areas (in correlation with Pardevo’s practice and expertise) such as technical assistance or projects / programmes supported by the external and/ or development aid in fields as essential as with respect to public finance and export (see also other above-mentioned headlines):

- Procurement and supply control;

- Cost control, demands and constraints of wide range projects (€40 to 50 million)

It also enabled me to widen my experience through permanent contacts with both local authorities and companies and numerous countries: Eastern Europe, Northern Africa and the Near East, in Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa.

- A project requiring a thorough knowledge in the Belgian ministry of finance procedures as to support through State-to-State loans.

 

F. In charge of monitoring all programmes and projects financed by the United Nations industrial development organisation in Zimbabwe (see M&E, Western and Eastern Africa webpages for main components)

 

1. Dates: June 1995 – September 1998

2. Location: Harare, Zimbabwe, Vienna, Austria and Johannesburg, South Africa

3. Organisation: United nations industrial development organisation (UNIDO). An agency which purpose is to support industry in general in countries that are developing or with economies in transition. Head quarter in Vienna, 169 member States and present in some 35 countries. In 1998, staff amounted to almost 800 and could mobilise some $375 million yearly on top of its own overhead budget (+/- $200 m.).

4. Position: Junior professional officer (seconded by the Belgian ministry of Foreign affairs and international development).

5. Responsibilities:

In charge of the UNIDO within the local UNDP representation in Harare, Zimbabwe, monitoring 4 other austral Africa countries (Zambia, Botswana, Namibia and South Africa to some extent).

My role comprised promoting, coordinating and monitoring various programmes that aimed at improve and optimize the management of natural resources across the industrial landscape.

I would regularly organise project evaluation missions, economic missions, conferences and trainings. I would report to the « Africa » director in HQ (Vienna) and the regional director based in Lusaka (Zambia) as from 1997. I took part in the UNDP management committee and in the coordination meeting of all UN agencies present in Zimbabwe.

6. Achievements:

For 3 years, I oversaw and monitored the implementation of over 15 projects of various sizes amongst some 30 being programmed between 1995 and 1998 in Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries. These programmes would operate following a three-folded strategy:

1. Promoting industrial waste minimisation techniques (« Cleaner production mechanism » - Montreal and Kyoto protocols); this included improving cost control, retreatment planning in order to aim at more efficiency and effectiveness;

2. Industrial restructuring of SME that would sometimes be sister companies of greater international entities (Anglo American, Delta Corp.) within specific sectors such as the leather industry (“from the animal to the shoe”), agro-industry or metal works

3. Promoting foreign investment, notably by introducing financial incentives and marketing techniques linked with support to public sector and scientific research in the areas concerned by the above components.

 

Details of involvement as to main projects in Zimbabwe are provided in webpages “M&E” and Eastern & Southern Africa mostly, but as to work at Vienna HQ more specifically:

 

6.1. JPO training sessions and workshops on PCM and logical framework approach:

Between September 2005 and May 2008, attendance to several training sessions and workshops on project cycle management according to the logical framework approach provisions, which included monitoring & evaluation systems elaboration and information management.

 

7. Skills and experienced acquired between 1995 and 1998:

 

- Expatriation in Southern Africa

- Working for a UN agency and within a multicultural environment;

- In charge of an office with quite a large degree of autonomy;

- The coordination of projects in varied industrial sectors and areas;

- The development of a network of contacts within the scientific and industrial planet throughout:

- Multilateral agencies (e.g. European development fund of the EC) and bilateral co-operation ones (Belgium, Netherlands, France, UK, Scandinavian countries, Germany, Japan, Canada, Italy, United States etc.)

- UN agencies et programmes (UNIDO, UNDD, WFP, FAO, UNIFEM, UNFAP, World bank group – IBRD, IFC, MIGA et IDA, UNV, WHO, UNHCR, WLO-IWB, UNICEF, UNEP, etc.);

- NGO, consultancies and specialised firms in the area of EPCM (project engineering, procurement, contracting and management);

- National and international media.

 

G. Advisor to the minister-president of Belgium’s Walloon region government as to implementing a support for exporting SME programme

 

1. Dates: June 1993 – May 1995

2. Location: Belgium, based in Namur, capital of the Walloon region

3. Organisation and parties involved: Government and parliament of the Walloon region (entrusted in conducting its own economic development and foreign trade policies).

4. Position: Independent consultant, expert in foreign trade.

5. Responsibilities:

- In charge managing the « follow export » unit established in 1993 with the support of the Walloon enterprises union (UWE) and comprising two foreign trade experts;

- In charge of the execution of a Special programme in support to foreign trade geared towards providing advice and incentives to exporting SME (budget € 6.2 million) ;

- Monitoring and supervision (on behalf of the minister-president) of the programmes managed by AWEX (Walloon export agency), notably as to the commercial missions it organises and her network of commercial attachés and lobby men;

- Reporting directly to the minister-president’s chief of staff (2 during those 18 months).

6. Major activities and achievements:

- Coordination of initiatives between the unit, the minister-president’s staff and the UWE’ (staff and members as well as liaising with other ministerial departments, offices and staffs;

- Drafting of numerous briefs and recommendations to the minister’s and his chief of staff’s attention in the field of foreign trade and international affairs;

- Represent the minister-president at AWEX and at several institutions tasked with promoting foreign trade at regional or national/federal level such as the OBCE (Organiser of commercial missions with the king’s brother), the Ducroire (national export insurance), Copromex (export incentives), the Foreign trade fund etc.;

- Prepare the minister’s economic missions abroad and his public interventions (presentations, addresses…) ;

- As a member of many a committee awarding accreditation to specialised consultants;

- Establishment of a collaboration framework between the AWEX and UNIDO as well as similar conventions at bilateral and multilateral levels (ABD, AsDB, ERDB, IBRD, EC);

- Organisation of a conference in Namur with Mr Miklos Nemeth, former Hungarian prime minister, ERDB’s vice president and its director for Belgium, Mr Bernard Snoy ;

 

7. Acquired skills and experience:

 

- This experience in a minister’s office and with the AWEX enabled me to deepen my knowledge of:

- the constraints that SME encounter when willing to export and tackle new markets ;

- the different tools and instruments in the field of foreign trade promotion (OBCE, Copromex, Ducroire, Foreign trade fund, credit facilities abroad, collaboration between SME and larger companies or multinationals etc.) ;

- the programmes of various international financial institutions (development banks, the EC’s Phare, Tacis, ECIP…) in support to companies ;

- the Belgian political world and the country’s national and regional institutions ;

- …as well as establishing numerous relationships with the corporate world in Belgium, in Wallonia particularly