Since 2005 the EU has assisted the Ministry of Territorial Administration (MTA) in stimulating the thinking on regional development by providing Technical Assistance (TA), e.g. including the review of the concepts, mechanisms and best practices necessary to promote, implement and sustain regional development.
The specific objectives of the project are as follows:
-Continue with identification of strategic actions for economic and social development within Armenia, to address the existing (growing) disparity at the regional and local levels;
-Develop the competencies and capacities of key regional institutions (Marzes and possibly inter-community unions/associations) and specifically the institutional capacities of responsible line-ministries at the central level to ensure the efficient administration and management of agreed regional strategic actions and local projects (including actions under EaP, such as Pilot Regional Development Programmes (PRDP), and ENPI);
-Define, develop and support management methodologies and mechanisms at the central level and regional levels to ensure that the projects (including actions under EaP, such as PRDP, and ENPI) are monitored transparently to secure the expected outcomes and impacts against predetermined verifiable indicators;
-To ensure that the actions generated (including actions under EaP, such as PRDP, and ENPI) are derived from the agreed national and regional strategies and programmes supported by the Government (and international donors) under the recently updated Sustainable Development Programme (SDP) and also reflecting the agreed Marzes Plans (10) and possibly the Consolidated Community Groupings.