[{"bbox": [85, 145, 639, 176], "category": "Section-header", "text": "# 4 IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS"}, {"bbox": [85, 208, 384, 240], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 4.1 Financing Agreement"}, {"bbox": [97, 257, 1054, 313], "category": "Text", "text": "In order to implement this action, it is envisaged to conclude a financing agreement with the Republic of Botswana"}, {"bbox": [85, 333, 513, 365], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 4.2 Indicative Implementation Period"}, {"bbox": [97, 424, 1117, 514], "category": "Text", "text": "The indicative operational implementation period of this action, during which the activities described in section 3 will be carried out and the corresponding contracts and agreements implemented, **is 60 months** from the date of entry into force of the financing agreement."}, {"bbox": [97, 521, 1123, 582], "category": "Text", "text": "Extensions of the implementation period may be agreed by the Commission's responsible authorising officer by amending this Financing Decision and the relevant contracts and agreements."}, {"bbox": [85, 673, 443, 705], "category": "Section-header", "text": "## 4.3 Implementation Modalities"}, {"bbox": [97, 729, 1133, 818], "category": "Text", "text": "The Commission will ensure that the EU appropriate rules and procedures for providing financing to third parties are respected, including review procedures, where appropriate, and compliance of the action with EU restrictive measures⁶."}, {"bbox": [85, 849, 617, 879], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 4.3.1 Indirect Management with a pillar assessed entity"}, {"bbox": [97, 945, 1133, 1004], "category": "Text", "text": "This action may be implemented in indirect management with an entity, which will be selected by the Commission's services using the following criteria:"}, {"bbox": [97, 1018, 1135, 1169], "category": "Text", "text": "* Nature of the action: The entity/(ies) is/(are) likely to be Member State development agencies or other Member State pillar assessed entities with a clear track record in the implementation of policies and programmes in the field of digital transformation, e-government, e-democracy and cybersecurity to support the implementation of the SmartBots Strategy across a range of sectors and experience in the delivery of similar projects in the past that focus on innovation, digital, transformation with a strong focus on sustainability (SDGs)."}, {"bbox": [97, 1183, 1135, 1274], "category": "Text", "text": "* Operational capacity: The entity/(ies) to be entrusted with the implementation of the action will have a track record in implementation through indirect management of projects of similar size and scope and will have sufficient operational capacity to implement the action or components thereof successfully"}, {"bbox": [97, 1288, 1135, 1375], "category": "Text", "text": "* Value-added: The entity will have experience in project-based cooperation either on country or institutional level and an adequate setup to ensure a transfer of knowledge, processes and frameworks to the Government of Botswana."}, {"bbox": [97, 1391, 1135, 1451], "category": "Text", "text": "* Transparency and absence of conflict of interest: The entity and its members must have no conflict of interest in the design and implementation of the action."}, {"bbox": [85, 1586, 1145, 1663], "category": "Footnote", "text": "⁶ www.sanctionsmap.eu. Please note that the sanctions map is an IT tool for identifying the sanctions regimes. The source of the sanctions stems from legal acts published in the Official Journal (OJ). In case of discrepancy between the published legal acts and the updates on the website it is the OJ version that prevails."}, {"bbox": [1027, 1680, 1145, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 26 of 30"}]