[{"bbox": [140, 152, 1134, 234], "category": "Text", "text": "2021-2025. Under delegated cooperation arrangements, AFD is also accredited to manage European Commission funds set aside to support partner countries. As such, AFD has proven experience in focusing on common goals while promoting alignment of EU interests, policies and values."}, {"bbox": [140, 244, 1134, 326], "category": "Text", "text": "On iii) AFD has demonstrated its capacity to provide advisory services, capacity building and technical assistance through its work in partnership with the Government of Lao PDR and partners, enabling smooth facilitation of policy dialogue, advisory services and capacity development."}, {"bbox": [140, 337, 1134, 445], "category": "Text", "text": "Therefore, indirect management through AFD is assessed to be the best option to ensure a fully integrated and coherent implementation of the component 1 of the Action, while also ensuring full compliance with the EU's requirements of minimum contract size and EU visibility. France is anticipated to contribute 34% of the total cost of the proposed action which will be channelled through and implemented by AFD."}, {"bbox": [140, 482, 1122, 562], "category": "Text", "text": "The specific objective 2: Increased participation of local communities, particularly women, in strengthened forest-based value chains for sustainable use and conservation of forests, may be implemented in indirect management with Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit GmbH (GIZ)"}, {"bbox": [140, 573, 1134, 629], "category": "Text", "text": "This implementation entails a contribution to the achievement of the specific objective (outcome) and the three corresponding outputs specified in 3.1 (2) 2.1,2.2,2.3 and 2.4."}, {"bbox": [140, 640, 758, 668], "category": "Text", "text": "The envisaged entity has been selected using the following criteria:"}, {"bbox": [178, 668, 524, 694], "category": "List-item", "text": "i) experience working in the sector;"}, {"bbox": [178, 693, 1093, 720], "category": "List-item", "text": "ii) experience in promoting alignment of EU interests, policies and values in partner countries; and"}, {"bbox": [178, 720, 1134, 774], "category": "List-item", "text": "iii) expertise in providing advisory services, capacity building and/or technical assistance to the public and civil society sectors."}, {"bbox": [140, 785, 891, 813], "category": "Text", "text": "On i) GIZ has demonstrated experience in Lao PDR and in the region, in forestry."}, {"bbox": [140, 824, 1134, 958], "category": "Text", "text": "On ii) GIZ, as part of the German Development Cooperation, is fully integrated in the planning and implementation of the European Joint-Programming process in the Lao PDR, including the current Team-Europe Strategy 2021-2025. Under delegated cooperation arrangements, GIZ is also accredited to manage European Commission funds set aside to support partner countries. As such, the organisation has proven experience in focusing on common goals while promoting alignment of EU interests, policies and values."}, {"bbox": [140, 969, 1134, 1050], "category": "Text", "text": "On iii) GIZ has demonstrated its capacity to provide advisory services, capacity building and technical assistance through its work in partnership with the Government of Lao PDR and partners, enabling smooth facilitation of policy dialogue, advisory services and capacity development."}, {"bbox": [140, 1060, 1134, 1169], "category": "Text", "text": "Therefore, indirect management through GIZ is assessed to be the best option to ensure a fully integrated and coherent implementation of the component 2 of the Action, while also ensuring full compliance with the EU's requirements of minimum contract size and EU visibility. Germany (BMZ) is anticipated to contribute 51% of the total cost of the proposed action which will be channelled through and implemented by AFD and GIZ."}, {"bbox": [140, 1179, 1134, 1260], "category": "Text", "text": "If negotiations with the above-mentioned entities fail, that part of this action may be implemented in indirect management with alternative entities, the Commission's services may select another replacement entity using the same criteria. If the entity(ies) is(are) replaced, the decision to replace it(them) needs to be justified."}, {"bbox": [140, 1271, 1134, 1327], "category": "Text", "text": "If negotiations with the above-mentioned entity fail, that part of this action may be implemented in direct management in accordance with the implementation modalities identified in section 4.3.3 below."}, {"bbox": [128, 1383, 733, 1414], "category": "Section-header", "text": "### 4.3.2 EFSD+ operations covered by budgetary guarantees."}, {"bbox": [128, 1427, 1145, 1561], "category": "Text", "text": "A part of this action may be implemented through budgetary guarantees under indirect management. The budgetary guarantees would fall within the following priority areas of the MIP 2021-27 to guarantee private investment in the agriculture/forestry values chains in the TICAF programme (TEI flagship programme) and to support access to finance to SMEs especially in green economy sectors. This will be through a different financing decision under the European Fund for Sustainable Development (EFSD+)."}, {"bbox": [1027, 1681, 1144, 1706], "category": "Page-footer", "text": "Page 27 of 30"}]