The International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (The World Bank) and the Republic of Serbia agreed a loan of 100 million dollars to be used for the funding of the Competitiveness and Jobs Project that will be implemented in Serbia by 30 June 2019.
The bilateral Loan Agreement was signed on 7 October 2015, while the Law on Confirmation of the Agreement was adopted by the National Assembly of the RS on 29 December 2015. On being published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Serbia (under the section International Agreements) No. 24/15, the Agreement entered into force on 7 January 2016.
The Project aims to improve the efficiency and coordination of selected public programmes with a view to diminishing hindrances to competitiveness and job creation but also to investment and export promotion, innovation, active employment measures, labour market intermediation, and engagement of social welfare beneficiaries and their transition to formal employment. The Project is focused on a targeted set of feasible reforms of public policies in place and the efficiency of their implementation, particularly those policies identified as key drivers of competitiveness in the business sector and job creation through the Bank’s analyses and other relevant analyses.
Activities mainly target areas where the Government spends substantial resources but intends to better exploit available resources. Therefore the Project is focused on more efficient spending of available funds instead of increasing the state expenditure. Apart from three reform dimensions, namely in the business sector (industrial policies and exports), labour market (active employment measures), and science (the reform of the science sector), through the Public Policy Secretariat the Project will be improving horizontal coordination of the improvement of public policy management in these areas.
Project activities will be implemented by the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Labour, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs with the National Employment Service, the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development in coordination with the Innovation Fund, and the Public Policy Secretariat as the main beneficiaries.
The PPS has the role of the central Project coordinator (horizontal coordination) and chairs the Interdepartmental Working Body of the Government which was established on 14th January 2016 with a view to providing support to reforms and improving the public policy management in these areas.
More information about the Project can be found here.
PROJECT ACTIVITIES
- At the second session the Interdepartmental Working Body of the Government adopted the Project Operations Manual – POM, this having been one of the last preconditions for the loan effectiveness. The document contains rules of the Project, methods, guidelines, specific development plans, standard documentation templates, and procedures for Project realisation. The POM will help operative implementation of all project activities, reporting, and the control of results.
PDF Project Operations Manual Competitiveness & Jobs Project in English
ESMF – Environmental and Social Management Framework in English - On 5 May 2016 the World Bank approved the Report that was adopted at the constituting session of the Interdepartmental Working Body which was held on 23 February 2016. The Report comprises the Interim Financial Report and the Report on Fulfillment of Retroactive DLI for 2015 (performance indicators on whose fulfillment the disbursement of loan funds hinges).
Project reports for 2016
July-December 2016 progress report
2016 Annual Performance Report of the PPMC system - INFORMATION ON THE CONTRACT AWARD – DEVELOPMENT OF SECTOR POLICIES (2a.2.5.1.) WITHIN THE COMPETITIVENESS AND JOBS PROJECT
Contract Award Sector Policy Development - INFORMATION ON THE CONTRACT AWARD – THE ANALYSIS OF PERFORMANCES OF THE REAL SECTOR AND THE ANALYSIS OF VALUE CHAINS (2A.2.5.2.) WITHIN THE COMPETITIVENESS AND JOBS PROJECT
Contract Award Performance and Value Chain Analysis of Selected Sectors 2A.2.5.2. under competitiveness and jobs project - CONTRACT AWARD INFORMATION – PROCUREMENT OF IT EQUIPMENT AND SOFTWARE (B.G.1.1.) WITHIN THE COMPETITIVENESS AND JOBS PROJECT
B.G.1.1._IT_Equipment_Contract-AwardINFORMATION ON THE CONTRACT AWARD FOR THE PROCUREMENT OF OFFICE FURNITURE
B.G.1.2. Office Furniture Contract-Award SER
B.G.1.2. Office Furniture Contract-Award ENGINFORMATION ON THE CONTRACT AWARD FOR THE STAKEHOLDER OUTREACH ACTIVITIES (B.1.7) WITHIN THE COMPETITIVENESS AND JOBS PROJECT
Contract Award ENG Stakeholder Outreach Activities B.1.7INFORMATION ON THE CONTRACT AWARD FOR AUDITING SERVICES WITHIN THE COMPETITIVENESS AND JOBS PROJECT FOR 2016 (the period from 29 December 2015 to 31 December 2016), 2017, 2018, and 2019 (ending on 30 June 2019) (B.1.5.)
Audit Contract Award B.1.5.REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST – ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST (B.1.6.)
2017 0606 REoI Environemtal and Social Managament Specialist B.1.6. - SESSIONS OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY (IWB)
– FOURTEENTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELD
– THIRTEENTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELDThe thirteenth session of the IWB was held on 28 June 2017.
The session was called so as to ensure a timely development of the Progress Report for January-June 2017.
It was inferred that all Project participants – beneficiaries of funds had timely received standard reporting forms, while the emphasis was put on the Narrative Report and the Action plan for overcoming hindrances in the achievement of planned results.
In general, in the Narrative Report and the Action plan for overcoming hindrances one can bring up certain issues and point to the Project segments that might need to be redefined (e.g. amended, complemented, deleted, or the key indicators, deadlines, and procedures elaborated in greater detail).- TWELFTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELD
– ELEVENTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELD
– TENTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELDAt the tenth, regular session of the Interdepartmental Working Body that was held on 21 February 2017 the Decision on Adoption of the Draft Progress Report for the Competitiveness and Jobs Project for the period 1 July-31 December 2016 and the Draft Annual Performance Report for the System of Public Policy Planning, Monitoring and Coordination in 2016 was adopted.
On adoption, drafts of both reports were forwarded to the World Bank for substantial comments needed to prepare proposals of the progress report and the performance report. With the adoption of these reports at the next, 11th session of the Interdepartmental Working Body all the prerequisites for the withdrawal of loan funds will be met.
Members of the Interdepartmental Working Body voted unanimously for the adoption of both drafts.- NINTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELD
– EIGHTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELD
– SEVENTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELDThe seventh session of the Interdepartmental Working Body for Planning, Monitoring and Coordination of Public Policies in Competitiveness and Employment was held on 13 October 2016.
Within the framework of the envisaged reporting cycle, the appendix to the Project Progress Report that refers to the improvement of the system of planning, coordination and monitoring of public policies in the area of competitiveness and employment was considered. The participants also discussed the establishment of the result-based management system in the form of an appendix to the Report on the Progress of the World Bank Competitiveness and Jobs Project for the period 1 January-30 June 2016.
The Appendix to the Report is a response to the Bank’s request that the progress made in the establishment of the system of planning, monitoring and coordination in the Project beneficiary institutions be detailed. The system will be introduced as a general model into the public administration, and this is one of the targeted Project outcomes.
Through the adoption of the integral text of the Report on the Progress of the World Bank’s Competitiveness and Jobs Project that contains the stated appendix, conditions were met to submit to the World Bank the request for the withdrawal of loan funds that is linked to results attained so far.
Progress Report of the World Bank Competitiveness and Jobs Project for the period 1 January-30 June 2016.
Report on the Establishment of the System for Public Policy Planning, Monitoring and Coordination- SIXTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELD
– FIFTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELD
– FOURTH SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELD
– THIRD SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELDThe third session of the Interdepartmental Working Body for Planning, Monitoring and Coordination of Public Policies in Competitiveness and Employment was held by electronic correspondence on 12 May 2016.
In accordance with the Rules of Procedure, all members of the Working Body were asked to electronically declare themselves for or against the items of the Agenda, to which they ultimately had no objections.
In addition, members of the Working Body unanimously adopted the minutes of the second session of the Interdepartmental Working Body that was held on 28 March 2016, and the Procurement Plan that had been approved by the World Bank.- SECOND SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION OF PUBLIC POLICIES IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELD
– CONSTITUTING SESSION OF THE INTERDEPARTMENTAL WORKING BODY FOR PLANNING, MONITORING AND COORDINATION IN COMPETITIVENESS AND EMPLOYMENT HELD