Title: Programming Manual / Date: 7/11/2013 16:26
Version: 13.01
Programming Module Manual

Contents

1.Introduction: the working plan

1.1.Objectives

1.2.Background

2.Input of Strategy Papers and Indicative Programmes

2.1.General principles

2.2.Entering a strategy paper/indicative programme

2.3.Definingsectors

2.4.Enteringsector codes

2.5.Attaching scanned copies of the original signed documents

3.Strategy paper management

3.1.Finding a strategy paper

1.Introduction: the working plan

1.1.Objectives

This module meets the objectives of:

(1)centralising access to country/regional/thematic strategy papers (SPs) and National/Multi-annual/Regional Indicative Programmes (IPs). These documents set out the guidelines and principal objectives by country and specify an overall amount covering a period of several years;

(2)dividing the overall amount in a programming document between each identified sector;

(3)monitoring sectoral implementation in the phases of the project cycle from identification to evaluation.

1.2.Background

When the IP has been registered in CRIS-Data entry, the link between programming and the other project cycle phases will be automatically established. The link with CRIS-Consultation will need to be maintained for the EDF.

The reference to a working plan is to be made compulsory for all new projects.

2.Input of Strategy Papers and Indicative Programmes

2.1.General principles

In order to ensure a harmonised approach to this process it is important that the following general principles are respected:

(1)The geographical directorates in DG DEVCO are responsible for the registration of SP/IP falling under their responsibility.

(2)The information included in CRIS should follow what is documented in the IPs. As DAC codes need to be encoded, there may be cases where DEVCO have to interpret what will be covered in a sector (see point 4). Once the registration has been completed the responsible Directorate in DEVCO should inform their counterpart in the EEAS.

(3)Once DEVCO has agreed on the IP information registered in CRIS, this information can only be modified following a review of the Indicative Programme.

(4)Indicative Programmes are registered used the DAC Sector Codes. As a minimum the DAC Level 1 must be used. (Example: 110 - Education, 120 - Health etc.). However, where the IP is more explicit DAC level 2 and/or 3 should be used. (Example: 112 - Basic Education; 12281 – Health Education etc.).

(5)Where the IP provides a budgetary range for a given sector (e.g. € 60 – 90 million) the average figure should in general be registered. However, to ensure that the “spirit” of the IP is fully reflected in CRIS, the fact that the figure is an average should be registered in the “information box”. Where average figures are not used, the “information box” should briefly explain how the budget has been established.

(6)Where a budget-component in the IP covers more than one DAC sector, without the IP providing a detailed breakdown, the total budget should in general be split in equal parts between each of the identified sectors. However, to ensure that the “spirit” of the IP is fully reflected in CRIS, the fact that the figures registered are the result of a calculation should be registered in the “information box”. Where the available budget is not split in equal parts, the “information box” should briefly explain how the figures have been established.

2.2.Entering a strategy paper/indicative programme

  1. LOGIN: Go to DEVCO's intranet page, click on the "CRIS" section, then click on "CRIS APPLICATION".
  2. Type your ECAS user ID and password.
  3. Choose the language you wish to work with (EN – FR).
  4. Click on the “PROGRAMMING” menu

Important!If you are adding a new SP/IP please skip to step to step 9. If you are adding a missing SP/IP you must first find out what reference number to use (see steps 5-8).

  1. In the “PROGRAMMING” menu click on the Search submenu
  2. In the search screen, fill in the “zone benefitting from the action” field of the paper/programme : from the list, choose the country or (if several countries) region targeted by the paper/programme you wish to encode
  3. Click on Submit. You will reach the “search results” page. Here is an example of a search result on papers and programmes for KH (Cambodia)
  1. Determine the future reference number of your paper/programme. Look at the existing numbers in the “reference number” column. Note down the next unused number (in the above example 1 to 4 have been used so the next unused number is “5”).
  1. Click on the “PROGRAMMING” menu and then on the “CSP/NIP/RIP” submenu
  1. Click on “New”.

  1. Start with “domain” by double-clicking in the yellow field.

For programmes funded by the EDF, choose European Development Fund in all cases.

For programmes funded by the General Budget, always choose the appropriate region, e.g. DCI-ALA for Argentina, except in the case of thematic programmes, (which is the only time when you should choose a thematic domain, e.g. DCI-EDUC)

  1. Double-click in the “zone benefitting from the action” and encode the value following the instructions in point 5
  2. Go to “title” and type the exact title of your CSP/NIP + the period in years (for example Country Strategy Paper Zambia 2007-2013). For the European Development Fund, it is advisable to also indicate under which EDF the paper/programme is financed.
  3. Go to “global amount” and type the total allocation ( for the EDF: “A+B” envelopes).Then type the required dates in the four “white fields”

Start date: as indicated in the paper/programme you are encoding.

End date: as indicated in the paper/programme you are encoding.

Signature date: date the document was signed with the partner country, as indicated in the paper/programme you are encoding.

Value date of amounts allocated (optional): encode the date on which the breakdown of the amounts was agreed upon with the country. If there is a review and you modify the total amount/envelop or the distribution between sectors, specify the new date from which the updated amounts/distribution become officially valid. Then in the “comments” field type in the old amounts/distribution and old “value date of amounts allocated” for information purposes (if you don’t do that the information will be lost). (optional)

  1. Add an (optional) comment regarding the paper/programme.
  2. Click on submit.
  1. To modify this screen, click on the “modify” button and change the necessary data using the instructions above
  2. You have succeeded in completing the first window of this module.

2.3.Definingsectors

  1. Now click on“Focal/Non Focal Sectors” to go to the second window.
  2. Click on “New”. Type in the “title” box the first focal sector as defined in your CSP/NIP e.g. “Sustainable agriculture”.
  3. Then go to “Information” and in the bigger box type a paragraph not more than 500 letters presenting the objectives and results expected in this focal sector (you can copy and paste a relevant paragraph from your CSP/NIP. So have it open in your computer while you encode)
  4. Then click on “Submit”. The title of your focal sector will appear at the top and its description at the bottom of your window.

Repeat the last three steps for each focal and non-focal sector. You may if you wish be more specific in the non-focal sectors. This means that you can type e.g. “Non-focal sector – HIV/AIDS”, “Non-focal sector – Trade” etc. For the EDF it is suggested that your last non-focal sector be called “B-envelope”.

You can always go back and modify it once you know which actions and in which

sector the B envelope will be used. The only thing you have to do is click on “modify” and then “submit”.

  1. To modify this screen, click on the “modify” button and change the necessary data using the instructions above

You have now succeeded in completing the second window of this module.

2.4.Enteringsector codes

  1. Now click on “DAC code”. Before you start you need to have next to you the OECD DAC codes.
  2. Now click “New”.
  3. Double click the “sector codes” yellow window to have the whole DAC sectoral list. Remember that you may have more than one sector within a Focal sector.
  4. It is also important at this stage to "define the amount” (in € or %) you wish to allocate for each sector within the focal sector allocation. For example, within the “Sustainable agriculture” focal sector you may specify that DEVCO focus support on “land resources” (€ x or y%), “water resources” (€ z or a%) and “livestock” (€ b or c%). In this way, you are indicatingclearly to DEVCO where you, as a programmer, want to see the EU support going and which lines the identification of the project should follow.

  1. Having in mind what was just mentioned, you choose the sector, then click either on “breakdown in amount” or “breakdown in %” depending how you want to show your breakdown. Then you go to “Breakdown data” and type either the amount or the %. In case you use %, it should be against the global allocation and not against the focal sector allocation.
  2. Go to “Strategy Paper Reference.” (the three yellow fields).
  3. Double click in the first yellow box and you’ll have a list of all the countries. Select the same zone benefitting from the action as in the General Information tab.
  4. Then double click at the second yellow box and you’ll see the title of all the CSP/NIP for the selected “zone benefitting from the action”. Select the one you are currently encoding
  5. Then go to the third box and double click to get the list of your focal sectors. Select the focal sector in which the selected sector is part of. Click on submit.
  6. Repeat steps24 to 32for each sector included in each focal sector and each time click on submit. Remember, in case you choose to allocate funds as a % of the total envelope, that the total should be 100. You have now successfully completed the third window of this module.

2.5.Attaching scanned copies of the original signed documents

  1. Now click on “Attached documents”, to add the official signed version of the document, for example the text of the CSP/NIP and its annexes, Country information sheets, annual reports, reviews, mission reports etc which will be accessible to DEVCO and EEAS.
  2. To do so click on“New”.
  3. Type in the “Document title” box the title of the document.
  4. Then double click on “Extension code” box and choose the type of document you are going to attach e.g. .doc, xls, htm, pdf etc.
  5. Then choose the language of the document by double clicking the “Language” box e.g. FR, EN …
  6. Then choose the document type by double clicking the “Document type” box e.g. Country Strategy Paper (CSP).
  7. In the “document source” field, select the value SG VISTA, to indicate that you are going to record a hyperlink to a document from the Vista system.
  8. A new field opens “Link/reference”, in which you must enter the reference of your document in the VISTA system: Be careful! If the Vista reference is C(2013)124, you must enter C/2013/124 (replace the brackets with slashes). You must respect the upper- and lowercase lettering otherwise it won't work.
  9. Now click on submit. The title of the document is displayed at the top and has become a hyperlink to the document in VISTA.
  10. Repeat steps 35 to 42for each document you wish to attach to the CRIS programming module.
  11. To check, double-click on the title to open the document. You have now finished encoding your paper/programme.

3.Strategy paper management

3.1.Finding a strategy paper

The search mechanism is the same as in other CRIS Data entry modules. You can find the strategy paper by using the "Search by key" when you know the reference of the paper or "Advanced search" functions by defining your search criteria in the "Strategy paper" tab.

The search results are displayed as follows. In the example below, the selection is based on the zone benefitting from the action.

1