Monitoring

Monitoring Unit

The Monitoring Unit is responsible for a number of functions relating to the management and implementation of the Operational Programme, the Unit is also responsible for the collection and provision of data relating to financial and physical indicators.

Management of the Operational Programme is the responsibility of the Managing Authority under the control of the Operational Programme Monitoring Committee. The Border, Midland and Western Regional Assembly has been designated as the Managing Authority for the Border, Midland and Western Regional Operational Programme. The Managing Authority shall be responsible for managing and implementing the Operational Programme in accordance with the principles of sound financial management. The implementation of the Operational Programme will be overseen by the Operational Programme Monitoring Committee. The Managing Authority and the Monitoring Committee will carry out their monitoring role with reference to financial and physical indicators.

Managing Authority

The responsibilities of the Managing Authority with regard to the management of the Operational Programme are defined under Article 60 of the general regulation, and include:

1. ensuring that operations are selected for funding in accordance with the criteria applicable to the Operational Programme and that they comply, for their whole implementation period, with applicable Community and national rules;

2. verifying the delivery of the co-financed products and services and that the expenditure declared by the beneficiaries for operations has actually been incurred and complies with Community and national rules, as detailed in article 13(2) of the implementation regulation and in accordance with procedures provided for under article 74 (2) of the general regulation, relating to proportional control arrangements;

3. ensuring that there is a system for recording and storing in computerised form accounting records of each operation under the Operational Programme and that the data on implementation necessary for financial management, monitoring, verifications, audits and evaluation is collected;

4. ensuring that beneficiaries and other bodies involved in the implementation of operations maintain either a separate accounting system or an adequate accounting code for all transactions relating to the operation without prejudice to national accounting rules;

5. ensuring that the evaluations of Operational Programmes referred to in Article 48(3) are carried out in accordance with Article 47;

6. setting up procedures to ensure that all documents regarding expenditure and audits required to ensure an adequate audit trail are held in accordance with the requirements of article 90;

7. ensuring that the certifying authority shall receive all necessary information on the procedures and verifications carried out in relation to expenditure for the purpose of certification;

8. guiding the work of the Monitoring Committee and providing it with the documents required to permit the quality of the implementation of the Operational Programme to be monitored in the light of its specific goals;

9. drawing up and, after approval by the Monitoring Committee, submitting to the Commission the annual and final reports on implementation;

10. ensuring compliance with the information and publicity requirements laid down in Article 69;

11. providing the Commission with information to allow it to appraise major projects; and

12. chairing and providing the secretariat for the Monitoring Committee.

Monitoring Committee Membership

Membership of the Monitoring Committee comprises inter alia representatives from:

• the Managing Authority;

• the Department of Finance;

• Government Departments involved in the implementation of the OP (or their Agencies);

• the Special EU Programmes Body;

• the Regional Authorities;

• Regional Bodies;

• Each of the four Social Partners Pillars; and

• appropriate statutory body(ies) to represent each horizontal interest: social inclusion, gender equality and sustainable development.

The Commission’s representation will serve on the Monitoring Committee in an advisory capacity.

In general, membership will be confined to representatives for each of the above interests. Where feasible and appropriate, membership of the Operational Programme Monitoring Committee will additionally contain representatives of intermediary bodies and sectoral interests. Gender balance will be promoted on the Monitoring Committee. The Managing Authority will provide the chairperson for the Monitoring Committee.

Monitoring Committee Responsibilities

Under Article 65 of the general regulation, the Monitoring Committee shall satisfy itself as to the effectiveness and quality of the implementation of EU co-financed expenditure, in accordance with the following provisions:

1. it shall consider and approve the criteria for selecting the operations financed within six months of the approval of the Operational Programme and approve any revision of those criteria in accordance with programming needs;

2. it shall periodically review progress made towards achieving the specific targets of the Operational Programme on the basis of documents submitted by the Managing Authority;

3. it shall examine the results of implementation, particularly achievement of the targets set for each priority axis and the evaluations referred to in Article 48 (3);

4. it shall consider and approve the annual and final reports on implementation referred to in Article 67;

5. it shall be informed of the annual control report, or of the part of the report referring to the Operational Programme concerned, and of any relevant comments the Commission may make after examining that report or relating to that part of the report;

6. it may propose to the Managing Authority any revision or examination of the Operational Programme likely to make possible the attainment of the Funds’ objectives referred to in Article 3 or to improve its management, including its financial management; and

7. it shall consider and approve any proposal to amend the content of the Commission decision on the contribution of the Funds.

Rules and procedures of Monitoring Committee

Subject to compliance with the principles set out in the foregoing paragraph, and the institutional, legal and financial framework of Ireland, the Monitoring Committee will be responsible for drawing up its own rules of procedure and agreeing them with the Managing Authority in order to exercise its responsibilities in accordance with the general regulation.

The Managing Authority will provide the Monitoring Committee with the information required to carry out its functions. Intermediary bodies will provide physical and financial progress reports covering the reporting period to the Managing Authority and these will be compiled and synthesised by the Managing Authority. Where decisions are required to be made between meetings, the Managing Authority, with the approval of the Monitoring Committee Chairperson may convene additional meetings or request that the decision be made by means of a written procedure.

Regions for Economic Change

In the framework of the Regions for Economic Change Initiative, the Managing Authority commits itself to:

1. Make the necessary arrangements to welcome into the mainstream programming process innovative operations related to the results of the networks in which the region is involved;

2. Allow in the Monitoring Committee the presence of a representative (as an observer) of the network(s) where the region is involved, to report on the progress of the network's activities;

3. Foresee a point in the agenda of the Monitoring Committee at least once a year to take note of the network's activities and to discuss relevant suggestions for the mainstream programme concerned.

4. Inform in the Annual Report on the implementation of the regional actions included in the Regions For Economic Change initiative.

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Membership of Operational Programme Monitoring Committee 2007-2013

Monitoring Committee Progress Reports 2007-2013

Monitoring Committee Meetings Minutes 2007-2013

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For more information please contact:

Mr. Barry Guckian - Programme Executive - Phone: 094 9862970 or Email: bguckian@bwmwassembly.ie

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Ms. Fiona Flynn - Clerical Officer - Phone: 094 9862970 or Email: fflynn@bmwassembly.ie

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