OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION ATLANTIC AREA 2007-2013

1. OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION ATLANTIC AREA 2007-2013 RECRUITMENT FOR JOINT TECHNICAL SECRETARIAT OFFICERS Recruitment Package The Managing Authority September 2007

2. OPERATIONAL PROGRAMME TRANSNATIONAL COOPERATION ATLANTIC AREA 2007-2013 • Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS) • The Atlantic Area transnational programme is a European Commission territorial cooperation programme for the period 2007-2013. This programme is co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The main goal of this programme is to contribute to the territorial cohesion of this area through the cooperation reinforcement between the European Union Member States of the Atlantic seaboard (that includes the 33 Atlantic regions of Spain, France, Ireland, Portugal, and United Kingdom). • In accordance with article 14 of the Regulation ERDF No 1080/2006, the Managing Authority (MA) has set up a Joint Technical Secretariat (JTS) based in Porto (Portugal). • According to the terms of the Programme, the JTS, under the supervision of the Managing Authority, shall be responsible for the day-to-day implementation of the Programme. It shall assist the Monitoring Committee, the Managing Authority, the Certifying Authority and, where appropriate, the Audit Authority, in carrying out their respective duties. This involves in particular: • - Providing the Managing Authority, the Certifying Authority and the Audit Authority with the information, expertise and support to allow the fulfilment of their responsibilities • - Taking all appropriate steps to promote the Programme on the basis of the publicity strategy approved by the Monitoring Committee; this entails acting as the central contact point for the public interested in the Programme, potential beneficiaries and selected/running projects • - Acting as secretariat to the Monitoring Committee: organisation of meetings, drafting of minutes, preparation, implementation and follow up of decisions • - Proactively initiate, facilitate and co-ordinate the generation and development of good-quality transnational projects, in close consultation with the National Correspondents through early mobilisation of key-players and provision of relevant information to project applicants • 1.1 The JTS Positions • 1 Director; • 3 Financial and Operational Managers; • 2 Secretariat and Communication Assistants.

3. 1.2 Functions and Profiles • 1.2.1 Director • a) General Tasks • Coordination, organisation, management and monitoring of the JTS and JTS staff • Coordination in the preparation, management and monitoring of the JTS budget • To assure all the needed support to the Operational Programme (OP) managing structures to the OP implementation and management • Coordination of the Operational Programme promoting actions in collaboration with the National Correspondents • Coordination and supervision of the development of forward studies and strategic guidelines considering the Operational Programme execution • Coordination of internal and external dissemination and communication procedures, namely via web • Coordination of technical and administrative support to the managing structure bodies, namely concerning meetings organisation, minutes drafting, implementation and follow-up of the decisions taken • To ensure technical contacts with the managing structures, the Member States, the National Correspondents and the European Commission • To promote the participation on the articulation process with other Operational Programmes • Guide the support to the managing structure bodies concerning the global financial management, the certifying, the auditing and the control • To participate on the elaboration of annual and final execution reports and other documents concerning to the OP • Representation of the JTS in the Monitoring Committee meetings, Operational Programme and projects seminars and events • To ensure the project application process, including carrying out the calls for proposals, registration, checking and assessment of the received project applications • Preparing the documents needed for the Monitoring Committee • Provide support and advice to the coordinators and project partners concerning development, implementation, contracting, eligibility of expenditure, financial reports and closure and assessment of their projects, in collaboration with the National Correspondents • Contribution to the closure of theInterreg III B Atlantic Area Operational Programme • Coordinate the elaboration of the needed inputs addressed to the preparation of the next programming period

4. b) Basic Requirements: • University degree and experience in the relevant field • Experience of working with international organisations, preferably in the cooperation areas • Knowledge of the European legislation and in particular of the EU Structural Funds regulations and procedures (e.g. the financial management, the certifying, the auditing, the control and assessment of cooperation programmes and projects) • Fluency in English and in at least one of the other three languages of the Atlantic Area • Good computer literacy: Word, Excel, Power Point, Internet; database Preferential Requirements: • Past experience in EU programmes and projects set-up, preferably on structural funds and cooperation • Experience on coordination, instruction, management and evaluation of projects financed by ERDF, namely on the scope of cooperation programmes and projects • 1.2.2 Financial and Operational Managers • a) Officers general tasks (for all the Officers) • Programme implementation • Contribute to ensure a good managing system, follow up and assessment of the Operational Programme • Contribution to the OP publicity and promotion strategy • To organise call for proposals launching • Contribution to the preparation of relevant items for Monitoring Committee meetings • Participation in public events and presentation of relevant topics • Give support to MA to Implementation of the Information System • To collaborate on annual and final reports drafting of the Programme and on other important document Contribution to Annual Implementation Report. • To contribute with periodic information about the Programme to the web site • To give Inputs to the preparation of the next programming period.

5. Project generation and development • To organise call for proposals launching • To support and advise promoters on the instruction process phase, in collaboration with the National Correspondents, especially from a financial point of view • To analyse application packs, coordination and implementation of the technical opinions to support the decisions of eligibility and approval, in articulation with National Correspondentsinaccordance with established for the Operational Programme and the complementary management and implementation regulations and with communitarian and national applicable rules • To assure physical, administrative and financial managing of the approved projects, in collaboration with the national correspondents and the conception and quality of execution reports • Contribution to the projects publicity and promotion Project assessment • Project assessment on the basis of the eligibility and selection criteria • Contribution to the preparation of relevant items for Steering Committee meetings: drafting of assessment reports and other working documents • Follow-up of Monitoring Committee decisions • To assure a good information level concerning the achievement of assessment indicators Project implementation • Follow-up of project implementation: liaison with lead partners of approved projects, guidance on the project implementation, processing of project payment claims twice a year • Assistance and analysis of project modifications: budget line modifications, extensions, content modifications • Liaison with National Correspondents and other relevant bodies • Collection of related data (e.g. performance indicators), analysis of progressive implementation • Continuous monitoring of smooth project implementation, automatic annulation meetings, solution to practical problems, one site visit per lifetime of project. Identify gaps in project development and achievement of objectives

6. Financial officer specific tasks: • Follow-up the procedures on global financial management of Operational Programme • To collaborate with the respective managing structure authorities on the definition and development of the procedures on global financial management and audit • Monitoring the Technical Assistance budget • Monitoring the state of progress of payment claims and related financial issues in general • Maintenance of the financial data in the Information System • Regular update of financial information and European regulations • Other administrative tasks of relevance to finance follow-up (e.g. answer to queries by the Member States, the PA, the MA, the auditors) b) Basic Requirements: • Degree in any relevant field relevant concerning the above tasks • Good knowledge of territorial planning and regional development domains • Good knowledge of the transnational Cooperation Atlantic Area • Good knowledge of the community principles and politics and of administrative and financial community procedures  • Good knowledge of community legislation • Deep knowledge of at least two languages of the Programme (Portuguese, English, French and Spanish) • Good computer literacy: Word, Excel, Power Point, Internet Preferential Requirements: • Knowledge on public policies evaluation • Experience on coordination, instruction and management and evaluation of projects financed by ERDF, namely on the scope of cooperation programmes and projects • Past experience in EU programmes and projects set-up, preferably on structural funds and cooperation and in accordance with the functions to be executed

7. 1.2.3 Secretariat and Communication Assistants • a) General Tasks • Programme and projects promotion • Promotion of the Operational Programme (OP) image • Support OP global animation and diffusion • To maintain the website up-to-date with periodic information about the Programme and the projects • Support projects diffusion during its execution phase and its final results, namely via web • Monitoring Committee meetings organisation and support on its minutes elaboration • Organisation of seminars, informative sessions, meetings, video-conferences and support on its reports elaboration • Support to the annual and final Programme report elaboration and other important documents during its respective validity • Manage Atlantic Area (AA) statistic data base in articulation with the European data base  • Logistic support and technical and administrative assistance to the JTS, namely on the supplement of material and equipment, reception, send and general correspondence organisation • Travels organisation for the managing structure Programme editorial and publishing tasks • Collaborate on the press releases editing • Conception, drafting, publication and dissemination of AA printed and digitalised documents about AA, reports, newsletters, power points, newspapers information, minutes • Organisation and draft of public calls for tenders and projects b) Basic Requirements: • Degree and experience on the fields of communication, marketing, public relations, journalism, data base management and secretariat • Good communication and drafting skills • General knowledge of EU institutions and policies

8. Generic knowledge of the Atlantic Area Regions Experience on contacting with cooperation programmes and projects; • Good domain on computer science: Excel, Word, Power Point, Internet; • Knowledge of languages: Preferential condition: good knowledge of the four languages of the Member States (Portuguese, English, French and Spanish) Minimum condition: deep knowledge of at least two languages of the Member States • 2. Terms and Conditions for Employment • The contract will last until December 2013 but can be prolonged until 2015 at the longest. The contract will be made between the individual and The Commission of Coordination and Regional Development of the North (CCDRN) – Portugal. The working place will be in Porto (Portugal). Salary will be defined according to the position. • 3. Submission of Applications • Candidates are invited to send their applications in English, including the Curriculum Vitae (the CVs should preferable be drafted using the European CV format2), references and copies of relevant certificates. The applications are to be sent by e-mail coop_atlantic@mediacv.com but can also be sent on the web-page www.coop-atlantico.com. • In the subject of the correspondence please quote the position to be filled (e.g.: Director). • Deadline for applications: 21 days followed, from the date of publication in the press.