Overall Management Structure for all IPA Operational Programmes

The IPA Programme is basically managed on three levels:
1. The overall IPA programme level – coordination, management, evaluation and control applying to all five IPA Operational Programmes
2. The OP level – the level of programming, managing and coordinating the different Operational Programmes (including Priority Axes, Measures and Operations)

3. The implementing level – through the CFCA the grant schemes and projects are tendered, contracted after evaluation and payments are made.


1. The overall IPA programme level


 The four key bodies with overall responsibility for IPA with all its five components are:

• The Ministry of Regional Development is responsible for overall preparation and coordination of the IPA Programme and its Operational Programmes in its function as National IPA Coordinator (NIPAC)
• The Ministry of Finance is authorising payments through the National Authorising Officer (NAO) and managing and distributing funds through the National Fund (NF) Division
• The Competent Accrediting Officer (CAO) as an independent body is accrediting and monitoring the payments (NAO and NF in the Ministry of Finance) as well as the management & control systems of all IPA Operating Programmes
• The Audit Authority (AA) is a separate agency reporting to the CAO, the NAO and to the EC results of audits carried out on the IPA Operating Programmes.

2. The OP level


For all Operational Programme the following logic of programming and managing applies: the Body Responsible for Operational Programme (BROP) is responsible for the management of the entire Operational Programme while the Bodies Responsible for Priority Axis/Measure (BRPM) are responsible for the management of individual priorities/measures.



3. The implementing level


The Central Financing and Contracting Agency (CFCA) is responsible for tendering, contracting, billing, accounting, reporting of procurements, technical assistance and grant scheme projects.