Comments on: The Touchables http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/ Wed, 8 Oct 2008 05:44:40 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.2 By: karakum http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/#comment-1719 karakum Thu, 04 May 2006 02:35:52 +0000 http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/#comment-1719 I can only speak of Turkmenistan. If EU doesn't suspend the program before this generation comes to power, we will do a service to European taxpayers by kicking TACIS out of the country. Which probably means that Europeans should take care of their tax money without waiting for others to do this for them. I can only speak of Turkmenistan.

If EU doesn’t suspend the program before this generation comes to power, we will do a service to European taxpayers by kicking TACIS out of the country. Which probably means that Europeans should take care of their tax money without waiting for others to do this for them.

]]> By: Ataman Rakin http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/#comment-1655 Ataman Rakin Mon, 01 May 2006 07:16:08 +0000 http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/#comment-1655 Not 'all Tacis' indeed and not always de jure, but de facto: yes. Right, I know that Tacis/the EC pushed through some reforms lately; also, mishaps were often more a matter of individuals rather than the institution; yet for years this was the situation and impact can still be felt. Not ‘all Tacis’ indeed and not always de jure, but de facto: yes. Right, I know that Tacis/the EC pushed through some reforms lately; also, mishaps were often more a matter of individuals rather than the institution; yet for years this was the situation and impact can still be felt.

]]> By: night_eulen http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/#comment-1630 night_eulen Sat, 29 Apr 2006 21:00:18 +0000 http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/#comment-1630 Athman, sorry to say this but not all TACIS is relying on local govs collaboration. You also should be aware of political dimension of TACIS IBPP that CANNOT be controlled by local governments. And also to say this for the benefit of the EC, they show some kind of humor with the calls for project proposals. The EC just had a call for proposal for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan where they especially ask for projects promoting the freedom of independent media and grassroot/democrativ development. Well I had a good laugh at it but will now have to sit down and to come up with some ideas... Athman, sorry to say this but not all TACIS is relying on local govs collaboration. You also should be aware of political dimension of TACIS IBPP that CANNOT be controlled by local governments. And also to say this for the benefit of the EC, they show some kind of humor with the calls for project proposals. The EC just had a call for proposal for Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan where they especially ask for projects promoting the freedom of independent media and grassroot/democrativ development. Well I had a good laugh at it but will now have to sit down and to come up with some ideas…

]]> By: Ataman Rakin http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/#comment-1498 Ataman Rakin Wed, 26 Apr 2006 08:04:53 +0000 http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/#comment-1498 IMHO, a major handicap for this kind of technical assistance programmes with a lot of money involved is the de facto, if not contractual, obligation to work via a local government counterpart. Which is normal when you work on, say, a capacity building programme for this or that ministry; yet, once you get into that, be certain that you’re screwed. IOM, it’s largely a cultural/mentality thing. They – the local regime counterparts – don’t see it as a contractual partnership with reciprocal rights and duties but basically as a cash cow, some sort of continuation of Moscow’s subsidies in the Soviet era; as long as the results look good on paper and the money comes in, everything is pod kontrol – just like in the Soviet time. Besides, the fact that structures like Tacis don’t seem to have the best of reputations among wider public opinion in ‘our’ region, is also due to the attitude of some of its international personnel. I mean, I’m sure several of us know examples of the flashy, several-100€-a-day ‘experts’ and other ‘team leaders’ about whom no-one knows what they’re actually experting on save Wein, Weib und Gesang. IMHO, a major handicap for this kind of technical assistance programmes with a lot of money involved is the de facto, if not contractual, obligation to work via a local government counterpart. Which is normal when you work on, say, a capacity building programme for this or that ministry; yet, once you get into that, be certain that you’re screwed.

IOM, it’s largely a cultural/mentality thing. They – the local regime counterparts – don’t see it as a contractual partnership with reciprocal rights and duties but basically as a cash cow, some sort of continuation of Moscow’s subsidies in the Soviet era; as long as the results look good on paper and the money comes in, everything is pod kontrol – just like in the Soviet time.

Besides, the fact that structures like Tacis don’t seem to have the best of reputations among wider public opinion in ‘our’ region, is also due to the attitude of some of its international personnel. I mean, I’m sure several of us know examples of the flashy, several-100€-a-day ‘experts’ and other ‘team leaders’ about whom no-one knows what they’re actually experting on save Wein, Weib und Gesang.

]]> By: night_eulen http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/#comment-1497 night_eulen Wed, 26 Apr 2006 06:46:40 +0000 http://www.neweurasia.net/2006/04/25/the-touchables/#comment-1497 Yes, the EU supports a number of strange projects and the processes have to be reviewed to avoid corruption and missuse of funds. Nevertheless there is a number of good approaches with TACIS that further should be supported, especially the "Institutions Building Partnership Program" which by times is politicised. Yes, the EU supports a number of strange projects and the processes have to be reviewed to avoid corruption and missuse of funds. Nevertheless there is a number of good approaches with TACIS that further should be supported, especially the “Institutions Building Partnership Program” which by times is politicised.

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