The Practitioner’s Network for European Development Cooperation is an open platform for exchange, coordination and harmonisation between European public agencies, administrations or development banks in charge of the implementation of official development assistance.
The European Commission’s development arm, EuropeAid Development and Cooperation Directorate-General, is a member of the Network, along with 10 other institutions from Member States or within the community of the European Union. They differ in size and scope from the established French, German, Spanish and UK institutions for development (AFD, GIZ, KfW, AECID and DFID) to some of the newer donors such as the Czech Development Agency and Slovak Aid. The countries of our members, together with the European Commission, represent over 70% of the ODA of the European Union.
Within the Network, there are four thematic groups for topics considered of particular relevance for effective collaboration between practitioners. They propose joint works on specific issues within their domain and coordinate other initiatives related to that overall theme. These groups and some exemplary activities are:
- Climate change, energy efficiency and renewable energies: workshops on measuring carbon footprint of projects, and clean development mechanisms
- Division of labour and modes of delivery: workshops linked to aid efficiency such as delegated cooperation, or a collective contribution to the consultation on the reform of the European Commission’s financial regulation
- Quality management: workshops on evaluating development results
- Institutional development and human resources: joint training in the field of European development cooperation
However, the Network is not limited to these thematic areas alone and seeks to remain flexible in offering support to any member initiative or request that is relevant for European development practitioners.
Annual meetings are open to agency Directors and other aid experts and enable exchange and debate on current global issues and how they affect our organisations, both individually and as part of European development cooperation. This year’s annual meeting is scheduled to take place in London, hosted by DFID, on 19-20 May.
The European Development Days (EDD) also provide an annual opportunity for European development practitioners to come together. For the 2010 EDD, the Network manned a stand at the Brussels event and organised a well-attended high-level panel discussion on small and medium-sized enterprises as motors of development. Speakers included dynamic entrepreneurs from Kenya and Tunisia, one of whom took part in a video interview for capacity4dev.eu.
How does the Network operate?
Steering of the Network is carried out through the Core Group which meets several times a year. The recently established Network Coordinator, based in Brussels, supports the core group, the Network Presidency and other Network activities and screens the European Agenda and Members’ priorities and planned activities, identifying and prioritising possible subjects of common interest and proposing subsequent joint activities.
The Presidency of the Network devolves on an annual basis to one of the member agencies. At present (from May 2010 to May 2011) the Presidency is with DFID. In this position they are able to suggest themes for the Network work programme, such as Gender Equality in Development, and to schedule events under the auspices of the Network.
The Network invites all European public agencies, administrations or development banks in charge of the implementation of official development assistance, to participate to its activities and help generate a growing mutual understanding between European actors on good practice, in line with the principles of the Paris Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
How to get in touch
For further details about the Network, including membership, see the website: www.dev-practitioners.eu, or contact the Network Coordinator directly: katja.legien@dev-practitioners.eu.
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