INDIVIDUAL SERVICE CONTRACT FORECAST

Technical Assistance to the National Statistics Office (INSTAT) and its Regional Offices

Albania

1. Publication reference

EuropeAid/126978/C/SER/AL

2. Procedure

Restricted

3. Programme

CARDS 2006

4. Financing

22.02.05.02 Completion of CARDS Assistance

5. Contracting Authority

European Community, represented by the European Commission on behalf of and for the account of Albania.

6. Nature of contract

Fee-based

7. Contract description

The wider objective of the project is to further develop the transformation of the statistical system towards the needs of a democratic and market oriented society and to ensure some level of harmonisation of statistical methods with EU requirements in view of the future country’s integration in the EU. More specifically, the purpose of this contract it to consolidate the support of the existing technical assistance to the National Statistics Office (INSTAT to develop improved regional analytical systems and procedures, in order to: (i) inform the process of decentralisation; (ii) enhance the viability of the regional development strategies; and (iii) move towards compatibility of Albanian regional breakdowns with those of the EU Member States. This will involve the reinforcing of the capacity at statistical regional offices to enable systematic data collection, entry and analysis for a core set of indicators.

8. Indicative maximum budget

EUR 600,000

9. Intended timing of publication of the procurement notice

September 2008

10. Additional information

NA

11. Legal basis

Council Regulation (EC) No.2666/2000 of 5 December 2000 (OJ L/306) as amended by the Council Regulation (EC) No. 2415/2001 of 10 December 2001 (OJ L/327) and by Council Regulation (EC) No. 2257/2004 of 20 December 2004 (OJ L/389), modified by Council Regulation (EC) No. 2112/2005 of 21 November 2005 (OJ L/344) on access to Community external assistance.

Remarks:

There must be a minimum period of 30 calendar days between the publication of this contract forecast and the publication of the corresponding procurement notice.

No applications or requests for information should be sent at this stage.