The Administrative Capacity Building (ACB) Self-assessment Instrument is designed for use by national and regional Managing Authorities in European Union (EU) Member States. It intends to help the Managing Authorities (MAs) of EU funds under Cohesion Policy better understand their strengths and weakness in terms of administrative and investment management capacities, assess the extent to which their capacity-set supports the effective implementation of their Programme1 over time, and develop targeted solutions to address capacity gaps. Enhancing an MA’s administrative capacity contributes to a more effective institution, and also supports better investment management and investment outcomes. This Self-assessment Instrument covers a comprehensive set of perspectives related to administrative capacities, permitting other authorities that implement or manage EU funds under Cohesion Policy, including the Certifying Authority/the accounting function, national coordinating bodies, etc., could to also use and benefit from it, making adaptations if needed.
This Self-assessment Instrument offers subjective evaluation elements, complemented by insights and good practices to support MAs develop actions that will strengthen capacities pertinent to their administrative needs and priorities. Specifically, national- and regional-level MAs of EU funds under Cohesion Policy can use this Instrument to:
- Identify and prioritise the MA’s administrative capacity gaps in managing EU funds;
- Develop administrative capacity-building actions to address identified gaps;
- Facilitate auto-evaluation of progress over time.