The Programme’s management is based on a country-driven approach and aimed at promoting development strategies owned and led by the local country governments.
Thus, it is entirely entrusted to the official Chinese counterparts, at national (Ministry of Commerce; Ministry of Finance) and provincial (Department of Commerce; Department of Finance) level. The support to the Chinese institutions involved in the Programme runs across the whole public row, from the national to the provincial level. This course of action, specifically designed to guarantee coherence with national policies and to develop a shared vision and commitment, promotes an efficient and effective partnership between all parties involved. The Programme governing structure comprises the following bodies:

National Monitoring Committee (N.M.C)
The National Monitoring Committee is a national level body, entrusted to verify the consistency of submitted project proposals with the Programme’s objectives, to approve funds allocation and to monitor the Programme’s implementation. It is composed of a representative from the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM), a representative from the Ministry of Finance (MOF) and a representative from the Italian Embassy/Development Cooperation Office in Beijing (UTL).

Provincial Programme Management Office (P.P.M.O.)
The Provincial Programme Management Offices are provincial level bodies, entrusted with the Programme management especially to design project proposals together with the project schools and to oversee project activities carried out by the Implementing Agencies. Each PPMO is led by a representative from the Provincial Department of Commerce (DOFCOM) and a representative from the Provincial Department of Finance (DOF).

Technical Assistance and Monitoring Unit (TAMU)
The Technical Assistance and Monitoring Unit provides technical assistance to the above-mentioned structures on designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the Programme’s activities. The TAMU is composed of Italian experts under the supervision of the Italian Embassy/Development Cooperation Office in Beijing (UTL).

Further agencies, specifically appointed to carry out Programme tasks and implementation, are:

Procurement Companies
For each beneficiary Province, a Procurement Company, appointed by the Chinese counterparts, is in charge of implementing all the tender procedures related to the Programme. As specifically stated on the Vocational Training Programme’s Memorandum of Understanding, the legal framework of the procurement is the one of the EC services, supplies and works contracts with third countries. The appointed companies are the MIMETALS Tendering Group for Sichuan Province and the CITC Tendering Group for Shaanxi Province.

Auditing Companies
Two different auditing companies, respectively in charge of grant funds and soft loan funds, have been selected with the task of auditing the financial transactions related to the Italian funds and evaluating the regularity and compliance of administrative procedures during Programme’s implementation. The appointed auditing companies are the Deloitte Touche and Tohmatsu for grant funds and the National Audit Office for Soft Loan Funds.

Executing Companies
The Executing Companies, which have been awarded the contracts after international competitive tendering, are in charge of providing trainings and technical assistance in different fields, both in Italy or China, as well as of supplying or upgrading teaching equipment to the project schools. The Implementing Companies appointed are Agmin Italy, Humanitas Spa and ELIS/UNILE.

Relationship among the entities involved in the Programme