Who we are:

The National Authorising Office (NAO) of the European Development Fund (EDF) is an office in the Economic Management Department in the Ministry of Finance. It assists the National Authorising Officer (NAO) and his deputies in fulfilling, in co-ordination with the Delegation of the European Commission in Zambia, Government responsibilities as defined in Annex IV Article 35 of the ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement. The agreement empowers the Governments of ACP countries to appoint a National Authorising Officer who represents them as contracting agency at the national level in all programmes and measures financed under the EDF.

 

Our mandate

Article 35 of the ACP-EU Cotonou Agreement gives the NAO the following responsibilities:

  • In close cooperation with the Head of Delegation be responsible for the preparation, submission and appraisal of projects and programmes;
  • In close cooperation with the Head of Delegation, issue invitations for local open tender, receive tenders, both local and international (open and restricted), preside over the examination of tenders , establish the results of this examination, sign contracts and riders thereto and approve expenditure;
  • Submit, before issuing invitations for local open tender, the invitation to tender dossier to the Head of Delegation who shall give his agreement within 30 days;
  • Complete the evaluation of tenders within the tender validity period taking into consideration the period required for approval of contract;
  • Transmit the results of examination of and a proposal for placing the contract to the Head of Delegation for his approval within the limits set out in Article 36;
  • Clear and authorise expenditure within the limits of the funds assigned to him; and
  • During the execution operations, make any adaptation arrangements necessary to ensure the proper execution of approved projects or programme from the economic and technical view point

Further, during the execution of operations and subject to the requirement to the Head of Delegation, the NAO shall decide on

  • technical adjustments and alterations in matters of detail so long as they do not affect the technical solution adopted and remain within the limits of the reserve for adjustments;
  • alterations to estimates during execution;
  • transfers from item to item estimates;
  • changes of site for multiple unit projects or programmes where justified on technical, economic or social grounds;
  • imposition or remission of penalties;
  • acts discharging guarantors;
  • purchase of goods, irrespective of their origin, on the local market;
  • use of construction equipment and machinery not originating in the member states or ACP states provided there is no production of comparable equipment and machinery in the member states;
  • subcontracting;
  • final acceptance, provided the Head of Delegation is present at provisional acceptance, endorses the corresponding minutes and, where appropriate , is present at the final acceptance, in particular where the extent of the reservations recorded at the provisional acceptance necessitates major additional work;
  • Hiring of consultants and other technical assistance experts’