General technical support for the implementation of Slovakia's Recovery and Resilience Plan

The Commission supported Slovakia with enhancing their mechanisms for risk assessment and identification, audit and control frameworks relating to Slovakia’s Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP).

Context

The significant resources available under the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) require public administrations to have adequate capacity to effectively coordinate and monitor the RRP's implementation, along with robust mechanisms for monitoring, reporting, control, and audit. Slovakia's existing control and audit system, while comprehensive, needed to be specifically adapted to the RRF environment. Additionally, there was limited national experience in implementing such a new instrument. A risk-oriented approach, based on the implementation of EU structural funds, could help minimize the risk of low fund absorption and ensure smooth and effective RRP implementation.

Support Delivered

The project provided general support for RRP implementation to enhance risk assessment and control and audit mechanisms. The following support measures were provided:

1) Advice and support in risk assessment and risk evaluation and development of methodology for risk identification; recommendations for setting up of a dashboard of risks and goals and a data model;

2) Methodology and recommendations for adapting the RRF control system, as well as support in developing checklists for controls;

3) Methodology and recommendations for adapting the RRF audit system;

4) Capacity-building actions (trainings / seminars / workshops) aimed at explaining the scope of verification in the performance of controls and audits, as well as identification of serious irregularities.

Result achieved

The project strengthened the capacity of Slovak authorities to implement the national RRP. It provided the basis for enhancing risk, control, and audit frameworks and included various capacity-building activities. Moreover, the project delivered a handbook with recommendations for risk identification and assessment, including a risk register. This handbook is part of the government’s RRP implementation mechanism. The project also developed checklists and recommendations to improve RRF control and audit frameworks. Finally, it offered capacity-building activities for the National Implementation and Coordination Authority (NICA), the Ministry of Finance, and other authorities to ensure effective RRP implementation.

More about the project

You can read the documents related to the project here: