Caribbean Exchange Facility (Caribische Uitwisselingsfaciliteit/netwerk)

With the Caribbean Exchange Network, the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations and VNG are carrying out a memorandum of understanding signed in 2019 for a support network for the islands within the Kingdom. Under this programme, technical assistance is provided to the six Caribbean islands within the Kingdom (St Maarten, St Eustatius, Saba, Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire). The islands are assisted with concrete capacity, learning or advice needs in the field of governance in a broad sense. Topics addressed include local economic development, citizens participation, public services, public administration, etc. The knowledge exchange is organised by utilising experts from Dutch municipalities which carry out short and longer expert missions, and by organising internships from civil servants to these municipalities.

The programme consists of 3 technical components and 1 management component:

1. Longer expert assignments: this concerns assignments involving more than 50 working days of expertise time;
2. Short expert assignments: assignments with a maximum duration of 50 working days;
3. Internships of colleagues from the Caribbean in the Netherlands (at Dutch municipalities and ministries);
4. Administration and management.

Services provided include:

• Developing procedures, formats, selection criteria for expert assignments and internships;
  Organization of information meeting for interested Dutch organisations (municipalities, provinces and departments);
• Organization of start-up meetings with the public entities and countries;
• Processing requests for technical assistance;
• Assistance with filling in expertise request and demand articulation islands;
• Coordination of proposed assignment description with the client;
• Matching experts with request for expertise;
• Contracting of expertise;
• Support with travel and accommodation;
• Organization of start-up meetings per assignment;
• Organization of training for the experts to be seconded;
• Monitoring of assignments;
• Organisation, monitoring and logistics of internships;
• Admin and management for internships;
• Final programme evaluation;
• Final programme audit.