This is the final report of the mid-term review of the second phase of the Support to Quality Infrastructure in Agadir Countries (SQIA) financed by Sweden. The purpose of the second phase of the project is to assist the four Agadir countries in the implementation of the Agadir Agreement signed in 2004 with the aim to establish a free trade area between Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia and Jordan. The support focuses on establishing systems and structures to bring down technical barriers to trade (TBTs). The overall expected result is to reduce poverty through boosting trade, increased economic development, and the attraction of Foreign Direct Investments. The support period runs from 2014 to 2018. The local counterpart of the project is the Agadir Technical Unit (ATU) in Amman, Jordan, and the technical assistance is provided by the Swedish Board for Accreditation and Conformity Assessment (Swedac). The review adopts a contribution analysis approach, recognising that there are alternative explanations for the changes observed. The project is but one contribution to a broader process of trade reform in the Agadir countries. The main data collection activities organised by the review team during implementation were a documentation review and semi-structured interviews conducted during a field visits to the Agadir member countries, visits to Stockholm to meet Swedac and the two Swedish partners, and additional Skype interviews. The main limitation of the review is the slow progress of the project, which inhibited any systematic assessment of outcomes, impact and sustainability.

CAWTAR | 2019-02-09 12:03:59

تقارير

​/Agadir Agreement //Support to Quality Infrastructure in Agadir Countries// Technical barriers to trade //SQIA project  and Agadir Technical Unit //Overall Assessment of Inter-regional Trade and cooperation //SIDA//Swedac //Morocco//Jordan//Tunisia//Egypt/​