Technical Expert Services (TES) 

Rationale 

Enhancing productivity can be carried out through strengthening the capability of key institutions to provide solutions to evolving and emerging challenges. The approaches can focus on building up and expanding pools of productivity practitioners. Another viable avenue is dissemination of up-to-date productivity tools, techniques, and methodologies.

Background

Continuous efforts and tailored support to facilitate the development of NPOs in dealing with diverse productivity issues and challenges need to be integrated into the overall approach to productivity enhancement in each APO member. 

The Technical Expert Services (TES) Program is the primary vehicle for strengthening the institutional capacities of NPOs and upgrading the technical knowledge and competencies of NPO staff and productivity practitioners through tailored programs conducted by experts and productivity specialists assigned specifically to assist requesting member countries. The TES Program can cover capacity building for NPO staff and related stakeholders in tools, techniques, and methodologies for productivity improvement; and consultancy to resolve productivity-related problems in NPOs and the public and private sectors. It can also follow up other APO projects and support in-country research on specific topics.

Scope

• Train staff of NPOs and related organizations/stakeholders in requesting member economies in the core tools, techniques, and methodologies for productivity improvement.

• Provide consultancy services to resolve productivity-related problems in NPOs, public and private corporations, and organizations in the manufacturing, public, service, and agriculture sectors.

• Organize programs and events related to the productivity movement in combination with other programs such as in-house training, seminars, and consultancy services.

• Conduct programs to follow up and/or further disseminate the results of multicountry projects or other APO programs or projects.

• Implement research projects to address specific topics meeting the needs of a member.

Objectives

Provide tailored support addressing specific productivity improvement needs and assist NPOs and affiliated organizations across economic sectors in upgrading their institutional and technical capacities to enhance productivity. 

Topics

The TES Program covers a broad range of topics to meet the requests and needs of APO members or may be offered proactively by the APO Secretariat in new, emerging areas of competency. TES projects aim to increase national productivity by offering real-world solutions to productivity challenges.

Outcomes

Enhanced institutional capacity of NPOs to deliver productivity initiatives to stakeholders and increased ability of NPO staff to utilize productivity tools/ techniques.

Duration

Maximum of six (6) working days for virtual modality.

Maximum of 10 working days for face-to-face modality (capacity-building and consultancy services), five (5) working days (follow-up projects), and 6 months (research).

• PCEs will apply to selected proposals from large, profit-making organizations (non-SMEs). 

• The PCE rate is fixed at USD150.00 for virtual modality, and USD200.00 for face-to-face modality.

• The APO Tokyo will notify NPOs concerned before issuance of Letter of Assignment of Resource Person.

• PCE is paid directly to APO Tokyo via Bank Transfer. This is collected by APO after the implementation of the TES.

• Participants from government organizations, SMEs, NGOs, and Industry Associations are exempted from PCE.

Selection

Applications are reviewed immediately after receipt by APO Tokyo. Consideration for approval will include assessments of clear, tangible benefits and impact of the projects for member economies. Submission of TES application does not guarantee selection and acceptance by APO Tokyo. 

Appointment of Coordinator

Organizations receiving TES shall assign a staff member to be closely involved in all stages of the implementation of the TES project. This is intended to encourage the staff to understudy the resource person(s) and ensure follow-up actions after departure of the resource person(s) (for the face-to-face modality) and/or after the completion of virtual sessions. The coordinator is expected to perform the following:

Virtual Modality

• Coordinate technical preparations for the digital platform to be used for the TES sessions.

• Provide information related to the project as requested by APO Secretariat or Resource Persons.

Face-to-face Modality

• Arrange local transportation for the resource person, workshop venue, and other logistic arrangements.

• Provide information related to the project as requested by APO Secretariat or Resource Persons.

• Guide the resource person while engaged for the duration of the project (e.g. airport/hotel transfer, scheduling, courtesy visit with NPO/high-level officials).

Coordination with the APO

The DAP must be copy-furnished all communications between the recipient organization and APO Secretariat (Tokyo) for monitoring.

Acknowledgement of APO

Recipient NPOs or beneficiaries are requested to acknowledge the services by displaying the APO logo on banners and other promotional materials, displaying the APO flag, etc. NPOs or beneficiaries are encouraged to issue media releases or feature the TES project on their websites or social media network services. Photographs or copies of such displays and statements should be sent to the APO Secretariat with the evaluation report.

If the project is unable to be completed, the recipient organization must inform the DAP, and APO Tokyo promptly of the reason for the postponement/cancellation. Last-minute postponement/cancellation is likely to result in APO Tokyo incurring unnecessary expenses as well as creating administrative and coordination issues and therefore must be avoided. The timing of the project and the program are to be strictly adhered to by all parties concerned. Under no circumstances, the organizers must postpone or cancel the project without prior agreement in writing from APO Tokyo.

Expense reimbursement and project postponement/cancellation

• The local implementation costs for follow-up projects will be settled after the completion of the project.

• The implementing organization(s) is requested to provide original copies of proof of payment to the APO Secretariat at one time, no later than three months after the follow-up project is conducted. The proof of payment, such as bills, payment records, and receipts, should be issued by third parties and written in clear English or with an English translation if not originally in English.

• The final payment will be made based on the actual expenditure after the implementing organization(s) submits all necessary documents. Internal evidence by the implementing organization(s) including NPOs is not accepted as proof of payment and the expenses claimed by it will not be reimbursed.

• In case of a cancellation after the issuance of the Letter(s) of Assignment to a resource person(s), all costs associated with the cancellation should be met by the party responsible.