Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago

Technical Cooperation Unit

The Technical Co-operation Unit is the national focal point for interfacing with Governments, Regional and International Agencies on technical cooperation, and for accessing and facilitating the transfer of technology and expertise towards sustainable development.  Technical Cooperation includes a range of assistance activities (including projects, consultancies, provision of experts and study tours) designed to develop national capacity through improvement in the level of skills, knowledge, technical know-how and productive aptitudes of the population.

Main sources of Technical Cooperation

  • International Institutions/Organizations and
  • Bilateral Cooperation Arrangements

Technical Assistance in Trinidad and Tobago is largely donor driven (i.e. it is responsive to offers of assistance from international agencies/organizations and donor countries). However there are several bilateral cooperation initiatives.

Work of the Division

International Institutions/Organizations

This involves the administration and implementation of technical assistance programmes and projects from multilateral and international agencies such as the United Nations (UNDP, FAO etc.), Organization of American States (OAS), the Commonwealth Secretariat and other international bodies.  The Unit liaises closely with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other line Ministries and Agencies to ensure timely and efficient project submissions as well as monitoring of ongoing projects.

Bilateral Arrangements

This entails accessing cooperation through existing and proposed bi-lateral technical co-operation agreements with other countries.  There are a number of technical co-operation initiatives between countries such as Brazil, Mexico, China, Japan and India which are currently being pursued.

Core Functions

The Core Functions of the Unit include:

  • Coordinating with  and providing  assistance toMinistries and Agencies with the formulation and submission of  project proposals for technical cooperation;
  • Ensuring that projects/ programmes proposed are in accordance with National Development goals and that development priorities are advanced by technical cooperation initiatives;
  • Monitoring the implementation of approved projects;
  • Provision of information on technical cooperation opportunities to public sector agencies and civil society;
  • Assessment of the demand and supply of technical cooperation as it contributes to meeting the priority needs of the country;
  • Accessing all possible sources of technical cooperation to meet identified needs;
  • Coordination among donor agencies to ensure there is no overlap of technical cooperation and to minimize gaps;
  • Facilitating Technical Cooperation between Trinidad and Tobago and other developing countries (South-South Cooperation);
  • Collaborating with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant agencies on bi-lateral Technical Cooperation Agreements;
  • Liaising closely with local representatives of International Organisations.