The Overall objective of the project was to foster poverty reduction and promote a more balanced economic growth and regional and local development of the regions in Azerbaijan through the expansion of the non-oil sector and support to the implementation of the "State Programme on the Socio-Economic Development on the Regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan" (SPSEDR). Specific objectives included the following:

1. Improve the institutional structure of the Regional development Secretariat and Regional offices of the Ministry of Economic Development Offices' and their capacity to implement Regional development programmes and promote regional economic development. This involved the assistance in training the regional authorities in formulation of development plans and their implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

2. Prepare recommendations for enhancement of the legal framework, e.g. drafting legislation on better distribution of responsibilities between municipal and regional and national authorities, legal advice on WTO accession, policy advice on trade promotion and removal of barriers to trade and export.

3. Assist the Secretariat and Regional MED offices in promoting Business Entrepreneurship and Agricultural initiatives development, through Business centres development, setting up funds for job creation and enterprise development and improvement of qualifications of local labour force.

4. Assist AgrarCredit to improve banking standards increase its lending base and facilitate agriculture and rural development.

Tacis project of technical assistance to the Ministry of Labour and Social Development of the Russian Federation. The project aimed at strengthening the functioning of the Ministry and Employment Services at the regional and local levels, and supporting the authorities' capacities in the formulation and implementation of active labour market policies, The pilot projects, implemented in the regions of Russia, were related to such issues as:

1. Capacity Building of the Ministry of Labour and Social Development and its regional offices;

2. Social Partnership and local labour markets;

3. Vocational training in local labour markets;

4. Development of integrated Information Systems for monitoring and analysis of labour market demand and supply;

5. The development of entrepreneurship in rural locations, etc.

The project focused on the development of regional strategies for addressing impacts of privatisation and enterprise restructuring at the local (city-region) level and development of policy recommendations for implementation of these strategies nationwide (through the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of Kazakhstan). In particular, the project involved the study of socio-economic situation of Aktyubinsk region and based on the findings selection and implementation of three pilot projects. Examples of such pilot projects relate to such issues as:

1. Employment generation through entrepreneurship development, micro-credit fund establishment, business networking in a single-enterprise town of Alga, Aktyubinsk region.

2. Health care – development of GP training and services (including curricular development for GPs and nurses, conduct of courses)

3. Promotion of higher education in economics

These activities contributed significantly to national policy development in these areas.

The overall objectives of the project was to strengthen the design and management of human resource development programmes taking into account the needs of the labour market in Kaliningrad oblast so as to achieve sustainable economic development of the region. The purpose of the project was:

1. To improve the capacity of regional decision makers and practitioners to design and manage labour resource development programmes in the region through technical assistance and policy advice

2. To improve the performance, effectiveness and labour market relevance of the regional education and training system by developing adequate career guidance and counselling practices

3. To develop a continuous training system which took into account labour market requirements through promotion of human resources development in enterprises and increasing interaction between companies, training providers and regional authorities.