While the drafting process of the CSPs and RSPs is in all cases intended as a dialogue-driven exercise, important differences exist with regards to the Commission’s obligations in this area.

• For the ACP countries, there is a legal obligation to elaborate the CSP jointly with the partner government. Each ACP country is thus required to appoint a senior government official as its National Authorising Officer.
  
  
• For the countries under the responsibility of DG RELEX (ALA, MEDA, CARDS and TACIS coutries), the CSP shall be prepared in consultation with the partner government, but its final agreement to the CSP is not obligatory. Once formally approved, though, the CSP is in all cases shared with the partner country.

The National Authorising Officer (NAO)

As stated in the Cotonou Agreement, the National Authorising Officer (NAO) is appointed to represent his/her country in all operations financed from the resources of the Fund managed by the Commission and the Bank. In this condition, the NAO is responsible for, inter alia:

• The preparation, submission and appraisal of projects and programmes in close cooperation with the Head of Delegation;
• Also in close co-operation with the Head of Delegation, issue invitations for local open tender, receive tenders, both local and international, preside over the examination of tenders, establish the result of this examination, sign contracts and riders thereto and approve expenditure;
• Submit, before issuing local open invitations to tender, the invitation to tender dossier to the Head of Delegation who shall give his agreement within 30 days;
• Clear and authorise expenditure within the limits of the funds assigned to him/her.