NTU as the leader of the consortium has been short-listed for the "Danida Framework Agreement for technical assistance to identify, formulate, appraise and review development programmes and projects"

The overall objective of Denmark's development cooperation is to combat poverty and promote human rights, democracy, sustainable development, peace and stability. This is to be accomplished through a human rights based approach targeting four strategic priority areas, respectively 1) Human rights and democracy, 2) Green growth, 3) Social progress; 4) Stability and protection (The Right to a Better Life. Strategy for Denmark's Development Cooperation, 2012). The specific objective is the provision of teams of consultants for each of the following steps in the programme cycle: — Identification — Formulation — Appraisal — Review There are currently 24 priority countries for Danish development assistance: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Benin, Bolivia, Bhutan, Burkina Faso, Burma/Myanmar, Ethiopia, Ghana, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Mozambique, Nepal, Niger, Pakistan, Palestine, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Vietnam, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The subjects to be addressed under each of the thematic areas will vary within the different country programmes, but below are examples of the types of subjects that may be included under the four thematic areas. Human rights, democracy, and governance - Democracy, including parliaments, elections, media, and oversight mechanisms - Human rights - Institutional reforms, including decentralisation, public financial management, and tax reform - Anti-corruption - Rule of law and justice systems strenghthening, including access to justice, legal reform, and security sector reform - Social accountability and dialogue mechanisms - Civil society development - Inclusion of marginalised and excluded groups, including rights of indigenous peoples Green growth: - poverty reduction and sustainable development through green growth - generation of income and employment especially for the youth - business environment and related regulatory reforms, public private dialogue - green growth based on sustainable management and use of natural resources - renewable energy and energy efficiency - improved technology and financial service in the areas of agriculture, forestry, energy, water and climate - poor peoples' increased participation and access to water, land, knowledge and finance. Social progress: - social sector financing and institutional development; - health systems analyses and development; - sexual and reproductive health and rights, HIV/AIDS - education sector systems analysis and development - facilitation of student-centred learning processes - development of effective teaching support systems - universal access to health and education, social protection, particularly for poor and vulnerable groups Stability and protection: - conflict prevention, dialogue and mediation - state building and peace building in conflict affected and fragile settings, - integration of the principles under the New Deal and the International Dialogue in programming - poverty reduction, social development, growth and job creation in conflict affected and fragile settings - strengthen resilience among vulnerable groups as well as efforts for disaster prevention and disaster risk management - strengthened cooperation with regional and multilateral organisations in fragile and conflict-affected states.