To set up Twinning projects, the EU relies on the co-operation and administrative experience of EU Member States, which mobilise public expertise both from public administrations and semi-public bodies. A Resident Twinning Adviser is seconded from the Member State to the beneficiary administration for a period of between 12 and 36 months for the entire duration of the implementation of the Action, and coordinates the project’s activities. 

The work plan of a Twinning project usually foresees short-term and medium-term expert missions, training events in the partner administration, and awareness-raising visits in the Member States.

The partner administration in a Twinning project is a public administration with sufficient staff and absorption capacity to work with a Member State institution having a similar structure and mandate. The partner country must mobilise its staff, demonstrate enduring commitment and ownership, adaptability, and take on board changes and best practices in a sustainable way. Twinning is not a one-way technical assistance instrument but a joint commitment where success is a common achievement.

Twinning projects are implemented with a view to the mandatory results to be achieved. They are usually articulated in components corresponding to the expected results, and foresee a number of activities including workshops, training sessions, expert missions, study visits, internships and counselling. Twinning relies on the ‘learning by doing’ principle and sharing of best practices.