The question
Why do pre-accession allocations convert to contracts at very different rates between municipalities in the same country, under the same rules?
The finding
The difference is capacity at municipal level, not national framework. Cities with a permanent, trained procurement function convert; cities that rely on external consultants for each procedure do not, because the capacity leaves with the consultant.
Implication for programming
Preparation and capacity support have to be funded before the capital instrument, not alongside it.