project management manual en
TRANSCRIPT
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ProjectManagement Manual
QSF Quality of Service Fund
New edition
(April 2006)
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Table of contents
Page
Preamble ...................................................................................................................................... 5
Chapter I General overview
Article 1 Role of the Board of Trustees of the Quality of Service Fund (QSF) in project
management matters.................................................................................................. 5
Article 2 Applicability of the Manual......................................................................................... 5
Article 3 Guiding principles ...................................................................................................... 6
Chapter II Development and submission of project proposals
Article 4 Responsibilities of postal administrations................................................................... 7
Article 5 Procurement of material and services ......................................................................... 8
Article 6 Proposals of postal administrations with insufficient QSF funds................................. 9
Article 7 Design of project proposals Project Application Form............................................... 9
Chapter III Verification and approval of project proposals
Article 8 General provisions.................................................................................................... 11
Article 9 Preliminary verification by the QSF Team................................................................. 12
Article 10 Verification by the Board of Trustees ........................................................................ 12
Article 11 Approval and project clearance................................................................................. 13
Article 12 Disagreement with Board decisions.......................................................................... 14
Chapter IV Implementation of projects
Article 13 Principles ................................................................................................................. 14
Article 14 Prescribed reports .................................................................................................... 15
Article 15 Treatment of final reports by the Board of Trustees .................................................. 15Article 16 Communication, press ............................................................................................. 16
Chapter V Evaluation of project results
Article 17 Principles ................................................................................................................. 16
Article 18 Implementation of project review .............................................................................. 16
Chapter VI Global, regional and joint projects
Article 19 Global projects ......................................................................................................... 17
Article 20 Regional projects ......................................................................................................17
Article 21 Joint projects ........................................................................................................... 18Article 22 Principles .................................................................................................................18
Article 23 Role of the UPU and the Restricted Unions............................................................... 18
Article 24 Responsibilities of the UPU, Restricted Unions and postal administrations............... 19
Article 25 Procurement of materials and services ..................................................................... 19
Article 26 Design of project proposals Project Application Form.............................................19
Article 27 Approval and project clearance................................................................................. 20
Article 28 Implementation of projects ....................................................................................... 20
Article 29 Prescribed reports .................................................................................................... 20
Article 30 Treatment of final reports by the Board .................................................................... 21
Article 31 Evaluation of project results..................................................................................... 21
Article 32 Rules applicable to global, regional and joint projects............................................... 21
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Chapter VII Responsibilities of various bodies involved in the management of projects
Article 33 Principles ................................................................................................................. 21
Article 34 Postal administrations.............................................................................................. 22
Article 35 QSF Team ................................................................................................................ 22
Article 36 UPU Regional Advisors ............................................................................................. 22
Article 37 Board of Trustees ..................................................................................................... 23
Article 38 Postal Operations Council ........................................................................................ 23
Chapter VIII Recommendations and remedial measures
Article 39 Recommendations .................................................................................................... 24
Article 40 Obligations, sanctions.............................................................................................. 24
Chapter IX Final provisions
Article 41 Effective date............................................................................................................ 24
Annexes
Annex 1 Project Application Form
Annex 2 Statement of Commitment
Annex 3 Inception report
Annex 4 Interim report
Annex 5 Final report
Annex 6 Project Change Request
Annex 7 Request for payment
Annex 8 Acknowledgement of receipt of the funds
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Preamble
The Beijing Congress approved the terminal dues system comprising the Quality of Service Fund
(QSF) and the Bucharest Congress adjusted and maintained this mechanism.
Projects to be supported by the QSF shall be carried out in countries benefiting from QSF funds,under the responsibility of the national postal administration (Creditors).
The Board of Trustees1 shall be responsible for the management of the QSF. The rules, terms and
conditions to manage the QSF are laid down in the following documents:
the Deed of Trust and its supplemental agreement (Statutes of the QSF),
the Project Management Manual,
the Financial Management Manual.
The Deed of Trust (DoT) describes the legal framework of the QSF, stipulating the rights and
obligations of all parties involved. The Financial Management Manual (FMM) describes the billing
and payment procedures, the fund management, the accounting procedures as well as general
financial matters.
Chapter I General overview
Article 1
Role of the Board of Trustees of the Quality of Service Fund (QSF) in project management matters
1 The execution of the QSF management is entrusted to the Board of Trustees. In accordance
with the terms of article 1 of the Deed of Trust, the responsibilities of the Trustees shall includethe approval of proposals submitted by Creditors, the ongoing evaluation and audit of project
management and execution, and management and administration of the Secretariat (QSF Team).
Article 2
Applicability of the Manual
1 This Manual, the Project Management Manual (PMM), describes the terms and conditions
for the development and submission of project proposals, the project approval procedure, the
implementation of projects and the process and procedures for monitoring and evaluating
projects. Further, this Manual provides the templates to be used for all project managementmatters. The provisions of this Manual comply with the principles laid down in the Deed of Trust.
The Deed of Trust shall take precedence over this Manual.
2 The Board may modify, amend or depart from any provisions other than those concerning:
Article 1 Role of the Board of Trustees of the Quality of Service Fund (QSF) in project
management matters
Article 2 Applicability of the Manual
Article 3 Guiding principles
Article 5 Procurement of material and services
Article 7 Proposals of postal administrations with insufficient QSF funds
Article 9 Preliminary verification by the QSF Team
____________
1 Hereinafter referred as the Board
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Article 10 Verification by the Board
Article 12 Disagreement with Board decisions
Article 13 Principles
Article 14.2 Prescribed reports
Article 18 Implementation of project review
Article 19 Global projects
Article 20 Regional projects
Article 21 Joint projectsArticle 22 Principles
Article 23 Role of the UPU and the Restricted Unions
Article 25 Procurement of material and services
Article 31 Evaluation of project results
Article 34 Postal administrations
Article 35 QSF Team
Article 36 UPU Regional Advisors
Article 37 Board of Trustees
Article 38 Postal Operations Council
Article 40 Obligations, sanctions
Article 41 Effective date
3 Notwithstanding point 2 concerning the powers of the Board to effect immediate
modification, amendment or departure from the provisions of the Deed of Trust, the Board has
the right to recommend to the POC any change to the provisions it considers appropriate.
Article 3
Guiding principles
1 The exclusive aim of the QSF is the improvement of the quality of the letter-post service, in
particular the speed, reliability and security of international mail exchanges. Projects involving
services not connected to terminal dues, such as hybrid mail service, parcels, EMS and financial
services are not eligible for QSF funding.
2 Projects may be designed to improve the quality of the universal postal service, as defined
under paragraph 7.2.1 of the DoT, in the following fields: access to services; speed and reliability,
security; liability and treatment of inquires; customer satisfaction; design and implementation of
costing and pricing systems and quality development plans. The Creditors may define the specific
objectives for each of these fields, however, any such specific objective and proposal respectively
should relate directly to the macro-objectives stated. The Creditors shall also set goals for each of
the established objectives, providing details about the timeframe, etc.
3 The project proposals of the postal administration(s) should not include recurring or follow-
up costs (operations, etc.), except the costs regarding systems (such as tracking systems) for
measuring the quality services.
3.1 Funds for the operational costs (licence fees, software, labels and telecommunication fees) of
systems for measuring quality of service may be obtained only for the first year of the
systems operation. However, the Board of Trustees may decide, on a case-b- case basis, to
extend the financing of operational costs within the framework of a QSF project beyond the
first year of the systems operation.
4 All projects and activities should include the active involvement (in cash and/or kind) of the
postal administration(s) submitting the application. Unless otherwise indicated in Chapter VI of
this Manual, the same rules apply to global, regional and joint projects.
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5 Postal administrations should ensure that the QSF budget requested for its project does not
exceed 96% of the QSF assets available. This reserve will allow provision for any withdrawals of
QSF assets relating, for example, to the Trust's project evaluation costs or administrative costs.
This percentage may be revised each year by the Board of Trustees.
6 Postal administrations of countries benefiting from the QSF, and to whom funds are
available, are entitled to submit applications. By agreement with the postal administrations
concerned, applications for global, regional and joint projects may also be submitted by groups ofpostal administrations or on their behalf by the UPU (International Bureau) or a Restricted Union
as stipulated in Chapter VI Global, regional and joint projects of this Manual.
7 It is recommended that a quality development plan (QDP) or an abstract of it be submitted
to the Board along with the project proposal. The purpose of this recommendation is to ensure
that each individual project is an integral element of an overall improvement in quality of service,
and that subsequent and preceding projects progress logically. Where a QDP does not exist in a
creditor postal administration, it is recommended that one be prepared as an initial QSF project.
It is understood that QDPs are strategic documents which should remain valid for several years
and that QSF cannot fund updating of an ongoing quality development plan.
7.1 Postal administrations whose projects involve the preparation of a quality development planmust ensure that any future QSF proposals they submit should fit within the parameters of
that plan. A postal development plan or a strategic plan is to be considered the equivalent of
a quality development plan.
7.2 Project proposals that do not fit within the parameters established by the QDP should be
properly justified.
8 Projects must follow a logical development concept. A sustainable improvement of the
quality standard may be achieved only if the individual projects are based on the quality status
achieved to date (in operational, technological and organizational terms).
9 All project objectives and results must be realistic, achievable, quantifiable and sustainable.
Monitoring and evaluation must be performed during and after project implementation in line with project plans and when recommended by the Board. Only recognized and appropriate
evaluation and measuring procedures shall be applied. Postal administrations are asked to define
specific and quantified quality indicators directly relating to the projects objective, with which to
monitor progress made on implementation of the project.
9.1 For projects aimed at improving the speed or reliability of the postal service, postal
administrations will be obliged to participate in UPU quality of service measures,
particularly continuous and sequential quality testing. Relevant results should be
submitted to the Board together with the final report, once the QSF project has been
completed.
10 As a general rule, the information required, the approval process and the project monitoringand evaluation shall be in proportion to the size of the project.
Chapter II Development and submission of project proposals
Article 4
Responsibilities of postal administrations
1 The responsibility for the development of project proposals rests with the postal
administration applying for funding. However,postal administrations are at liberty to utilize the
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expertise of their Regional Adviser, Restricted Union or a consultancy firm to assist them in their
project design and proposal.
1.1 If a postal administration requests the UPU Regional Adviser support in drafting a project
proposal, the travel costs related to the mission may be included in the project budget. The
same rule applies if a postal administration requests the support of another postal
administration to draft a project proposal.
2 The postal administration shall nominate a National Coordinator authorized to negotiate
with the QSF Team and the Board.
3 The postal administration must ensure that project proposals, reports and other documents
are submitted in either English or French only.
Article 5
Procurement of material and services
1 Any procurement must support the aim and objectives of an individual project.
2 Procurement of material purchases of material equal to or lower than 50,000 USD shall be
made by obtaining pro forma invoices from three suppliers. Purchases above 50,000 USD shall be
made by open national/international tender.
2.1 When a proposal provides for the procurement of different types of equipment (e.g. vehicles,
computer equipment, letter boxes) for a total amount, all types of equipment combined,
exceeding 50,000 USD, it will be necessary:
to launch an open national/international tender for each category of equipment whose
budget exceeds 50,000 USD, for example when the "vehicles" budget on its own
exceeds 50,000 USD;
to obtain pro forma invoices from three potential suppliers for each category of
equipment whose budget taken in isolation is below 50,000 USD.
2.2 The equipment components for which a procurement application is submitted must be
specific in terms of their intended use, their technical quality, and cost. All details regarding
the number of items/components required, prices, delivery terms and possible transport
costs, together with an estimate of any follow-up costs, such as operating costs, repair
costs, maintenance costs, and availability of spare parts, shall be supplied to the Board
prior to the final Board approval concerning the procurement.
2.3 As regards the acquisition of equipment, the postal administration may make use ofUPU/UNDP procurement services, if available and applicable, according to their specific
rules, subject to approval by the Board; in such cases, the management costs incurred bythe implementing agency should be charged to the project budget.
3 Procurement of services in case of procurement of services, a statement of the objective(s)
pursued is necessary. The reasons for appointing a consultant must be detailed in the proposal.
3.1 Consultancy services may be purchased under the following conditions:
up to a limit of 10,000 USD providing at least one bid;
for amounts higher than 10,000 USD, shall be made by open national/international tender, with no less than three bids. In this instance, the Board shall include in its projectnotification an authorization to publish terms of reference and may set a limit on the
contract value.
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3.2 When a postal administration wishes to mandate the UPU or a Restricted Union to carry out
consultancy services, or to recruit a consultant seconded by another postal administration
through the UPU or a Restricted Union, the Board may, at the request of that postal
administration, authorize the awarding of the services contract with only one bid. However,
the hiring of such consultants will need to follow the procedures set by the International
Bureau, including the awarding and signing of contracts.
3.3 The conditions, estimated contract amount, and outline terms of reference must beincluded in the project proposal, as well as cost and duration of the assignment.
3.4 Procedures relating to the granting of service contracts also apply, under the sameconditions, to procurement of training services from external service providers.
4 The postal administration submitting the proposal is obliged to consider and observe allapplicable rules regarding procurement.
5 The thresholds above which procurement of equipment and services should be put out to
competitive tender must be respected by all countries, including those whose national rules do
not require such tendering.
6 In certain cases, QSF funds might be used to finance not only purchases of equipment and
consultancy services, but also infrastructure work. This is only possible if this work is fully
justified within the framework of a project which also meets the QSF objectives. The Board will
decide on a case-by-case basis as to the eligibility of such "work" expenses for QSF funding.
7 In cases where tendering proves genuinely impossible or where the adjudication or
tendering procedure has not produced the results hoped for, the Creditor is asked to supply the
Board of Trustees with all necessary explanations and justifications.
8 In cases of projects linked to previous ones, where the same provider is likely to be used,
the Creditor is asked to include such information in the project proposal, for the consideration of
the Board of Trustees.
9 In cases where the Board of Trustees places special conditions on purchasing procedures,
for example, the procurement of consultancy services, these conditions must be set out in the
project approval notification.
Article 6
Proposals of postal administrations with insufficient QSF funds
1 If a postal administration has insufficient QSF funds available to complete a project, it may
submit a proposal to the QSF Team provided that, by means of a written statement, one or morepostal administrations of the same region, or in any other region or subregion, assign
contributions from their QSF funds to the postal administration submitting the application in
accordance with paragraph 7.1.10 of the Deed of Trust. Postal administrations may also fund part
of a QSF project from other sources such as their own resources, government contributions and
other funding agencies.
Article 7
Design of project proposals Project Application Form
1 All project proposals should be submitted in writing (typed on A 4 paper) and in English
and/or French only. All proposals must be sent to the QSF Team by mail, preferably by EMS orequivalent, with a copy by e-mail.
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2 Only original project proposals, dated, stamped by the postal administration and signed by
the QSF National Coordinator and the Postmaster/Director General can be registered by the QSF
Team.
3 The proposal will be drafted following the headings and contents detailed below using the
templates shown in annex 1.
4 The front page will state:
the title of the project;
the full name of the postal administration sending the proposal;
the name of the National Coordinator (including communication details).
5 The section "Aim, objectives and expected results" will consist of:
Description of the aims and general objectives: short description of the project being applied
for and what it is designed to achieve, in other words, the general objective.
Detailed objectives and expected results: a detailed description of the project objectives,
including a description of the quality of service situation expected following projectimplementation, and of the other economic benefits that it is hoped the project will bring, is
required. This will also include the results expected in terms of improvement of quality of
service and the time scale during which these improvements are expected to take place.
Complementary projects: Further it is recommended to detail how the project objectives
relate to a Quality Development Plan.
Proposed quality of service indicators: information about the current level of performance
for each indicator, level of performance on completion of the project, date to achieve this
objective, and monitoring method.
6 The section "Current Situation" will detail the background with regard to quality of service
in the postal administration(s) applying for the funds. It will cover the factors affecting quality ofservice provided by the postal administration; past measures which have been taken locally to
improve quality of service, including previous assistance from the UPU or other bodies; current
systems in place for measuring quality of service.
7 The section "Methodology" represents the central part of the proposal and details the "How?"
"When?" "Where?" and "Who?" of the project. This section will be broken down into the following
sub-sections:
Approach A description of the general method being used and why.
Tasks/Work plan A description of the major tasks to be carried out presented in the
sequence they will occur, details of who will carrying out the tasks and when. If appropriate,
the project schedule should be attached to the project proposal.
Project control A description of the project stages/phases, the project reports which will be
produced and when and any project control mechanism intended to be implemented.
Project organization Shows the structure of the project team and details responsibilities of
each team member.
CVs shall be submitted for team members recruited from other administrations or
consulting companies.
8 The section "Financial Proposal" details in US dollars - how much the project will cost and
how the money will be spent. It will be broken down into the following sub-sections:
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8.1 Overall project funding: fill out the information observing the following: Cost Summary:
"Labour": includes the actual salary costs of staff members from the postal
administration or external experts recruited specifically for the project; the costs of
consultants involved in contracts signed with service companies are excluded. Thesalary costs of staff members from the postal administration, including the QSF
Project Manager, must be borne by the postal administration under its own
contribution to the project budget.
Allowances and travels costs: cover any allowances and travel expenses incurred by
members of the postal administration recruited specifically for the project or external
experts, including UPU consultants; excluding allowances and travel expenses
provided for in the budget of contracts signed with service companies.
Office & communication costs: cover only operational expenditure strictly linked to
project implementation. In principle, these costs are to be borne by the postal
administration own resources.
Services: comprises the total cost of the contract(s) signed with consulting firms, inparticular consultancy services, consultants' travel and residential expenses, and
other expenses, as appropriate.
Equipment: contains particulars, together with cost, of all equipment to be bought
within the framework of the project.
Training: covers training expenses related to project implementation.
Others: includes any other possible expense related to the project, which does not
appear in the previous summary charts.
Cost breakdown: in the field Source of the all table: Labour, Allowances, Travel cost, Office
and communications, Services, Equipment, Training and Others, please mark:
"A" if this amount is provided by the applicant and considered as own resource
"B" if this amount shall be provided by the QSF
"C" if this amount will be provided by external funds
8.2 Monitoring and evaluation Follow-up costs
Administrations need to provide an estimate of follow-up costs arising from proposed project
activities (mention only costs that will be incurred once the project is completed and which
do not feature in the project budget). If the project budget includes the costs of maintaining
and servicing equipment procured within the framework of the project, or software licence
costs, the postal administration should undertake to bear these costs for the duration of
their use.
Post-project evaluation
Administrations need to provide an outline of any project evaluation mission, which it
considers appropriate, following project completion, giving an aim, anticipated objectives
and costs. It should also detail any other follow-up activity which is considered a natural
progression of the current project proposal.
8.3 Project Budget Plan where tendering for technical equipment and consultancy under the
terms of the QSF is required, the budget plan should also include, if possible, information
such as pre-quotes from potential suppliers following the stipulations of Article 5.
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Chapter III Verification and approval of project proposals
Article 8
General provisions
1 Project proposals, together with the documentation required, will be submitted to the QSFTeam. The project proposal will be subjected to a preliminary verification by the QSF Team, and, if
the proposal is considered complete, it will be submitted to the Board for final verification and
approval.
2 In accordance with paragraph 5.1 of the DoT there will be meetings of the Board no less
than four times per year. At least two of these meetings shall be held during the annual meetings
of the Council of Administration and Postal Operations Council. The other two meetings shall take
place, in principle, in mid-January and in early July.
3 Project proposals should be submitted to the QSF Team no later than 60 days prior to the
next meeting of the Board.
Article 9
Preliminary verification by the QSF Team
1 The QSF Team checks the project proposals for completeness and compliance with the
applicable rules. Although applicant postal administrations will be asked to provide information
where it is missing, inaccurate or incomplete, the QSF Team will ensure that answers to the
following questions are provided:
Does the project proposal comply with the aim and purpose of the QSF and will it make a
contribution to achieving the QSF objectives?
Does the project proposal refer to the principles of the national Quality Development Plan as
far as its design and objectives are concerned?
Has any experience been gained regarding the objectives pursued with the project based on
comparable projects of UPU technical cooperation projects and/or previous projects
financed by the QSF, and does it appear to be helpful in making a sustainable contribution
to quality improvement with regard to the planned effort?
Did the UPU carry out or fund projects with similar objectives in the country submitting the
application (in the case of regional projects in the corresponding region) in the three (3)
years prior to submission of the present project proposal? How are the results of these proj-
ects to be evaluated? Was any funding used for these projects (from the Universal Postal
Union, the World Bank or any other financial institution)?
Has the postal administration enough QSF funds available?
Does the project proposal define quantified performance indicators relating to the project
objectives?
Any further information suitable for the verification of the proposed project.
2 To clarify matters requiring further explanation, the QSF Team may request supplementary
or more detailed information from the respective postal administration, Restricted Union or the
UPU. If the information requested by the QSF Team is not received within four weeks, the
consideration of the proposal will be deferred to the following Board meeting.
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Article 10
Verification by the Board of Trustees
1 The Board will consider the project proposal and, if available, the QDP, answers to the QSF
Team questions and any other comments related to the project submitted by the QSF Team
relating to the project.
2 The Board will verify whether the project description is clear and the project objectives
unambiguous according to the type of project (e.g. study, implementation of a procedure,
training). The project description will become part of the project notification upon approval of the
project proposal.
3 The Board will verify whether the objective complies with the fundamental objectives of the
QSF and whether it makes a sustainable contribution to quality improvement. The Board will also
verify that the quality of service criteria, which have been included in the project proposal, can be
measured throughout the life of the project against stated quality improvement goals. All
questions concerning a project proposal must be clarified between the postal administration(s),
Restricted Union(s) or the UPU submitting the proposal and the Board prior to approval of the
project.
4 The Board will verify whether the project proposal is based on an assessment of the current
situation by the postal administration concerned and whether there is a logic development of the
projects according to the QDP or the description relating to the complementary project necessary
for achieving the final objective of improving quality.
5 On the basis of the detailed description of task and structure of the project (milestones), the
Board has to verify the feasibility of the project for which an application for funding has been
made.
6 The Board has to verify whether the QSF funding requirement applied for (and any third
party funds which may have been planned for) have been clearly explained and justified. The
Board must also verify whether sufficient funds are available and whether this sum is sufficient tofulfil the project objectives. If third party funds are included in the plan, the utilization of
QSF funds must be described in clear terms. In the case of mixed funding, the availability of third
party funds must be verified prior to unconditional approval of the project proposal.
7 The Board will consider the expected follow-up costs relating to the project, which have to
be borne by the postal administration.
8 The Board will also consider the involvement of the postal administration in the project in
accordance with article 7.1.5 of the Deed of Trust.
Article 11
Approval and project clearance
1 Once a project proposal has been approved by the Board, the postal administration is
informed accordingly by the Chairman, within 30 days of the meeting, by means of a project
notification, which could be unconditional, permitting an immediate start of the project, or
conditional, requiring clarifications as noted prior to the beginning of the project or specifying a
number of conditions which need to be fulfilled before the project may be launched. It may also
detail any special conditions for project implementation such as monitoring and reporting
processes.
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2 This notification will confirm the approval of the project execution, and clear the provision ofthe funding. The Board has the sole and absolute discretion to decide whether funds of theapproved volume may be provided in a single sum or in instalments upon receipt of projectreports.
2.1 In general, the sums allocated by the Board under the QSF should be paid in instalments.
In the case of small projects, an instalment of 80% of the sums requested should be
paid at the start of the project, once the inception report had been submitted andapproved. The balance should be paid, in the light of all the supporting documents,after approval by the Board of the final report.
In the case of large projects (more than USD 180,000.00), the payment plan should bedecided by the Board on a case-to-case basis. In general, an instalment should bepaid for each project phase or batch, with a final payment due at the approval of thefinal report by the BoT.
3 If the Board finds itself unable to approve a project proposal, it shall postpone its decision
and return the proposal to the postal administration, stating the reasons and giving
recommendations regarding reformulation and resubmission of the application.
4 If a project proposal is rejected, the reasons for such a decision must be transparent andcomprehensible to the postal administration. The reasons for rejecting a project must be treated
confidentially by the Board, the QSF Team and the postal administration.
5 A project may only be commenced upon receipt of the notification and/or when the Board
receives confirmation of compliance with any conditions detailed in the notification. Projects
should commence within four (4) to eight (8) weeks of receipt of the project notification. Any
deviation from this guideline shall be explained by the postal administration within 4 weeks.
Article 12
Disagreement with Board decisions
In the event that a postal administration which has submitted a project proposal disagrees with
the Boards decision regarding the conditional approval or non-approval of that proposal, the
postal administration or the leading postal administration may lodge an appeal with the Postal
Operations Council or its mandated body following the provisions of article 7.2.2.3 of the Deed of
Trust.
Chapter IV Implementation of projects
Article 13
Principles
1 Projects must be carried out in compliance with the project plans and objectives as
described in the approved project proposal. Any deviations or changes from or changes to the
project, in particular its objectives, must be submitted in writing by means of a Project Change
Request (PCR) (Annex 6) and must have the approval of the Board. The Board may delegate this
decision to the Chairman and/or the QSF Project Manager in specific cases.
1.1 In cases where the PCR involves an increase in the budget of more than 25%, a new project
proposal must be submitted to the Board for approval.
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2 Projects have to be executed and implemented in accordance with the clauses and
conditions in the project approval notification.
3 If any problems occur during the execution of the project in connection with personnel
resources, the time schedule or the budget, the postal administration responsible for the project
is obliged to report immediately to the Board via the QSF Team. This report can be made at any
time by means of the PCR form (Annex 6).
4 The responsibility for project execution and implementation, i.e. for its objectives, financial
control and reporting, rests with the postal administration responsible for the project. The
delegation of authority, e.g. to a national quality representative, a project manager or a consulting
firm, does not exonerate the postal administration from the responsibility of ensuring that
QSF funds are administered and applied correctly.
5 The postal administration nominates the Project Manager. If the Project Manager is a
member of the staff of the postal administration, he or she should be released from regular duties
or given sufficient time and resources to implement the project. In this case the postal
administration will assume the staff costs (having regard to its own contribution). The Project
Manager may also be a staff member of a contracted consultancy firm or the National Coordinator
(see article 7.8.1).
6 The Project Manager must have appropriate and proven qualifications and experience in line
with the content of the project. He or she should be given sufficient authority to implement the
project. The Project Manager is responsible for all aspects of project implementation.
7 During project implementation, the Board may suggest changes in the project team. Any
such request shall be the subject of mutual agreement between the respective postal
administration and the Board.
Article 14
Prescribed reports
1 Reports are an essential tool for keeping track of the project by the Board. At the same time,
they also serve as an important project control mechanism for the postal administration
responsible for the project.
2 The complexity and the level of detail to be provided by the reporting postal administration
and required by the Board will be proportional to the size of the project.
3 Reports will be drawn up in writing according to the process described by this Manual.
Reports shall be submitted to the QSF Team in English or French only. They must adhere to the
deadlines and must be complete. Reports can be sent by email, fax or mail. However, original
invoices, vouchers and request for payment must be sent by mail, EMS or equivalent.
4 There will be three types of reports: the inception report, the interim report and the final
report.
4.1 The inception report has to be submitted immediately upon project start, specifying the
exact starting date of the project, explaining the activities taken in particular with regard to
personnel and commenting the time schedule, including dates for submission of any other
reports, and any other information requested by the Board.
4.2 The interim report has to be submitted every six months or in the event that there is a
deviation from the project plans in any project or if otherwise required according to the
project notification.
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4.3 Within six weeks of the conclusion of the project activities, the final report has to be
submitted. In addition to detailed explanations regarding project implementation, all
application documents regarding the analysis of success, the economic concept and the
external influences have to be reviewed. The success achieved with the project has to be
described in detail referring to the quality improvement criteria and quantified performance
indicators specified in the original project proposal and in the project approval notification.
Demonstrated achievements of quality of service objectives must be stated in terms of these
criteria. Special mention should be made whether an activity, in the postal administrationsestimation, has led to, or will lead to, a sustainable quality improvement. If no direct effect
can be expected, the period within which the pursued quality improvement is expected to
materialize should be indicated.
4.3.1 The final report will include an overall budget report. This budget report must specify all
expenses and contain the necessary supporting documents. All QSF-funded expenditure
must be duly justified with invoices. Only original documents or copies certified as true by
the QSF National Coordinator, dated and bearing his/her signature and the postal
administration's stamp will be accepted.
Article 15
Treatment of final reports by the Board of Trustees
1 Upon receipt of the final report, the Board shall review and discuss it during its next regular
Board meeting. In case of unanimous acceptance by the Board, the QSF Team will, within 30
days of the Board meeting, notify the decision of the Board related to the final report.
1.1 In order to be presented to the Board, final reports must reach the QSF Team at least
30 days prior to the meeting date.
2 If the Board raises any objections to the final report, a consultation with the postal
administration responsible for the project is required.
2.1 In case of non-approval of a final report, a consultation with the postal administration is
required. If, despite consultation between the two parties, justified doubts persist which
cannot be solved by the postal administration responsible for the project, the Board will
take a decision regarding the outstanding issues and may impose conditions regarding
future projects applied for by the postal administration in question.
3 The reasons for the decisions taken by the Board have to be given in writing to the postal
administration. The postal administration may lodge its objections to the decision of the Board
with the Postal Operations Council or its Management Committee. In this case, the respective
body has to hear both parties, giving corresponding advice to the Board.
Article 16
Communication, press
If It is intended to give publicity to the QSF and/or QSF projects, it is recommended that any
such publicity should be coordinated with the QSF Team prior to publication.
Chapter V Evaluation of project results
Article 17
Principles
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The first evaluation of the results of a project will be based on the final report. In addition, in
order to ensure sustained improvement in the quality of service, monitoring of results during a
period of up to two (2) years or more after completion should reveal whether lasting quality of
service has been achieved. A post-implementation review (Project Implementation Review) may
also take place to review the results of the project.
Article 18
Implementation of project review
1 A project implementation review may be carried out, subject to a Board decision.
1.1 In the case of projects above 750,000.00 USD, the costs of the project implementation
review shall be charged to the project budget.
1.2 A fixed sum, corresponding to 1% of the QSF budget and up to a ceiling of 5,000.00 USD for
each of the projects below 750,000.00 USD approved by the Board, will be deducted by the
International Bureau from the Creditor's QSF account, following notification of project
approval.
2 The purpose of a project review is to determine whether the quality improvement pursued
by the project has actually been achieved or can be achieved. Therefore, a project review is
possible only after a certain period of time following the implementation of the activity (running-in
phase). The respective timeframe has to be determined specifically for each project and is subject
to agreement between the postal administrationresponsible for the project and the Board.
3 The project implementation review may be performed on the location where the project is
being executed, and should, in principle, not exceed two working days. For this purpose the
Board, in consultation with the QSF Team, may commission the UPU Regional Advisors or
qualified experts to undertake the project implementation review.
4 The project implementation review may involve management information reviews, testing,customer and staff interviews and surveys, as well as site visits or inspections to determine the
successful achievement of sustainable Quality of Service improvement and the effectiveness of
project evaluation.
5 Upon completion of the project implementation review requested by the Board, an
evaluation report will be submitted to the QSF Team and a copy of thereof sent to the postal
administration. The report will be treated as confidential by all parties involved.
6 The findings of these project implementation review reports must be taken into
consideration when the corresponding postal administration applies for new projects relating to
the same area.
7 The QSF Team will submit the project implementation review report to the Board with its
comments.
8 If the Board cannot accept the project implementation review report, the Board may
designate one of its members to draft a special report containing any conditions regarding future
projects that the Board considers necessary. If the special report is not accepted by the postal
administration in question, and both the Board and the postal administration are unable to reach
agreement regarding evaluation of the project implementation review report in question or the
status of future projects, the Board will not issue its confirmation notice. In this instance the
Board will refer all project documentation and findings to the Postal Operations Council or its
Management Committee, requesting advice.
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9 The Board shall consider all the circumstances arising from ongoing projects and project
implementation review missions in a particular country when evaluating a new project proposal
received from that country.
Chapter VI Global, regional and joint projects
Article 19
Global projects
1 Postal administrations may mandate the International Bureau to submit, on their behalf,
project proposals aiming to improve quality of service on a global basis.
2 Global projects can involve postal administrations of different regions. It is up to the Board
of Trustees to decide whether a project falls within the category of global projects.
Article 20
Regional projects
1 Postal administrations belonging to the same region may mandate a Restricted Union to
submit, on their behalf, project proposals aiming to improve quality of service in their region.
2 Regional projects may involve two or more postal administrations.
Article 21
Joint projects
1 Two postal administrations may decide to submit a joint project aimed at improving quality
of service in the countries of both project participants.
2 In line with article 7.1.10 of the Deed of Trust, a Creditor may assign its entitlements, in
whole or in part, to fund joint projects, provided that the projects involve all parties concerned.
Article 22
Principles
1 Postal administrations wishing to benefit from QSF funds may submit applications for
global, regional or joint projects
2 In case of global, regional or joint projects, the participating postal administrations are to
take on the responsibilities involved and determine the administration or organisation that will
act as the project authority (UPU, Restricted Union or leading postal administration). Postal
administrations should therefore appoint a Project Coordinator and/or a Project Manager.
3 If postal administrations intend to implement a global, regional or joint project, the following
additional requirements shall apply:
3.1 In the case of global or regional projects, postal administrations must agree in writing that
that the UPU or the Restricted Union should act as the project leader responsible.
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3.2 In the case of joint projects, postal administrations must agree in writing that one postal
administration is selected as the project leader with responsibility for implementing the
project.
3.3 The UPU, the Restricted Union or the postal administration selected as the project leader
shall appoint a Project Coordinator authorised to negotiate with the QSF Team and the
Board of Trustees.
3.4 The QSF funding of all the administrations taking part in a global, regional or joint project
will be treated as a single lump sum for the purposes of budgeting and project planning. All
postal administrations taking part in the project must agree in writing to relinquish their
contribution to the project budget to the UPU, the Restricted Union or the lead country
regardless of the differing levels of contribution which are likely to be made. Participating
postal administrations must therefore formally agree to the inclusion of the other postal
administrations and approve the level of their contribution to the project budget.
3.5 All participating postal administrations must indicate, in writing, their commitment to
support the project financially, and specify the amount of funds to be used for this purpose
by completing the form reproduced in Annex 2.
Article 23
Role of the UPU and the Restricted Unions
1. In addition to their role of project leader in the case of global and regional projects, the UPU
and the Restricted Unions may also assist postal administrations in developing quality
development plans (QDP) and individual projects and in monitoring their implementation, if
requested.
2 If a postal administration, a Restricted Union or the UPU requests the assistance of the UPU
Regional Advisor to draft a joint, regional or global project proposal, the travel costs relating to the
mission may be included in the project budget. The same rules will apply if the assistance ofanother postal administration is requested for drafting a joint, regional or global project proposal.
Article 24
Responsibilities of the UPU, Restricted Unions and postal administrations
1 In the case of global, regional or joint projects, the UPU, the Restricted Unions and each
postal administration concerned are bound to the responsibilities stipulated in article 4.
2. The selected leader shall act as the nominated Project Coordinator authorised to negotiate
with the QSF Team and the Board of Trustees.
Article 25
Procurement of material and services
1. The procedures regarding procurement of material and services shall comply with the
provisions of article 5.
2 Each postal administration participating in a global, regional or joint project may, with the
Boards approval, independently and directly purchase the material or services it needs within the
framework of the project. In this case, the thresholds included in articles 5.2 and 5.3.1 for the
procurement of material and services may apply not only to the total global, regional or joint
project procurement, but also to each postal administrations individual procurement. The
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reason(s) for independent and direct procurement shall be mentioned in the project application
form (Annex 1).
Article 26
Design of project proposals Project Application Form
1 The preparation and submission of global, regional and joint project proposals shall follow
the rules and procedures established in Article 7.
2. The project application form shall be dated and stamped by the UPU, the Restricted Union
or the leader postal administration, as appropriate, and signed by the QSF Project Coordinator.
3 In accordance with article 7.8.2, the Project leader or the Project Coordinator, as
appropriate, shall calculate and sum up follow-up costs concerning each participating postal
administration.
4 Postal administrations wishing to participate in a global, regional or joint project shall
complete and sign the Statement of Commitment (annex 2). The allocation of QSF funding mustbe indicated in the form.
Article 27
Approval and project clearance
1 Once a global, regional or joint project proposal has been approved by the Board, the UPU,
the Restricted Union or the postal administration selected as the project leader is accordingly
informed by the Chairman, within 30 days of the meeting, by means of a project notification as
stipulated in Article 11.
1.1 The Project Coordinator or the Project leader shall notify the result of the Board decision tothe participating postal administrations in an appropriate manner.
2 If a project proposal is rejected, the reasons for such a decision must be transparent and
comprehensible to the UPU, the Restricted Union or the postal administration selected as project
leader. The reasons for rejecting a project must be treated confidentially by the Board, the
QSF Team and the UPU, the Restricted Union and the postal administrations concerned.
Article 28
Implementation of projects
1 Projects must be carried out in compliance with the project plans and objectives as
described in the approved project proposal and in accordance with Article 13. In line with article
13, any deviations or changes from the project objectives must be submitted to the appraisal of
the Board.
2 The responsibility for project execution and implementation, i.e. for its objectives, financial
control and reporting, rests with the UPU, the Restricted Union or the postal administration
selected as the project leader. The delegation of authority, e.g. to a national quality representative,
a project manager or a consulting firm, does not exonerate the UPU, the Restricted Union or the
leading postal administration from the responsibility of ensuring that QSF funds are administered
and applied correctly.
3 The UPU, the Restricted Union or the postal administration selected as the project leader
nominates the Project Manager in line with article 13.6. If the Project Manager is a member of the
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Article 32
Rules applicable to global, regional and joint projects
1 Unless otherwise stipulated in Chapter VI, all the provisions of the Project Management
Manual apply to global, regional and joint projects.
Chapter VII Responsibilities of various bodies involved in the management of projects
Article 33
Principles
1 In accordance with the policies and provisions defined for the management of projects, the
following agents are involved in the development, approval, implementation and evaluation.
1.1 Postal administration; National Coordinator; Project Manager; QSF Team (including theRegional advisers); Board of Trustees; Postal Operations Council or its Management
Committee.
1.2 In this chapter the responsibilities of each one of these agents are described, following the
rules and activities detailed in this manual.
Article 34
Postal administrations
1 The postal administration entitled to the funds will be responsible for the formulation and
submission of the project proposal and its implementation, in accordance with the provisionsdefined in this Manual.
2 The National Coordinator is the postal administrations representative for the project,
undertaking the management coordination, while the Project Manager is in charge of the projects
technical coordination assuming the corresponding responsibility. A postal administration may
decide to appoint the National Coordinator as the Project Manager as well.
Article 35
QSF Team
1 The QSF Team should give all necessary support to the Boards activities.
2 The QSF Team is responsible for the following:
receiving the project proposals from postal administrations or Restricted Unions or the UPU,
undertaking a preliminary verification and providing the Board with comments and
responses as requested;
registering the project proposals and assigning project numbers;
clarifying project proposals and the corresponding documentation with the applicant postal
administration, Restricted Union or the UPU, if required;
instructing the Regional Advisers to support, if requested, postal administrations in pre-
paring project proposals and assist, if requested, in the implementation of projects, accord-
ing to the policies established in this Manual;
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supporting the Board in monitoring the results attained by postal administrations in the
areas supported by the project, and keeping the information on the development of the
quality indicators, even after the conclusion of the projects;
monitoring timely submission of the project reports and giving the Board its opinion on the
reports, particularly the final report;
supporting the Board regarding project implementation review missions;
receiving the requests of reconsideration to be submitted to the Postal Operations Council
or its Management Committee, in accordance with the provisions established in this
Manual;
supporting the Postal Operations Council or its Management Committee in activities
relating to the postal administrations appeals concerning Board decisions.
approving PCRs as authorised by the Board.
Article 36
UPU Regional Advisors
1 The Regional Advisers subject to an agreement with the International Bureau should be
responsible for the following:
supporting postal administrations in preparing project proposals, if requested, including
checking project application forms for compliance and details;
assisting postal administrations in the implementation of projects, if requested;
supporting the Board in the implementation of project implementation review missions.
1.1 Where a postal administration requests the assistance of a Regional Adviser to prepare a
project proposal, the costs of the mission can be included in the projects budget.
Article 37
Board of Trustees
1 The Board is responsible for safeguarding the quality of service funds and ensuring their
proper management.
2 The Board is responsible for all QSF project matters.
3 Its responsibilities regarding project management are to:
verify and approve project proposals related to the application of funds;
guide postal administrations, Restricted Unions or the UPU with regard to the required
alterations and additions, when necessary, in order to make approval possible;
verify and approve if justified alterations to the original project plans, if requested by the
postal administrations, the Restricted Unions or the UPU;
communicate the reasons to the postal administration, Restricted Union or the UPU, if a
project proposal is not accepted;
monitor the execution and implementation of the projects by means of the reports
submitted by postal administrations, Restricted Unions or the UPU, giving the required
orientation when necessary;
review the results of the projects, on the basis of the final reports submitted by postal
administrations, Restricted Unions or the UPU, and any other reports published by the
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UPU, carrying out a project implementation review, when necessary, according to the
provisions of this Manual;
promote the QSF and ensure that it is made known to postal operators,
give advice to postal administrations regarding suitable follow-up measures; the shifting the
focus to other QSF projects; project organization and management; the use of funds and the
selection of project experts.
Article 38
Postal Operations Council
1. The Postal Operations Council or its Management Committee will be responsible for the
following:
considering appeals from postal administrations related to project proposals, upon
disagreement or inconclusive negotiations between the postal administration(s)/Restricted
Unions/ UPU and the Board and providing necessary comments and advice;
providing the Board with advice in case of unaccepted project review reports.
Chapter VIII Recommendations and remedial measures
Article 39
Recommendations
The postal administration is not bound by the recommendations expressed by the Board. The
Board, however, must take its recommendations and auditing reports into consideration when
evaluating subsequent project proposals.
Article 40
Obligations, sanctions
1 In certain cases the Board will make recommendations regarding remedial measures to be
imposed on projects, whether current or future.
2 If deadlines relating to the achievements of project targets or the submission dates of
reports approved in the proposal document or subsequently by the Board are repeatedly missed
by a postal administration, then the Board may impose additional obligations and conditionsrelating to any future project which the postal administration in question may apply. These
obligations may take the form of additional project reports or audits with imposed submission
dates or the phased release of project funds, once reporting or evaluation obligations have been
met.
3 If the project budget is exceeded without the prior approval of the Board, the Board will
recommend sanctions. These may range from the phased release of project funds for the present
project and for subsequent projects to the imposition of more robust financial management
techniques and, depending on the severity of the overspending, the phased accrual of the
overspent portion of the project funds.
4 If QSF funding is misappropriated or used for purposes not approved by the Board, then
sanctions may also be applied, including repayment of the funds in question or exclusion from
future use of QSF funding.
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5 When the start of a project is subject to conditions set by the Board, the postal
administration must fulfil these conditions within six months of the project notification. If this
deadline is not met, the project will be cancelled by the Board.
6 When a project approved by the Board does not start within the timeframe set in article 11,
the Board may impose a new deadline. If this new deadline is not met, the project will be
cancelled by the Board.
Chapter IX Final provisions
Article 41
Effective date
1 The Project Management Manual shall come into force on 1 June 2006.
Adopted at Berne, 5 April 2006.