Short Guide 3How to Apply for and How toManage Successful European

ProjectsCirculation: Confidential/Partners/PublicAuthors: Step4all ConsortiumDate: 12/06/2014Doc. Ref. N°: STEP4ALL – SHORT GUIDE 3

Leonardo Da Vinci2012-1-IT1-LEO04-02901 1

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COPYRIGHT© Copyright 2013 The STEp4All ConsortiumConsisting of:

EUROCREA MERCHANT SRL SPIS REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY KOCAELI EU PROJECTS COORDINATION CENTRE HDI CONSULTING LTD. AVACA TECHNOLOGIES STICHTING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT FRIESLAND BULGARIAN CONSTRUCTION CHAMBER TEMÁTICA POSITIVA

This document may not be copied, reproduced, or modified in whole or in part for anypurpose without written permission from the STEP4All Consortium. In addition anacknowledgement of the authors of the document and all applicable portions of thecopyright notice must be clearly referenced.All rights reserved.This document may change without notice.DOCUMENT HISTORY

Version Date Comment01 20/05/2014 Interim version02 24/05/2014 Draft version03 12/06/2014 Final version04

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Contents1 Introduction ...............................................................................................................................................52 Introduction to Project Cycle Management ...................................................................................63 Introduction to the Logical Framework Approach for Project Design andManagement ................................................................................................................................................... 114 How to Prepare a Proposal................................................................................................................ 155. Contractual aspects.................................................................................................................................296 Project Management, monitoring and reviewing .....................................................................317 EU Project Management Roles ......................................................................................................... 568 Administrative and Financial Management.................................................................................... 599 Project Managers’ Skills...................................................................................................................... 6710. FAQ ............................................................................................................................................................. 7411. BIBLIOGRAPHY..........................................................................................................................................83

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Introduction1

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1 IntroductionThe present document aims at providing useful information and selection of theprogrammes managed by the European Commission, so that the reader would be able toidentify the most relevant aspects for the development of a given project idea and theimplementation of the project proposal.The team behind the project STEP4All selected the most relevant information which isindispensable for the confident orientation in the field of 2014-2020 Europeanprograms and funding schemes. At the same time, the present Guide 3 is connected toGuide 1 and Guide 2, which respectively present the European Union and itsinstitutions, and the introduction to the EU projects.What is Project Cycle Management? How to prepare a proposal? What is LFA? What arethe main responsibilities of the Project Coordinator? What are the most important skillsa successful Project Manager should possess? Answers to these and many moreinteresting questions could be found in the following chapters of short Guide 3.

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Introduction to Project CycleManagement2

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2 Introduction to Project Cycle ManagementAccording to different definitions for project, it is planned, interrelated and coordinatedactivities, in order to achieve specific objectives within a certain period of time andbudget. It is developed jointly by a formal or informal groups of organisations orinstitutions. Practically, every major project goes through a specific decision-makingprocedure called Project Cycle Management. The latter includes decisions such as keytasks, roles and responsibilities, key documents and others. Each project phase/stage canresult in either some sense of closure before the next phase begins, or it can result incertain deliverables which would provide the starting point for the next phase. Thesebatches of activities are usually called work packages, and each of them includes anumber of tasks. Thus, the transitions between work packages is the best time forevaluation and review of the costs and the project prospects, in general.Different organizations and institutions have adopted different terms to describe similarstages of the Project Cycle. For the EU projects in particular, one can distinguish betweenlegal and managerial aspects of the project lifecycle. The legal aspects refer to theestablishment of relations between the beneficiary and the National Agency (NA) or theEU Commission. These address the procedures for project submission, contractconclusion, project monitoring, reporting, performance evaluation and audit. Whereasthe managerial aspects refer to the actual idea generation, project design, projectimplementation, including project planning, time- and team management, internalmonitoring and evaluation, and reporting documentation among others. These projectlifecycle phases are shown in Fig.2 below:

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Fig.2 Project Cycle Management

2.1 Project Cycle Management – Design & Managerial AspectsHere is one of the most commonly used categorisation of the managerial aspects:1. Planning - there are three important aspects: a) identifying the problem onnational or sectorial level to form the project idea; b) determination of the main goals andpriorities to be achieved by implementing the project and c) formulation of themethodology and the strategy. It is essential that the project idea addresses a real sectorialand/or market need. Moreover, the planned results should be aimed at solving aparticular issue of the selected target group. No project is successful, meaning sustainable,if its implementation is motivated by the sole desire to “get some EU funding”.2. Research – conducting background research prior to proposal submission is todetermine the project relevance, data availability and potential risks. It helps findingpotential participants and relevant information to develop the project idea as well as tounderstand the sector’s framework. A good background research reduces the risk ofgetting into troubles at project implementation stage, such as low data availability,incorrect assumptions and wrong choice of partners, among others. It also supports theidea generation/development of the idea and helps to design a relevant and coherent

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proposal.3. Formulation – the appropriate ideas are then developed into a concrete project.It is essential to assess the suitability and the sustainability of the idea. The projectproposal is to be designed and submitted in the official online- and/or paper-based -template, following the latest available guidelines of the NA/EU Commission DG.Furthermore, the project proposal includes detailed description of the project tasks anddistribution among partners for each planned work package. Therefore, carefulconsideration and planning of all the activities and resources at a proposal stage, iscrucial, as these are tough to change upon proposal approval.4. Implementation – after the contracting authority has evaluated the projectproposals, and the grant agreement has been signed. This is the longest phase of theproject lifecycle, aimed at achieving the planned results as per project proposal. Theimplementation stage comprises: drafting of detailed management, evaluation, quality anddissemination plans, in order to ensure consistency of the project results. It also involvesthe following activities among others: preparing series of tenders (if applicable);signature of contracts (including those for technical support); constant monitoring andcontrol over the spending, as well as the timely and quality implementation of the projecttasks; financial and progress report drafts. Adequate project management is essential interms of guiding the project partners and achieving quality results.5. Financial Management – interim and final reports are required by the NA todetermine suitable spending of the EU funding. In some cases, the Agency might require aprogress report to evaluate the interim project implementation. The reporting should beprovided in the respective template, usually available on the website of the respectiveprogramme.

2.2 Project Cycle Management - Legal AspectsThe legal aspects of the project lifecycle refer to the administrative support of the EUprojects. In most cases each programme follows particular project cycle managementlogic; however these encompass more or less the following items:1. Submission of proposals to the National Agencies or the EuropeanCommission DGs. These two bodies act as Contracting authority and Contractorrespectively and each one of them has a specific operational field. The Commission dealswith policy setting and programme design to be implemented by the NAs. EC and NAshave a mandate to control the whole lifecycle of the projects. The NAs are responsible forthe implementation of all decentralised actions, whereas the EC DGs are entrusted withthe centralized measures. Among others, the National Agencies have to support withcomprehensive administration and to make payments to the beneficiaries.2. Assessment of proposals – the project proposals need to adhere to a numberof criteria (formal and quality elements, stipulated in the respective programme), whichare used by the experts evaluating the proposals. Each proposal is rated based on acomprehensive grading system.3. Selection results – at this stage, all applicants are contacted. The successfulones receive individual notifications with the exact status of their projects, while theunsuccessful applicants are given feedback of the project gaps and weaknesses.

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4. Contracting –successful applicants sign a Grant Agreement with the NationalAgency, which stipulates both the conditions for the grant award, the paymentinstalments, and the financial and operational responsibilities of each partner.5. Eligibility period and project activities – during this stage the plannedactivities are carried on, while the expenses can be incurred and covered by theEuropean Communities’ grant. This period depends on the duration of the project.6. Project monitoring – the implementation of the project through its lifecycle ismonitored by the NA. The project progress is examined through regular on-the-spotproject visits and Thematic Monitoring initiatives.7. Reporting & Audit –beneficiaries are obliged to regularly submit reports to theNA, which defines the accurate spending of the grants and the successful implementationof the envisaged activities. The required data should be summarized in specific reporttemplates and financial reporting tables, provided by the NA:

Submission of Interim Report – provides mid-term update on the projectprogress compared to the original plans and budgets; required only for projects of18 months' duration or more; only upon acceptance by the NA the nextinstalments can be paid; Submission of Final Report- provides information on the entire implementationof the project, the results and the expenditures. The report assessment and ratingare to determine whether partial or complete final payment would be made. Thesubmission date falls two months after the end of the project. Audit - within 5 years of the final payment the National Agency or the EuropeanCommission may carry out an audit.A very important aspect of the management cycle, especially for the new programmingperiod 2014-2020, is how sustainable the results are after the project closure. This meansthat an EU project should not only achieve its objectives, but it should also lead tosustainable public benefits - direct or indirect long-term positive effects for the EUcitizens. Sustainability in this context means that crucial activities and results should bedesigned in a way, which would guarantee that it would continue to deliver benefits to thetarget groups, structures, sectors or systems after the project closure. This underlines thenecessity of a comprehensive review and critical analysis of both – the project results andtheir relevance to the problem, stated in the proposal.

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Logical Framework Approachfor Project Design and

Management3

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3 Introduction to the Logical Framework Approach for Project Design andManagement

3.1 Overview of the Logical Framework Approach (LFA)The US Agency of International Development developed in the late 1960’s the LogicalFramework Approach (LFA) in order to improve its project planning and evaluationsystem and to tackle with planning, managerial, distribution of tasks and assessmentissues. Among the challenges that were faced are: vague planning, unclear,immeasurable and unrealistic objectives, ambiguous management responsibilities,adversarial evaluation process and purely defined project purposes. LFA turns out to bea successful solution to these issues, providing a core set of useful tools for high qualityproject implementation and assessment. Thus, the model is recognised by the EC as anessential part of the Project Cycle Management, officially used in the EU projectmanagement since 1993.3.2 What is LFA?The LFA is defined as an analytical process and a set of tools used to support the projectplanning and the management processes. The method combines a set of interconnectedconcepts and repetitive processes, used to support the structured and systematicanalysis of the project idea and/or objectives. Basically, the LFA is ‘help for reflection’,providing instruments for structuring and analysing a bulk of information to determinethe key project questions, to identify the weaknesses, define the project rationale andpursued objectives in order to support the well-informed and sound decision-makingprocess.LFA however should be distinguished from the Logical Framework Matrix (LFM); thelatter being defined is a tool. In contrast, the LFA is an analytical process, incorporatinganalysis of stakeholders and challenges, setting of objectives and strategy selection.Indeed, while LFM or the so-called Logframe requires further analysis of the objectives,their implementation and the potential risks, it also provides a documented product ofthe analytical process. The LFM is made of a matrix with four columns and four (ormore) rows, summing up key elements of a project plan, such as:• Project Description or Intervention Logic, namely the project’s hierarchy ofobjectives;• Assumptions, namely the key external factors crucial for the project’s success;• Indicators and Sources of Verification, namely the way how the project’sachievements will be monitored and evaluated.The Logframe also provides the basis for determining resource requirements (inputs)and costs (budget).

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3.2 Link between Project Cycle and key PCM documentsHow is the LFA used in practice?• It is used in the identification phase of PCM in order to help analysing the existingsituation, to investigate the relevance of the proposed project and to identifypotential objectives and strategies;• During the formulation stage, the LFA supports the preparation of an appropriateproject plan with clear objectives, measurable results, risk management strategyand defined levels of management responsibility;• During project/programme implementation, the LFA provides a key managementtool to support contracting, operational work planning and monitoring; and• During the evaluation and audit stage, the Logframe matrix provides a summaryrecord of what was planned (objectives, indicators and key assumptions), andthus provides a basis for performance and impact assessment.A common problem with the application of the Logframe Approach (particularly thepreparation of the matrix) is that it is undertaken separately from the preparation of theother required project documents. This may then result in inconsistency between thecontents of the Logframe matrix and the description of the project contained in thenarrative of the main documents. The application of the LFA should come first, and thenprovide a base source of information for completing the required PCM documents. TheLFA provides no magic solutions, but when understood and applied accordingly, it is avery effective analytical and managerial tool.Fig. 1: Strengths and Common Problems with the Application of LFAELEMENT STRENGTHS COMMON PROBLEMS

Problemanalysis andobjectivesetting

Requires systematic analysisof problems, including causeand effect relationships Provides logical link betweenmeans & ends Places the project within abroader development context(overall objective andpurpose)• Encourages examination ofrisks and managementaccountability for results

Getting consensus on priorityproblems Getting consensus on projectobjectives Reducing objectives to asimplistic linear chain Inappropriate level of detail(too much/too little)

Indicators andsource ofverification

• Requires analysis of how tomeasure the achievement ofobjectives, in terms of bothquantity and quality• Helps improve clarity andspecificity of objectives• Finding SMART (specific,measurable,available/achievable in a costeffective way, relevant for theprogramme, and available in atimely manner) indicators for

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• Helps in establishing themonitoring and evaluationframework higher level objectives and forprojects with ‘capacity building’and ‘process’ objectives• Establishing unrealistic targetstoo early in the planningprocess• Relying on ‘project reports’ asthe main ‘source of verification’,and not detailing where therequired information actuallycomes from, who should collectit and how frequentlyFormat andapplication

• Links problem analysis toobjective setting• Emphasises importance ofstakeholder analysis todetermine ‘whose problems’and ‘whose benefits’• Visually accessible andrelatively easy to understand

• Prepared mechanically as abureaucratic ‘box-filling’requirement, not linked toproblem analysis, objectivesetting or strategy selection• Used as a means of top-downcontrol – too rigidly applied• Can alienate staff not familiarwith the key concepts• Becomes a ‘fetish’ rather than ahelpSource: PCM Guidelines p.59, European Commission, Europeaid Cooperation Office, March2014

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How to Prepare a Proposal4

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4 How to Prepare a Proposal4.1 The analysis stagePrior to initiating detailed analysis with the stakeholder groups (field work), it isessential to involve experts during the project identification and design stage, who aresufficiently aware of the policy, sector and institutional context. This preliminary,Analysis Stage, contains four main elements, focused on the following itemsrespectively:1. Stakeholders2. Problems3. Objectives4. Strategies4.1.1 Stakeholders Analysis:‘Stakeholders’ are all individuals, groups of people, institutions, private or public actorshaving a significant interest in the success or failure of a project or process. The keyquestions asked during the stakeholder analysis are ‘whose problems oropportunities are being analysed’, and ‘who will benefit or loose-out, and how,from a proposed project intervention’?Therefore, the final goal is to help maximize the social, economic and institutionalbenefits of the project towards target groups as well as direct/indirect beneficiaries. Thekey purpose of the stakeholders analysis is to understand and addressdistributional/equity concerns, particularly in the context of the needs of the targetgroups.One of the most powerful tools for conducting stakeholders’ analysis is the SWOTanalysis, which defines the strengths of a particular organisation as well as theopportunities and the threats it might face. The SWOT comprises three main stages,namely:1. Ideas are generated about the internal strengths and weaknesses of a group ororganization, and the external opportunities and threats;2. The situation is analysed by looking for ways in which the group/organisation’sstrengths can be built on to overcome identified weaknesses, and opportunitiescan be taken to minimize threats; and3. A strategy for making improvements is formulated (and then subsequentlydeveloped using a number of additional analytical planning tools).

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Fig. 2: Example of SWOT table

STRENGHTS…..…..….WEAKNESSES…..…..…..

OPPORTUNITIES…..…..…..

THREATS…..…..…..Identification of the SWOTs of the stakeholders is important because this analysis islikely to affect the task allocation in order to achieve high quality results and the actualdefinition of the objectives. Users of SWOT analysis need to ask and answer questionsthat generate meaningful information for each category (strengths, weaknesses,opportunities, and threats) to make the analysis useful and find their competitiveadvantage.4.1.2 Problem AnalysisProblem analysis identifies the negative aspects of an existing situation and establishesthe ‘cause and effect’ relationships between the identified problems. It involves threemain steps:1. Definition of the framework and the subject of analysis;2. Identification of the major problems faced by target groups and beneficiaries:a. What is/are the problem/s?b. Whose problems?3. Visualisation of the problems in form of a diagram, called a “problem tree” or“hierarchy of problems” to help analyse and clarify cause–effect relationships.The analysis should be presented in diagrammatic form showing effects of a problem ontop and its causes underneath: the figure below shows a template for building aproblems tree. The analysis is aimed at identifying the real bottlenecks that need to beovercome. Thus, a clear problem analysis provides a sound foundation on which todevelop a set of relevant and focused project objectives.

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Fig. 3: Focal problem – causes and effects

Source: PCM Guidelines, European Commission, Europeaid Cooperation Office, March 2014Once completed, the problem tree represents a summary picture of the existing negativesituation. In many respects the problem analysis is the most critical stage of the projectplanning, as it then guides all subsequent analysis and decision-making on priorities.4.1.3 Analysis of the ObjectivesAnalysis of the objectives is a methodological approach applied to:• describe the situation in the future once identified problems have been remedied;• verify the hierarchy of the objectives;• illustrate the means/ends relationships in a diagram.All ‘negative situations’ of the problem tree are shifted into solutions, turning into‘positive achievements’. These positive achievements are in fact objectives, and shouldbe presented in a diagram of objectives showing the means/ends hierarchy. Thisdiagram aims at providing clear overview of the desired future situation.The main steps in the process are summarised below:• Step 1: Reformulate all negative situations of the problems’ analysis turned intopositive situations that are desirable and realistically achievable;

Focal Problem

Effects of the Focal Problem

Causes of the Focal Problem

TIPS AND TRICKS Conduct an exhaustivebackground research about theproblem to find valid andcredible information. Potential web-sources: officialreports and publications,academic research papers, pressclippings. If possible conduct primaryresearch throughformal/informal interviews,surveys and etc. Ask for the opinion of thestakeholders and the potentialpartners. Make sure to exhaust all sourcesof information to conduct anadequate analysis.

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• Step 2: Check the means/ends relationships to ensure validity andcompleteness of the hierarchy (cause-effect relationships are turned into means-ends);• Step 3: If necessary: revise statements; add new objectives if these seem to berelevant and necessary to achieve the objective at the next higher level; deleteobjectives which do not seem suitable or necessary.4.1.4 Analysis of the StrategiesSome of the questions that need to be asked and answered at this stage include:

Such analysis should be carried out as a repetitive learning process and an assessmentof the undertaken strategies should be provided on a regular basis, so as everymilestone could be overcome. For example, while stakeholders’ analysis must be carriedout early in the process, the strategy must be reviewed and refined as new questions areasked and new information comes to light.At this stage, or as part of the stakeholders’ analysis, it is also crucial to identify the rightpartners. Never leave this task for the last moment of the proposal stage; strive to findthe right partners at idea generation stage. Besides the formal programme eligibility, theselected partners need to have the right skills and expertise to implement high qualityresults.

• Should all the identified problems and/or objectives be tackled, or only few?• What are the positive opportunities that can be built on (i.e. from the SWOTanalysis)?• What is the combination of interventions that are most likely to bring about thedesired results and promote sustainability of the benefits?• How the local ownership of the project is best supported, includingdevelopment of the capacity of local institutions?• What are the likely capital- and recurrent costs of the different possibleinterventions, and what can realistically be afforded?• What is the most cost effective option(s)?• Which strategy will have the most positive impact in terms of addressing theneeds of the identified vulnerable groups?• How could potential negative environmental impacts be mitigated or avoided?

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Once the partners’ requirements are clarified, managers can start searching for partnersthrough their local networks, general web-search and/or use some of the following linksto identify project partners (please note that this is not an exhaustive list of databases): A list of databases for partners’ search is provided by Eurodesk, on the followinglink: http://www.eurodesk.org/edesk/EUToolbox.do?go=7 LinkedIn also hosts groups with the same purpose. Some of these are presentedhere: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/Database-European-Partnership-4108977/about

4.2 The Planning Stage4.2.1 Drafting the LogframeResults of the analysis in the Planning Stage are adapted into a practical plan ready forimplementation. The results of the stakeholder, problem, objectives and strategyanalysis are used as the basis for preparing the Logical Framework Matrix.In this stage:• the Logframe matrix is prepared, requiring further analysis and refinement ofideas;• activities and resource requirements are defined and scheduled, and• a budget is prepared.Generally, it is recommended that the matrix only includes the project Overall Objective,Purpose and Results, and that Indicative Activities be described/documented separately(i.e. using an activity schedule). Also, it is recommended that means and costs are not tobe included in the Logframe matrix format, as there are more appropriate ways/placesin which to resent this information.

KEY QUESTIONS What skills’ gap should a partner fill in? What is required from thepartnership? For example, the future project consortium might need:expertise, project management experiences, access to networks, lobbyingsupport and financial resources among others. What type of organisation? What size? What industry? Whatservices/expertise/products are required? What networks or intermediaries would give an added value?

TIPS AND TRICKS Prepare a very good presentation of your organisation and team, to approachthe potential partner with a clear written request. Be very clear about the desired project outcomes, timelines and expectedsupport, in order to enable the potential partner to take adequate decision. Be prepared to give further clarifications about the partners’ responsibilitiesand set appropriate expectations.

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Fig. 4: Typical structure of a logframe matrixPROJECTDESCRIPTION INDICATORS SOURCE OF

VERIFICATION ASSUMPTIONS

Overall Objective(OO) – The project’scontribution topolicy orprogrammeObjectives (impact)

How the OO is to bemeasured includingQuantity, Quality,and Time?How will theinformation becollected, whenand by whom?

Purpose – Directbenefits to thetarget group(s)How the Purpose isto be measuredincluding Quantity,Quality, and Time? As above If the Purpose isachieved, whatassumptions musthold true to achievethe OO?

Results – Tangibleproducts or servicesdelivered by theprojectHow the results areto be measuredincluding Quantity,Quality, and Time? As above If Results areachieved, whatassumptions musthold true to achievethe Purpose?

Activities – Tasksthat have to beundertaken todeliver the desiredresultsIf Activities arecompleted, whatassumptions musthold true to deliverthe results?This is an iterative process, as it may be necessary to review and revise the scope ofproject activities and expected results once the resource implications and budgetbecome clearer.

TIPS AND TRICKS Try to turn the logframe into the cornerstone of the project design. It is important to start drafting the logframe from top to bottom. A commonmistake is that managers often begin with the activities, being the easiest part,and then they try to fit in the ‘results’ and a ‘purpose’ for them. The logic isactually the other way around, i.e. the overall objective and the purpose of theproject defines the expected results, which in turn entails the respectiveactivities. The purpose of the project is at times challenging. Remember that the purpose isa consequence of the results and try to describe it in just one, but crisp and clearsentence.

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4.2.2 Activity, resource and cost scheduleThe Activity Schedule is a format for analysing and graphically presenting projectactivities. It helps to identify their logical sequence, expected duration, anydependencies that exist between activities, and provides a basis for allocatingmanagement responsibility. Once the Activity Schedule is prepared further specificationof resources and scheduling of costs could begin.A useful tool to schedule activities can be the Gantt chart, a type of bar chart, developedby Henry Gantt in the 1910s, that illustrates a project schedule. It is commonly used inproject management, and it is one of the most popular and useful ways of showingactivities displayed against time. On the left of the chart is a list of the activities andalong the top is a suitable time scale. Each activity is represented by a bar; the positionand length of the bar reflects the start date, the duration and the end date of the activity.This allows you to see at a glance: What the various activities are When each activity begins and ends How long each activity is scheduled to last Where activities overlap with other activities, and by how much The start and the end date of the whole projectTo summarize, a Gantt chart shows you what has to be done (the activities) and when(the schedule).

Fig 5: Example of a Gantt ChartTASK 2012 2013

Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr MayTask 1:………………….Sub-task1.1:…………..Sub-task 1.2:…………..Sub-task1.3:……………Task 2:……………………Task 3:

Another tricky area is the definition of the indicators, being commonly mistakenfor “targets”. Remember that the indicator is meant to provide evidence thatsomething has happened. Thus, these need to be clearly defined, measured andrealistic. Try to involve as many experts as possible; these might be partners, stakeholdersand/or own staff. Test the logframe to ensure it has been built logically.

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……………………Sub-task 3.1:…………..Sub-task 3.2:…………..Besides the timing of the activities, in transnational and other complex projectsimplemented by consortium of partners, it is also useful to have a task division schemethat allows you to make a summary of activities and responsibilities.Fig 6: Example of a task division schemeTASK Partner

1Partner2

Partner3

Partner4 Partner5Task 1: …………………. X XSub-task1.1: ………….. X X XSub-task 1.2: ………….. X X XSub-task 1.3:…………… X XTask2: …………………… X X XTask 3:…………………… X X XSub-task 3.1: ………….. X XSub-task 3.2: ………….. X X X

4.3.3 A checklist to prepare an activity scheduleOnce the Logframe matrix itself is complete, it is then possible to use the identifiedActivities (which may or may not be actually included in the matrix itself) to furtheranalyse issues of timing, dependency and responsibility using an activity scheduling (orGantt Chart) format. A step-by-step approach for the preparation of a detailed activityschedule can be followed:Step 1 – List the Main ActivitiesThe main Activities identified through the Logframe analysis are a summary of what theproject must do in order to deliver the project’s results. These can therefore be used asthe basis for preparation of the Activity Schedule which helps to specify the possiblestages and the duration of the key activities.Step 2 – Break Activities Down into Manageable TasksThe purpose of breaking Activities down into sub-activities or tasks, is to make themsufficiently simple to be organised and managed easily. The technique is to break downan Activity into its component sub-activities, and then to take each sub-activity andbreak it down into its component tasks. Each task can then be assigned to an individual,and becomes their short-term goal. This step may be time-consuming and thus somemanagers might prefer to complete it once the financing is approved and the projectimplementation phase has commenced. However, please note that the detailed

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description of each and every task during the planning stage ensures betterunderstanding, clear definition, adequate allocation of resources, and sound costscalculations of each project Activity.Step 3 – Clarify Sequence and DependenciesOnce the Activities have been broken down into sufficient details, they must be relatedto each other in order to determine their:• Sequence - in what order should related Activities be undertaken?• Dependencies - is the Activity dependent on the start-up or completion of anyother Activity?Step 4 – Estimate Start-up, Duration and Completion of ActivitiesSpecifying the timing involves making a realistic estimation of the duration of each task,and then building it into the Activity Schedule to establish the most appropriate start-upand completion dates. However, it is often not possible to estimate timing with greatconfidence. To ensure that the estimations are at least realistic, those who have thenecessary technical knowledge or experience should be consulted.Step 5 – Summarise Scheduling of the Main ActivitiesHaving specified the timing of the individual tasks that make up the main Activities, it isuseful to provide an overall summary of the start-up, the duration and the completion ofthe main Activity itself.Step 6 – Define MilestonesMilestones can provide the basis, on which the project implementation is monitored andmanaged. They are key events that provide a measure of progress and a target for theproject team to aim at. The simplest milestones are the dates estimated for completionof each Activity – e.g. training needs assessment completed by January 20xx.

Step 7 – Define ExpertiseWhen the tasks are known, it is possible to specify the type of expertise required. Oftenthe available expertise is known in advance. Nonetheless, this provides a goodopportunity to check whether the action plan is feasible given the human resourcesavailable.Step 8 – Allocate Tasks among the Team MembersThis involves more than just saying who does what. With task allocation comes theresponsibility for overcoming the milestones. In other words, it is a way of defining theaccountability of each team member. Task allocation should therefore take intoconsideration the abilities, skills and experience of each member of the team. Whendelegating tasks to team members, it is important to ensure that they understand whatis required of them. If not, the level of detail with which the relevant tasks are specifiedmay have to be increased.

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4.3.4 Preparing resource and cost schedulesCost estimates should be based on careful and thorough budgeting. They will havesignificant influence over the investment decision at project appraisal and subsequentlyon the smooth implementation of the project once the go-ahead is given.At the beginning it is necessary to make an assessment of all available resources as wellas realistic and accurate appraisal of incomes. Then it is necessary to estimate therequired resources and the foreseen costs (Costs = quantity per unitary cost). Costs maybe distinguished in the following two groups: Variable costs: these vary proportionally with the volume of activities. Fixed costs: do not vary depending on the activitiesAgain, the list of Activities should be copied into a Resource Schedule pro-forma.Each Activity should then be used as a checklist to ensure that all necessaryresources/inputs required under that Activity are provided for. Budgeting ofmanagement activities should not be forgotten at this stage.Once the Activities have been placed into the schedule, the required resources toimplement the Activities must be specified.As there might be a need to aggregate or summarise the cost information, the resourcesshould be allocated to clearly defined cost categories. For example, in the followingfigure the activity of establishing a Planning Unit requires Equipment, Salaries andAllowances. The Units, Quantity per Period, and estimated Unit Cost should then bespecified. If entered on a spreadsheet, Cost per Period and Total Project Cost can becalculated using simple formula.Project costing should allow the costs allocation between the different funding sourcesso that each party has clarity about their respective contributions. The code for FundingSource can then be used to sort all costs and to determine respective totals. Thoseproviding funding for the project are likely to have cost codes for each established costcategory. By specifying the Cost Code, costs can again be sorted to determine total costby cost category. It is now possible to schedule cost per planning period using simpleformula to multiply the annual quantity by the unit cost.Once Total Costs have been calculated, it is important to remember that theimplementing agency will be required to meet any recurrent costs of maintainingservice provision beyond the life of the project. Recurrent Costs may be covered (fully orpartly) through increased revenue that has been generated through project Activities.Whether or not this is the case, it is important that the net recurrent cost implications ofthe project are clearly specified so that the future impact on the implementing agency’sbudget can be determined.Projects co-funded by the European Union are a subject to financial reporting, whichmeans collection, organisation and presentation of all incurred costs evidences. Thefinancial report must be accompanied by a report on the management and

implementation of the activities and the description of the results. A sample resource table is presented below:Fig 7: Preparing a resource schedule

4.3.4 Preparing the proposalOnce the logframe and the budget have been completed, filling in the proposalapplication form is easier as the main ideas are already jotted down and logicallyverified. However, this task has its own peculiarities as the forms are quite long anddetailed. Each Call for Proposal is supported by thorough guidelines which must befollowed strictly. Even though the tips and tricks provided below seem obvious andrather logical, these are often neglected by those who write the proposals.TIPS AND TRICKS:

Carefully read and understand all the details in the Guidelines and the accompanyingdocuments; Fill in diligently each and every section of the Application Form, following theguidelines and strictly keep the word limits; EU projects proposals are large and time consuming to design, thus, be aware of thesubmission deadline and envisage enough buffer time for the final proof read; Take into consideration the evaluation and the selection procedure and criteria, as ithelps understand where the proposal focus should be. Make sure that the following items meet the eligibility criteria:

o eligibility of applicants;o partnerships and eligibility of partners;o eligible actions - actions for which an application may be made;o eligibility of costs - costs which may be taken into consideration for the grant.

Procure, sign and stamp all the required documents, as required by the Agency. Get a second opinion on the finalized proposal. Remember, it is at times tough tospot your own mistakes and logical flaws, especially for long and complexdocuments. Avoid submitting the proposal at the very last moment; try to have finalized it atleast 3 to 5 days before the actual deadline. Last but not least, a well written proposal keeps long and hectic implementationdays away!

Contractual Aspects5

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5. Contractual aspects5.1 Responsibilities of the CoordinatorThe person responsible for the overall project management is the Project Coordinator.Usually, the beneficiary organization or institution, responsible for the implementationof the project by the consortium, is in charge of this position. Project coordination meansto manage project activities so as to ensure smooth tasks implementation andaccomplishment of envisaged goals and objectives. The coordinator is responsible fortask definition and work allocation, timely project scheduling and time management,internal and external communication. Another important aspect is to monitor theproject tasks implementation, to ensure deliverables’ quality and successful teamperformance.The Project Coordinator should be skilled and qualified to guide team and consortiummembers as well as to plan and coordinate administrative and operational activities.One of the most important aspects in Project coordinator’s work is assisting the project’steam members in their individual contributions to the project. Also, this person has tonegotiate, monitor, evaluate and propose project implementation methodology. Theposition of Project Coordinator requires high level of independent judgment. Thisperson has to ensure that people and resources deployed to completing the project goalsare used appropriately.In case of a change of the appointed Project Coordinator, the project consortium needsto follow a specific EU procedure. In such situation an official letter should be sent,informing the National Agency about the reasons for the change and stating that theproject partners have no objections on that. The letter is essential to include adescription of the competences and the experience of the new Coordinator, as well ashis/her contact details.5.2 Grant AgreementThe agreement between the National Agency and the applicant selected for a grant awardis called Grant Agreement. The document sets the terms and conditions, as well as thefinancial rules, which are to be applied for the use of the grant. The selected applicantbecomes a beneficiary through signature of the Agreement. A project begins after signingthe Agreement, and continues with the work plan. The Grant Agreement also sets theeligibility period of the project activities, the maximum Community contribution to theproject costs, as well as the co-financing mechanism. In case there is a need formodifications to the Grant Agreement during the project’s lifetime, one may send arequest for an amendment to the National Agency. There is a specific requirement in theGrant Agreement, which stipulates how long after the project end the project recordsmust be kept.In case of termination of a Grant Agreement, the National Agency may decide toterminate the Agreement without any indemnity on its part. Another scenario fortermination is if the beneficiary fails to fulfil a substantial obligation incumbent on him

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under the terms of the Agreement, including its annexes.5.3 Partnership AgreementAn agreement between all participants in a certain project (beneficiary and partners) iscalled Partnership Agreement. It has to be signed by all partner organizations in orderto have reasonable assurance that the project will be implemented in conformity withthe provisions of the Grant Agreement. Its purpose is to govern a number of issues thatmay arise during the project’s lifetime, such as: collaboration methods, financialprovisions, intellectual property rights and other tasks. Partnership Agreement is highlyrecommended for all projects. It is important to note that the Partnership Agreement isdeemed to be signed after signing the Grant Agreement.

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Project Management,Monitoring and Reviewing6

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6 Project Management, monitoring and reviewing6.1 Project ManagementManaging projects funded by the European public bodies assumes adhering to particularrules, as these are powerful EU instruments supporting the Community Policies oneconomic and social cohesion. In spite of these managerial guidelines, projectcoordination can have many faces depending on the purpose and the context of theactivities that have been implemented. In general, managing a project is considered theprocess of working with a set of human, material and financial resources, organized andstructured in a hierarchical order, aimed at implementing the integrated activities, withspecific goals and over a certain period of time. In the context of the activities, EUprojects may entail specific actions related to the act of helping, advising, training,supporting, stimulating, educating, empowering or teaching selected vulnerable targetgroups and/or transferring and adapting best practices and methodologies among manyothers.Therefore, before commencing a new project, EU project managers need to make surethat the following conditions are in place:

Relevance: Verify that the project objectives are valid, considering the problemsand interests of the actors involved. Coherence: Check if the decisions that have been taken are appropriate and inaccordance with the external context of the project. Consistency: Check if there is in congruency with the different elements of theproject, such as: objectives, results, activities, timelines, and resources. Financial viability: Determine whether the resources allocated are sufficient forthe development of the activities; Efficiency: Analyse the relationship between the generated results and themobilized means (financial, human, and institutional); Effectiveness: Assess whether the results that have been obtained would help inachieving the desired goals; Sustainability: Appreciate to what extent the decision making would beeffective, even after the project has been terminated.This is a guarantee for the successful implementation of the project strategy and theactivities.

6.1.3. The project implementationOfficially, the start of the implementation phase of an EU project is announced once theproposal has been approved and the contract has been signed. At this stage, the projectcoordinator starts mobilizing the planned resources by establishing teams, which wouldimplement strategies and tasks, and would also design and produce project materials,monitor the project progress, lead the internal and the external communication, preparethe financial and the progress reports, manage any possible changes and risks, and copewith the challenges that may occur. Thus, the implementation phase comprises threemain steps with specific activities (EuropeAid Cooperation Office 2004):

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Step 1: Inception PeriodThe implementation phase starts here with the following preparatory activities:a) Completion of contract procedures: contracts and regulations issued by theregulating authority for particular measure/action.b) Definition of human and material resources: adjustments are made by takinginto account the incurred changes between the funding requests and the projectapproval (approval terms, partner change, timing, resources).c) Establishment/maintenance of working relationships with stakeholders, inwhich it is desirable to predict/put an internal communication plan into action, inorder to ensure the transparent and fluid circulation of information and toeffectively engage the stakeholders.d) Review and update the action plan, specifically if there are discrepancies in theoriginally formulated activity plan timeline, compared to the current plan.e) Monitoring and evaluation of the project plan.f) Hold inception workshops.Step 2: Implementation of the project, through which the project manager, on anongoing basis, must:a) Recruit and involve staff as well as provide the required equipment for theimplementation of the activities;b) Implement activities and deliver results;c) Monitor and review the project´s progress;d) Re-plan the project;e) Draft progress reports.Step 3: Phase OutConditions for sustainability should be ensured during the project development stage,particularly before entering the final phase. The project sustainability is a key criteriathat defines the success (or not) of the intervention, and usually answers one of thereference questions related to the assessment of the project sustainability, namely:“after its conclusion, to what extent does the impact of the project persevere?” Theanswer to this question lies in the project manager’s ability to ensure that the followingactivities are met during the project’s phase out, namely:a) Make the project suitable for local partners, particularly with regard to thefulfilment of their responsibilities;b) Ensure that maintenance plans are in place;c) Ensure that the skills acquired during the intervention are transferred;d) Make an effort to ensure covering the ongoing costs.

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Based on the steps outlined above, project managers have the following responsibilities:1. Monitoring and periodic revision of the project progress and respective workpackage results, in order to ensure that the proposal tasks are successfully and timelyimplemented (See chapters 6.2. and 6.3, which contain detailed presentation on projectmonitoring).2. Plan and re-plan the projectEven projects with structured planning are likely to encounter problems during theirimplementation due to changes in environmental conditions, alterations in therequirements and/or modifications of the target-groups’ needs, among others.Therefore, it is essential that the manager is equipped with tools that would assist thesmooth project implementation, easy re-planning and effective risk management.Fig. 7: The Re-planning Process

Source: Europe Aid, PCM Guidelines, p. 42

3. Report the physical and financial implementation of the project to the variousproject stakeholders, such as funders, stakeholders, project team etc. (see Chapter 6.3.)

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TIPS AND TRICKS

Establish an efficient communication system: Remember that one of the main reasons why partnerships fail and do not lead tosuccessful results is the lack of clear and timely communication; Provide clear Partnership Agreements, stipulating all the rights and responsibilities ofthe partners; Use the kick-off meeting to confirm implementation arrangements, work plans, andthe internal communication strategy; Distribute equally and carefully the tasks between partners, based on their skills andexpertise; make sure there is no double work; Ensure that all partners have access to the necessary project documents; Make sure that tasks are clearly and thoroughly explained and everyone understandstheir role in the project; Establish sound and clear system for work allocation and progress tracking to guidethe partners; Remind the deadlines on time; Stick to crisp and clear communication style and avoid too complex sentences; Try to involve partners as much as possible by asking for feedback, opinions andsuggestions; Prioritize transparency with project partners, especially on administrative andfinancial issues.

Manage yourself and your team: Establish a functioning project team and try to make them accountable for theproject’s progress and reporting. Design a good management plan, providing benchmarks to assess performance,quality and efficiency; this is a pre-requisite to the effective monitoring, review, andevaluation. Maintain good quality and task implementation records. Project plans should bealways compared with the achieved results as this enables timely implementation ofcorrective measures (if required). Make sure that these records are simple and practical to allow regular updates easily. Consider who needs what type of information and avoid overwhelming the team withirrelevant information. Draft guidelines for specific tasks, based on partners' background. Provide templates for the documents; specify the font size, document structure,specific formats etc., and make sure that all partners are following these formattingguidelines. Otherwise the merging, formatting and editing of the final documents mayturn into a nightmare. Ensure that the tangible results are consistent in terms of style, units, statistics,presentation, etc. This is an added value for the users of the project’s results.

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6.1.4. Working ToolsThe process of project implementation requires ongoing evaluation to determinewhether the actual project results are aligned with the objectives, meet the qualityexpectations and are on the right track. In order to successfully implement a particularEU project, the manager needs to employ a set of efficient methodologies which facilitatethe collection and the systematization of information, support not only the analysis, butalso the decision-making process. The following tools, some of which already presentedin this guide, are quite useful for EU project management:1. Logframe matrix (see chapter 3);2. Activity plan (see chapters 4.1. and 6.3);3. Progress reports (see chapter 6.3);4. Risk management matrix.6.1.4.1. Risk management matrixThe project risk management should be implemented during the project conceptionstage and if necessary is revised during the implementation. The risk analysis is appliedduring the conception phase, by identifying the assumptions of the Logframe Matrix. Itallows assessment of the importance of the assumptions as either “high/reducedimpact” and/or “high/reduced probability”. For example, if an assumption on the levelof specific or general objective is assessed to have high impact and high probability, it isconsidered a “killer assumption”. This implies that an alternative should be found, asotherwise the viability of the project could be jeopardized.

Avoid piling up work for the very last moment. Such a strategy usually leads to a lowerquality. Strictly follow the dissemination guidelines and rules provided by the EuropeanCommission. Remember that dissemination and sustainability are very important aspectsof the EU projects, thus, frivolous project popularization is not tolerated. Proper organization of the project’s documents. EU projects run over a period of 1-3 yearsand people tend to forget.

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Fig. 8 Risk Analysis Grid (Ulrich Schiefer 2006)

The risk analysis matrix

PROBABILITY IMPACT TotalReduced Moderate High ExtremeRareImprobablePossibleProbableTotalIn fact, there should always be a plan B and even a Plan C, which does not imply that theproject is being completely abandoned, because an assumption worth is largely due toits uncertainty and probability, so that the scenario may be the reverse to what wasforecasted and things may go better without the assumption happening.However, the analysis and ongoing review of the project risks should be a systematicpractice during project management and ensures that the necessary measures havebeen taken to minimize the negative effects that the risks may have on the projectperformance.

High

IMPACT

PROBABILITYReduced High

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Risk Management Matrix

ASSUMPTIONS RISK MANAGEMENT DETERMINANT

InterventionLogic

Assumptions Relevance of Risks Risk ManagementMeasuresProbability Impact Total

GeneralObjectiveSpecificObjectiveResultsActivities

6.1.5 Useful Online Tools for Project ManagementCoordination, collaboration and managerial skills play a major role in EU projectmanagement, as project outcomes are highly affected by the initial project planning aswell as the ongoing monitoring and evaluation of the implemented tasks and tangibleresults. Fortunately, the contemporary managers can now opt for a variety of freeand/or paid online tools, which optimize the complex EU project coordination process.Nowadays, the cloud computing and the software services offer a wide spectrum ofmanagement products, which make information sharing, collaboration, coordinationand communication, much easier. This is especially useful for the intranational EUprojects since these usually link at least three EU countries. Among others, the availableIT tools allow the online management of the following project activities: Content Sharing & Collaboration (CS) Communication (CM) Scheduling & Resource Allocation (RA) Cost Control & Budget Management (BM) Integration Capabilities (IC) IT Project SupportPricing model of these tools can be free as well as under subscription - yearly, monthlyor one-time based etc. Further, no universal tool currently exists, this is why users needto make a good choice of a set of tools and try to integrate them in the best possiblemanner. This section outlines a list of relevant tools and provides a brief description oftheir functionalities.

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A) Intergrated Solutions

Google +Web Site: www.google.comCategory: Project Management PlatformPricing Model: Free, option to upgrade with a monthly fee tomore GDrive Space and Corporate email.Those include a wide range of tools for online collaboration, content management,communication etc. It can also be “stretched” to support the rest of the functionalities:

Google HangoutsIt is a communication platform, used for online meetings withmultinational partners, photo and video sharing, screen sharing, etc.GmailGoogle’s online email platform.Google DocsThis is one of the best online Content Sharing platforms, which offers notonly documents’ sharing, but also real-time collaboration by allowingmultiple people to create, share and edit the same file (word, excel andpresentation formats). Therefore, many people are using it to co-authordocuments, which comes in quite handy for EU Projects. Further, thegoogle sheets could also be used to manage financial sheets andinformation. A very useful tutorial on Google Drive and Docs isavailable here: http://www.gcflearnfree.org/googledriveanddocsGoogle CalendarAn online calendar/time management solution for keeping track of timeevents, notifying event participants.Google DriveA Document Sharing Solution, offering 15GB free storage space, whichcan be increased to 30GB should other Google work/school apps be used.The applications offer good and safe solution for storage and documentsorganisation.Google AppsA set of additional tools that can be used for various tasks in the contextof EU Project Management, especially since they offer onlinecollaboration. These apps are integrated within Google Drive and aremade available via Google Drive Platform. Some of the tools considered tobe relevant to the EU projects are listed below.

Gannter Project: A tool that offers design and management ofGannt diagrams. Zoho Writer: Office application Integration with Zoho Office Mind Map: Concept sketching diagram tool

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WireFrame: For generating application mock-ups Simple Project Management Coordinate EverythingPlease note that this list is being updated on a regular basis, and users areencouraged to browse occasionally for new apps.

All of the applications mentioned above are tightly integrated with each other andrequire a google/google+ account. However, the google-based security of these apps issometimes criticized. Also, many additional systems offer the option to use theirplatform by logging in using a google account.Microsoft Office 365Web Site: office.microsoft.comCategory: Project Management PlatformPricing Model: On a subscription basis per user.Microsoft offers a set of tools which are also used for Project management. Untilrecently, Microsoft was targeting mostly desktop, while currently, it offers software forboth Desktop and Browser, namely the office 365 platform. The disadvantage comparedto Google is that it is subscription based.

Office Online (Office 365)Their popular office suite is brought online allowing online co-authoring. Not to mention that it has the best office documentcompatibility.OutlookThe online email platform.Project OnlineMigration of their Microsoft project suite online.SkypeMicrosoft integrates tightly with Skype for online communication andnet meetingsOne NoteAn alternative to Evernote for capturing and sharing notes.

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Zoho ProjectWeb Site: www.zoho.comCategory: Project Management PlatformPricing Model:a) Limited free apps and content, andb) User based subscription schemeAward-winning online business, productivity and collaboration apps, offering solutionsfor business processes, information and resource management as well as storage andsharing services, among others. The toolset contains numerous modules forCollaboration (chat, meeting, wiki and etc.), Business Related (campaigns, contact, CRM,market place and etc.) and Productivity Related (sheet, calendar, notebooks and etc.).A core component of this platform is the Microsoft office compatibility, allowing forsimultaneous online editing of documents. Zoho is also well integrated into otherdocument management platforms, such as Wiggio and GDrive. Some of the features arepresented below:

Zoho DocsSolution to create, manage, organize, share and collaborate ondocuments. It integrates into other file sharing solutions, such asDropbox , Google drive, and Wiggio, among others.Zoho ProjectsAllows task management, task allocation, setting up deadlines,and progress tracking.Discussions and MeetingsTools for effective online communcation and online hosting ofmeetingsWikiWiki tool for wiki-style-knowledge sharingSmartSheetWeb Site: www.wiggio.comCategory: Project Management PlatformPricing Model: FreeSmartSheet is a good alternative to Zoho. It offers a number of functionalities, such astask management, calendars, files, online editing of documents, and discussions - allaccessible from any device. It does not support Gantt, but it provides a Work BreakDown Functionality of projects and tasks.

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B) Additional Project Management Tools

The platforms listed above are offering integrated solutions for the entire project cycle.There are other platforms offering single solutions, which can support Microsoft orother products used by managers. Some of these tools, offering complementaryfunctionalities in the context of the EU Project Management, are presented below.DropboxWeb Site: www.dropbox.comCategory: Document Shared SpacePricing Model: Free and an option for additional disk spacewith a monthly feeDropbox is probably the most popular solution for online documents’ storage andsharing. It provides space of up to 2 GB for free which can be increased for negligiblecosts.SkypeWeb Site: www.skype.comCategory: CommunicationPricing Model: Free and an option for additional services, suchas group video, etc.This application does not really need a presentation as it is one of the most popularonline real-time communication and messaging tools used by both private andcorporate users. The paid skype version offers much better connection and additionalservices.WiggioWeb Site: www.wiggio.comCategory: Document Shared SpacePricing Model: FreeWiggio is an alternative to some Google products. The platform offers document sharingand storage, calendar, email and messaging, among others. Basically everything one mayneed in order to work productively in groups. The advantage of Wiggio is that it can belinked to Microsoft Outlook and users can send and receive emails in their corporatemail server, as well.

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EvernoteWeb Site: www.evernote.comCategory: Information SharingPricing Model: Free; optional upgrade for information sharingand collaboration.Evernote is another collaborative platform for sharing information, ideas, notes,sketches and bookmarks, as well as building corporate sketchpad of ideas. It offershandy collaboration features, being also compatible with mobile devices. TheWebClipping functionality is quite useful for saving information directly from thebrowser for later reference.

AsanaWeb Site: www.asana.comCategory: Task ManagementPricing Model: Free; web and mobile applicationdesigned to enable teamwork without emailA project management tool used to administer projects as well as to assign, monitor andmanage tasks and teams. The app provides thread based communication and allowsdocuments sharing in the context of each task/thread. The system also notifies usersabout deadlines.

Survey monkeyWeb Site: www.surveymonkey.comCategory: Online SurveyPricing Model: Free for a limited number of questionnaires,upgrade is optional for a higher quantity of surveys.

Survey Monkey is probably the most popular solution for online surveys. The tool doesnot only create, administrate and distribute surveys, but it also merges the individualresults and presents them in a huge variety of formats, to suit almost any analysis needs.ConfluenceWeb Site: www.atlassian.com/software/confluenceCategory: WikiPricing Model: Free for up to ten users; pricing scheme formore usersA wiki-like software useful for storing project information and materials in online pagesformat. This functionality is also offered by a combination of Google docs, for example.However there are still more advantages, such as better cross document indexing.

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MediaWikiWeb Site: http://www.mediawiki.orgCategory: WikiPricing Model: Free

A free wiki software solution (Wikipedia is based on this platform). Free alternative toconfluence although content co-authoring is a bit trickier.OpenProjectWeb Site: http://www.openproject.orgCategory: Project PlanningPricing Model: FreeA Desktop based Project Management solution for generating Gannt Diagrams. Verygood compatibility with microsoft project.

C) Timesheet & Time Tracking ToolsThe Timesheet & Time Tracking Tools offer time management services, in particular tocreate timesheets, accounting spreadsheets and other time/resource managementdocuments. Some of these apps services are presented below.ClickTimeWeb Site: www.clicktime.comCategory: Timesheet management and Time TrackingPricing Model: CommercialBeeBoleWeb Site: beebole.comCategory: Timesheet management and Time TrackingPricing Model: CommercialMindsaltWeb Site: www.mindsalt.comCategory: Timesheet management and Time TrackingPricing Model: Commercial

D) Agile IT Project Management

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In addition, modern project management techniques, such as Agile project management,follow leaner development cycles and embrace the concept of Sprints rather thanWaterfall model. These are commonly used for IT-intensive projects as they offercomplex, IT-specific functionalities.YouTrackWeb Site: www.jetbrains.com/youtrackCategory: IT Project ManagementPricing Model: CommercialThis tool follows the Agile project management methodologies such as Scrum andCanban.JiraWeb Site: www.atlassian.com/software/jiraCategory: IT Project ManagementPricing Model: Commercial

Jira is an issue tracking software for managing IT projects, which also contains a Scrumbased plug-in called Grasshopper for managing Agile based projects.SummaryIn conclusion, EU project managers need to use a set of online tools to support theirtasks. A summary of the available tools is presented below (please note that this is notan exhaustive list of online tools).

File Sharing Dropbox, Google Drive, Wiggio, Microsoft StorageInformation Sharing Wiggio, Confluence, Media Wiki, Google Docs, OfficeDocsOnline Authoring Google Docs, Office 365, Zoho OfficeTask Management Asana, Zoho Task Management, SmartSheet, OfficeProjectNetMeetings Skype, Google HangoutsTask Tracking AsanaProject Planning Office Project, Open Project, Gannt Diagrammer (GoogleApps)TimeSheets ClickTime, Beebole, Time Plan, Google Sheets, OfficeExcelIT DevelopmentLifecycle

You Track, Jira

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6.2 Project Monitoring

6.2.1 Project-based Monitoring SystemAn important part of any project is the project monitoring, carried out by the beneficiaryas well as by the managing authority, respectively the institution that manages andadministers the program (further referred to as “Managing Authority”). The monitoringis a regular activity that systematically deals with the collection, sorting out, aggregationand filing of relevant information, which is necessary for the evaluation and the controlof a project. It is performed continuously throughout the program, until the terminationof all contracts under the program.Project monitoring is based on information, sourced from data provided by thebeneficiary, materials related to the implementation of the program, as well as data fromthe information system, executing the administration of the program. This informationcan be used for estimating whether the project execution runs according to schedule andas set-out in the approved application form. If the execution is behind schedule, themonitoring system should show that interventions are necessary, in order to get theexecution back on track. Both, the physical, and the financial progress or content ofproject activities, are monitored.Monitoring is carried out at the project level and also at the program level. The projectlevel information represents basic data for the preparation of the annual reports of theprogram for the European Commission. Outputs of monitoring are called monitoringreports.Monitoring reportsCharacteristics A comprehensive report by the beneficiary on the progress in theproject activities’ implementation, and other obligations under thecontract;Objective To report on the project progress using measurable indicators,to report on the project schedule and financial status, to identify theproblems and changes during the project implementation and toevaluate the project progress;Content andform

Standardized and binding for all parties involved in the monitoringand the evaluation process;Submission In the periods determined by the Managing Authority and in theelectronic form, in writing, together with attachments. Failure insubmitting the monitoring reports is considered as a violation of thecontract. The beneficiary is responsible for the accuracy, correctness,truthfulness and completeness of all information provided.Types a) Interim monitoring reportb) Final monitoring reportc) Project participants reportd) Follow-up monitoring report

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Attachments a) Minutes of project meetingsb) Lists of attendancec) Photo documentation of carried out training activitiesd) Copies of newspaper articlese) TV or radio spots related to the projectImportance Information about the project, obtained during the monitoring of theproject is being analyzed. Based on the assessment of the monitoringreports, the Managing Authority is entitled to carry out on-the-spotchecks, to suspend the reimbursement requests for payment, demandrepayment of financial contributions paid in the event of failure of theproject indicators, reduce the contractually agreed level of financialcontribution, withdraw from the contract, etc.Characteristics of different types of monitoring reports:The following types of reports are submitted during the project implementation period:a) Interim monitoring report, submitted by the beneficiary during theimplementation of the project activities, e.g. every 6 months up to the date fixedby the Managing Authorityb) Final monitoring report, submitted by the beneficiary on a deadline, fixed bythe Managing Authority from the closure of the project activities. The Finalmonitoring report is the last Interim report.c) Project participants report (only for some programs), the beneficiary is alsorequired to submit separate information on the project participants during theimplementation of the project activities (this is so, for each full calendar yearwithin the period prescribed by the Managing Authority). The purpose of thesereports is to determine the consistent and regular monitoring of the projectimplementation progress and the fulfilment of other contract requirements. Afterthe end of the project a follow-up monitoring report must be submitted.d) Follow up monitoring report is submitted by the beneficiaries after the end ofthe project - within 5 years, or respectively 3 years (for projects that are subjectof transactions, or which are subject to continuing investments or maintainingjobs created by SMEs). Follow up monitoring report contains data on the actualstate, and maintaining the contractually set of measurable indicators of theproject results.6.2.2 Objectively Verifiable Indicators (OVIs)The Objectively Verifiable Indicators are an essential tool for monitoring the progress ofimplementation and evaluation of the objectives of the program. These are used toevaluate the costs savings (minimizing the costs of carrying out the activity orprocurement of goods, works and services while maintaining their appropriate level andquality), efficiency (maximizing the results of activities in relation to disposable publicfunds) and efficacy (the relationship between planned and actual results taking intoaccount the utilized public funds) of funds allocated for the program.Objectively Verifiable Indicators are:

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A. Program indicators, such as indicator values for particular program,representing the sum of project results and impact indicatorsB. Project indicators, applied on project level: project results indicators project impact indicators

Characteristics of project indicatorsITEM PROJECT RESULT

INDICATORSPROJECT IMPACT INDICATORS

Characteristics Formalized projection ofthe direct and theimmediate effects of aid(intervention), i.e. effectsbrought about by theproject.Formalized projection of theconsequences of the project, that goesbeyond the immediate effects of theintervention. Reflects the plannedprojection of future changes whichare likely to happen after theimplementation of the projectactivities.

Binding Target values are binding Target values are not bindingImpact Depends on theperformance and theactivity of the beneficiary The beneficiary has a minimalinfluence on them, or none at all. Theyare influenced by the externalenvironment (change of legislation,demand, etc.). Their values representa reasonable estimation, which maynot be met.Indicatorexample

Number of persons trainedin the project, number ofpeople in the target groupsinvolved in the project etc.Number of jobs that sustained theagreed period, the number ofregistered unemployed who gotemployed due to the project, etc.

Number inproject

Minimum 1 Minimum 1Indicators notfulfilled

Violation of the terms ofcontract Not considered as violation of termsof contractModification It is possible only inobjectively justified cases. It is not possible.Sanctions Termination of the project,cuts of financialcontribution, return of allprovided funds, etc.

NoneRequirementsfor thebeneficiary

Regular monitoring ofproject results indicatorsand their submission ininterim monitoring reportsRegular monitoring the impacts of theproject and present values of impactindicators in follow up monitoringreports, including explanations of

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to provide explanation incase of their failure. deviations against the planned valuesof indicators.Verification and Site visit

Purpose: to verify physical progress of activities within the project to verify that the expenditure declared was real, whether the goods, works orservices were provided in accordance with the contract, whether the paymentrequests were correct and that the project and expenditure were in accordancewith the European Union rules and generally binding legal regulations to void double financing of expenditures with other EU or national schemes andin the other programming periods to verify the economic effectiveness, and the efficacy of the provided support to verify the public procurement to verify publicity and information, etc.

Types of verification:A. administrative verificationB. site visitA. ADMINISTRATIVE VERIFICATION (AV)

AV of procurement ofgoods, services andworks

AV of payment request AV of otherfactorsAssessment of

formalcorrectness

Assessment ofsubstantivecorrectnessAssessment of the rulesand the procedures laiddown by the PublicProcurement Act, wherethe ManagementAuthority monitors incompliance with thefundamental principlesof public procurement(equal treatment, non-discrimination oftenderers, transparency,efficiency andeffectiveness).

Assessment of theapplication formfor paymentrequest and otherrelevantdocumentationannexed to theapplication, i.e.whether theapplication iscomplete, correctand fully filled inall respects.

Assessment ofeligibility, accuracy,feasibility, timeline ofexpenditure in relationto the relevantexpenditure andactivity of a givenproject, to the place,time eligibility, targetgroup and an eventualduplicate expenditurein relation to theexpenditure of thesame beneficiary underother EC programs.

To obtain anobjectiveinformationabout thestatus and theprogress ofthe project,and about allinspections ofthe projectthat havebeen carriedout, etc.B. SITE VISIT

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Aim To verify the nature of the projects, to check project organization andfinances, to control necessary publicity and communication activities andto review whether the project activities are being successfully executed.Site visit covers the implementation of the project as a whole.Period In any phase of the project implementation or after the closure of a project.Subject tocontrol

Project organization - division of tasks, project partners, administrationsystem;Progress of project - timing, reliability of progress report, indicators,publicity;Financial progress - expenditure, eligibility of costs, budget, fulfilment ofthe financial conditions, compliance rules for public procurement;Follow-up actions and other specific points and recommendations;6.3 Progress Report and Updated PlansIs the project on the right track? This is the master-key that supports the entiremonitoring process of a project, because it takes into account the social changes thatarise from the project intervention. This is the important information that the team,stakeholders, funders, and most importantly, the project manager, need to know.Thus, monitoring can be understood as a more or less continuous process of reviewingthe progress of the activities, in comparison to the initial plan and by considering theimplementation of various criteria, such as:a) Completion of the activity;b) Respect of deadlines and timings;c) Provision of programmed resources (human and material);d) To what degree the desired effects have been achieved;e) Level of budget execution;f) To what degree the objectives and the results have been achieved;g) Alterations that occurred within the context of the project development andthat directly affect the activities;The monitoring process should be designed during the project planning phase, based onthe Logical Framework Matrix, which includes the Matrix measurements of the fourlevels of analysis: General Objective, Specific Objective, Activities and Results. In thissense, as discussed in the previous chapter, the formulation of clear objectives is vital tofacilitate the monitoring process of the project results; therefore, it is a good practice todefine the objectives using the SMART technique (Specific, Measurable, Achievable,Relevant, and Time-Related). In addition, according to the formulation and goals in theLFM, indicators must be defined and verified objectively, by describing the extent towhich they are achieved. Respectively, indicators can be defined in accordance to theirmeasurability:Quantitative indicators are measureable, and among others: number of trainees,number of publications produced, and rate of participation in a conference.

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Qualitative indicators: cannot be measured even though these are objectivelyverifiable, for example: skills acquisition, changes in behaviour or habits, etc.There is a wide variety of literature on how to formulate indicators, we suggest.According to the "Trade Unions and Transnational Projects: A guide to managingEuropean Projects"1, after the project has been fully planned and conceived, thefollowing monitoring steps must be ensured so that the information is properlyreported:1st Step - Collection and documentation of data (facts, observations andevaluations), which should take into account:a) The indicators of the objectives established at all levels of the LFM;b) Quality and appropriateness of activities and use of resources;c) Project environment, in which the verification indicators are analysed at theassumption level;d) Impact of the project;e) Relationship with the target-groups and partners.2nd Step - Analysis and preparation of findings, determined by:a) Comparison between planned and executed results, including unexpectedoutcomes, identification, and analysis of deviations and conclusions;b) Comparison between the mechanisms of planned and current procedures, withregard to the project organization and the relationship with the target-groups, byidentifying gaps and formulating conclusions.3rd Step - Formulation of recommendations and proposed corrective actions inorder to allow for adjustments, for example, among others: timing of activities,defined resources, objectives and project procedures and cooperation mechanisms.

Working ToolsWhile preparing the steps above, there are several models used for keeping track of theproject progress, which allow for better information synthesis, analysis and drawingconclusions, such as:a) Schedule in GANTT format: the use of a schedule in GANTT format allows a betteroverview of the project progress, and provides a complete analytical reading aboutwhat has been planned and what was carried out for a certain period of time in termsof activities, calendars, defined resources, budget, etc. It may have the followingformat (Ulrich Schiefer 2006):b)ACTIVITY CALENDAR

(MONTHS)HUMANRESOURCES

MATERIALRESOURCES COSTS RESPONSIBLE

ORGANIZATIONRESPONSIBLEPERSON OBS.

1 Chapter 6, "Trade Unions and Transnational Projects: A guide to managing European Projects" (European TradeUnion Institute, (ETUI) 2012)

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Activity 1A1executedActivity 2A2executedActivity 2A2executedActivity 3A2executed…

b) Descriptive report in a table format, based on the LFM structure, which permitsreporting the project progress in a written format (EuropeAid Cooperation Office 2004):Ref.No RESULT,DESCRIPTIONandINDICATORS

PLANNEDTARGET/ACHIEVEMENTSFOR THE REPORTINGPERIOD

PROGRESS/ISSUES ACTION REQUIRED

1.1. Increasedcoverage ofseweragenetworkNo. ofhouseholdsand factoriesconnected

800 households and 10factories 400 households (50%)have been connectedto main sewerage andall 10 factories(100%).Primary constraintshave been:(i) willingness/abilityof households to paythe connection fee; and(ii) some delays due toengineering works inresidential areas dueto Labour disputes.

Investigationrequired intohouseholdersability/willingness topay. To be conductedas a matter of urgencyby water board andlocal government.Labour disputesrequire action bymanagement ofconstructioncontractor.Contract penaltyclauses to be applied.…

The preparation of reports

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Usually, funding bodies of the project provide guidelines for the preparation of reports,such as the content, format or instruct whether it is necessary to follow any specificmodel, including deadlines for the submission of the report, etc. This is one of the firststeps to take into account in order to avoid duplications and parallel procedures andreports. The report is aimed at informing on the project progress as well as verifying ifwhat has been stipulated and agreed upon as per proposal and contracts is later onimplemented. Whether or not the funds have been spent appropriately is defined by thefunding bodies.Although reporting is considered a costly work process, in terms of time and resources,its importance should not be neglected. In many cases, there are substantial investmentsin the collection of information, but often there is a lack of systematization, organizationand information analysis. Also, in the few cases when these are carried out, theinformation is not produced within a useful timeframe, and thus, it does not allow theimplementation of decisions. The added value of any report lays on its usefulness as asupport tool where information is systematized and organized and where massiveamounts of information can be interpreted by transforming the information into usefulknowledge that permits the continuous improvement of the intervention.What reports should be produced? How often?The answer to this question depends on the nature and the duration of the project;however, the reports may be of the following types:1. An inception report: elaborated three months after the project begins, focused onsituations of particular importance, such as: substantial changes between what wasplanned and what will be accomplished, for example: calendar/schedule, team, partners,among others.2. Progress report: elaborated on a biannual basis.3. Annual report: it applies to multiannual projects and it should include the projectprogress, especially in terms of activities and results, required alterations and theireffects, accompanied by an outline of the project annual revisions, which reflectimprovement/corrective actions.4. Final report: it is elaborated at the end of the period of the project funding and itcontains all the required information for an integrated view of the implementation of theproject, allowing recommendations, lessons learned and follow-up actions to beformulated. In order to know what are the most important issues that should beaddressed by the report, it is necessary to answer the following questions (UlrichSchiefer 2006):1. Whom is the report for? What are their characteristics? What information dothey need to have?2. What is the type of the written document? What are the features of thisdocument?3. What is the purpose of the document and how is it useful?4. When and how often should the report be elaborated?

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During the elaboration of the report, various actors should be taken into account,specifically those who have direct interest in "reading" the report, such as: target-groups, stakeholders, team/project managers, sponsoring organizations (national andinternational partner organizations), financing entities, and national and transnationalauthorities. In this sense, the report should be adapted in accordance to the differentstakeholders, because writing techniques are different depending on the reader: forexample, it is different to write for laypeople than for decision-makers and technicians,as it is different to write for people who are familiar with the project than for those whoare unrelated to it, or for those who are receptive than for those who are sceptical.TIPS AND TRICKS (by Ulrich Schiefer 2006):

Adapt the report to the reader; Produce informative and useful documents, which meet the interests and theneeds of the beneficiaries; Provide information, which is addressing the action, in order to provideconditions regarding adjustment measures and decision-making; Be objective, clear and thorough, because the use of clear and accessiblelanguage enhances the understanding of the report content; In order to facilitate the reading and the use of the document, it should containsynthesized elements, such as executive summaries, elements that facilitate thefast location of information (indexes), elements that allow better visualization ofthe documents (charts, tables, images, etc.); Organize and systematize the information, which enable the reader to easily findthe information s/he needs; Bet on presentation, through the use of graphs, figures and diagrams thatcapture readers' attention and facilitates content reading and understanding; Find the proper size for the document: a small sized report might suggest thatthere are gaps in information and an excessive sized report may prove not to bevery useful, therefore the correct size of the report depends on the type ofaudience it is prepared for. A good practice for elaborating an appropriate sizedreport is the rule on disaggregation levels: the abstract should containinformation that is strictly essential, the executive summary contains keyinformation, the body of the report should be brief and concise, and all detailedinformation should be referred in appendices, attachments or auxiliarydocuments;

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*Managing EU projects is a really complex task. Therefore, in a short guide, it is quite tough toprovide exhaustive information and an overview of the subject from all relevant aspects. Foradditional information, Step4All recommends the following documents: Project Cycle Management Guidelines prepared for the European Commission andpublished by EuropeAid Cooperation Office in 2004. The guide is probably the mostexhaustive document providing both theory and practical examples, backed up withsufficient visualizations of the main project cycle management processes. Available at:http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/multimedia/publications/documents/tools/europeaid_adm_pcm_guidelines_2004_en.pdf A Survival Kit for European Project Management, published by the Survival Kitconsortium in 2004, funded by the EC. Even though the document refers to the Socratesprogramme, the former Lifelong Learning and current Erasmus+, the kit providesexhaustive management guides, accompanied with excellent visualizations. Available at:http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/llp/erasmus_2000_2006/documents/survival_kit_EN_updated_version_2004.pdf Developing and managing EU projects, published by TACSO Regional Office in 2011,funded by the EC. The document is aimed to provide practical tips in EU projectmanagement in the Western Balkans and Turkey. The guide provides less theory;however it summarises best practices, practical examples and quotes from experts in thetopic. Available at: http://www.tacso.org/doc/doc_manual_3.pdf Project Management T-Kit, published by the Council of Europe in 2000. This is a verycheerful project management guide for successful coordination of youth actions.Available at: http://issuu.com/juventudenaccion/docs/name3fe1a4

Focus the text on what is the most important, avoid all information that is notdirectly related to the topic and may be referred to in footnotes, endnotes,attachments, etc.; Be assertive, clear and direct, avoid the use of evasive language that mightweaken the understanding of the report contents; Be transparent. For example, recognize the limitations of the informationcollected, and explain the used methodologies used, as well as identify theencountered problems; Respect deadlines, because only through the elaboration of reports, stipulatedfor specific periods during the project implementation, is possible to adaptcontents, to make decisions and consequently to take proper measures; Elaborate the executive summary carefully, allowing readers to understand thekey messages in the report and its conclusions; Ensure the confidentiality of the information, particularly in reference to thedifferent readers and the levels of information sharing. In addition, ensurerestricted access to certain types of information that is considered confidential.

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EU Project Management Roles7

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7 EU Project Management Roles

7.1 Project managersProject managers have a leading role in a project and the lack of experienced projectmanagers could fail the project execution, although the coordinator has the biggestresponsibility. Project managers have to monitor the whole project from the very firststeps (partner search, planning, etc.) to the very final successful implementation. Theyare the decision makers who are trusted by the project promoters as well as the mostimportant stakeholders, in this way they have full authority. They manage the resources(human, financial, and infrastructure) of the project, and all members of the projectteam should support their work. Nevertheless, it is recommended to separateprofessional management tasks and financial management tasks. The financial manageris on the same level as the project manager(s) on the organogram (or organisationalchart) of the project team. In case of smaller projects, roles can be mixed and one personcan be in charge of more functions.7.2 Administrative staffThe administrative staff is responsible for the correct filling of the official templates.Members of the staff create the list of requested documents, keep in touch with the otherproject partners, and check the received forms and annexes. Consequently, the role ofthe administrative staff is always very important during the preparation of a proposal.Once a project proposal has been approved, the administrative staff’s task is to collect allthe supporting documents from the very beginning of the project implementation inorder to justify the incurred costs since the Commission can require proofs to verify theeligibility of the requested payments. The administrative staff is also responsible for theelaboration of timesheets, and for the promotion of the project managers’ work (e.g.,organisation of events; writing of meeting minutes; etc.). Usually, the administrativestaff consists of 1-2 persons per project partner.7.3 Technical experts/implementersTechnical experts provide information on the project description during the preparationof the project proposal. They are the intellectual authors of the project since they havethe necessary experience and knowledge concerning the specific target groups, markets,developments, etc. They might ensure the audit reports including data concerning rateof returns as well. Certain calls stipulate the involvement of experts on specific subjects(e.g., environmental education specialist, marketing expert, etc.).7.4 Communication expertsNot all project teams have the opportunity to employ a person for communication tasks;however, there are always mandatory communication activities in each project. In thesecases, a member of the administrative staff or one of the project managers undertakesthe role of the communication expert. Nevertheless, in bigger and more complex

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projects it is strongly advised to involve a communication expert in the project teamwhose general tasks are the following: elaboration of the different communicationmaterials (e.g., information brochures, flyers, e-newsletters); writing of the pressreleases and articles; taking care of media relations by following the instructions of thevisual identity manual; organising press conferences and project meetings; checking thesubcontractors (if applicable).7.5 EvaluatorsBasically, the project managers and the technical experts provide the quality assuranceof the proposal and the project implementation as well, thus, lots of organisations do notemploy internal evaluators. Nevertheless, the quality assurance can be provided by athird person within the project team.

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Administrative and FinancialManagement8

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8 Administrative and Financial ManagementFinancial and Administrative management is one of the most important and must-be-careful aspects in EU funded projects. In the first place, the budget table, prepared whileapplying to the agency, plays a very critical role in the proposal evaluation by theagency. If the budget table attached to the proposal is clear, realistic, effective andreasonable, this brings the proposal one step further in the evaluation process.However, providing a quality budget table only is not enough. It should be accompaniedwith an effective and feasible financial and administrative management policy which isto be established by the coordinator and confirmed by the partners. Even if anorganization implements a very successful set of activities within a framework of aproject, it may have problems with the agency and its partners because of a poorfinancial management policy. Therefore, one of the first things to discuss and concludeduring the preparation phase of the project is establishing a financial policy with theapproval of all the partners.The European Commission has adopted two main approaches to deliver its funds. Thefirst one is the centralized approach, through which the direct funds are allocated. TheEducation Audiovisual & Culture Executive Agency (EACEA) is responsible for themanagement of certain parts of the EU's direct programmes in the fields of education,culture, audiovisual, sport, citizenship and volunteering. The other funding approach isfor the decentralized programmes, financed by the structural EU funds. These aremanaged by authorized national ministries and/or agencies, under the strict monitoringand control of the Commission. The reporting guidelines provided in this Short Guide 3,refer to the centralized EU projects, as the reporting for the decentralized ones is asubject to national reporting rules.Detailed information and related Financial Guides can be found in each programmesection on the website of EACEA: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/index_en.php8.1 The role of the administrative management in a projectAdministrative management is also as important as the financial management. It refersto some crucial aspects in the overall project management:

Time management and deadlines or what to do and when to do it: TheCoordinator is to set up corresponding deadlines for the financial activities andthe partners need to respect the timescales and deadlines set by the coordinator.Those are the key points ensuring that the consortium can comply with thedeadlines set by the Agency. Collecting evidence for eligible expenses: Each project has different evaluationand audit timescales during the implementation phase. Generally, the EuropeanCommission might demand for quarterly progress reports, interim reports aswell as final report, based on the specific project needs. The coordinator is

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expected to declare the eligible costs paid within the scope of the project and alsothe proof of the payments to the beneficiaries or subcontractors. Making proposal amendments whenever required: It is at times inevitable toavoid plan changes during the implementation process. These modifications maybe due to different reasons, among others including:

o Inclusion of a new partner and/or withdrawal of existing partnero Scheduling of additional management meetingso Demanding for deadline extension from the Agencyo Transferring money from one budget heading to another etc.

o Providing financial guidance to the partners: The coordinator should providefinancial assistance to the project partners. The guidance and the financial policyshould be very clear, detailed equal for the entire consortium.o Reporting: One of the most difficult tasks during project implementation phase isfilling in the report forms. The coordinator is expected to collect the requiredfinancial documents from all partners and draft the respective reports. Thepartners should cooperate with the coordinator and contribute to the reportingprocess. (Details on the reporting process is provided in chapter 8.3)

8.2 Budget HeadingsPreparing a sound budget is really crucial for each project. However, the budgetimplementation and financial reporting according to the financial rules of the grantingagency is equally important. The main headings of the EU project budgets aresummarised below:A. Direct Costs:

A.1. Staff Costs (“Intellectual Outputs” in Erasmus+):Staff costs refer to the costs for the personnel taking part in the project implementation.Basically, the European Commission distinguishes between four main types ofpersonnel: Manager, Researcher/Teacher, Technical and Administrative. The staff costsare calculated based on the working days defined in the Work Packages (WP) of theproject proposal. The templates for all the reporting forms are provided by theCommission. An example on how to calculate the staff costs for Erasmus+ projects ispresented below.First, the project proposal defines the working days allocated to each Work Package:

WPNO

WP TITLE TASKS WORKING DAYS FOR STAFFManager Researcher Technical Administrative Total

WP1 Management …… 20 - - 20 40WP… Dissemination …. - 40 15 5 60

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Second, the budget table of the project proposal provides the staff rates, generally inExcel format. These rates are identified according to the ceiling rates of each programmecountry.MANAGER RESEARCHER TECHNICAL ADMINISTRATIVE

WorkingDays

CostPerDay

TotalWorkingDays

CostPerDay

TotalWorkingDays

CostPerDay

TotalWorkingDays

CostPerDay

Total20 150 3.000 40 100 4.000 15 80 1.200 25 60 1.500Third, each partner needs to prepare timesheets for their employees involved in theproject implementation. Timesheets are prepared monthly, providing information on:

Who has worked on each project task? When did they work? What was the task(s)? How many hours/days did they work?

Finally, the working days of the staff are calculated in the timesheets by multiplying therates in the budget table, for example:Staff A worked 17,50 days as a researcher. Therefore, the staff costs for thisemployee is 17,50 (days) multiplied by the staff rate of 100 €, which equals1.750,00 €.A.2. Operational Costs:

Travel and Subsistence: The EU projects generally involve transnationalactivities, such as kick-off and management meetings, training sessions,international seminars, conferences and many others. Therefore, the projectmembers need to travel in the partner countries, usually once every 6th month.The travel and subsistence costs during the events are covered by the projectbudget. The payment and calculation rules may differ depending on the EUprogramme. For example, it may be a lump-sum payment; per diem or a real-costpayment. Partners need to provide evidence for the incurred costs, such asvouchers, invoices, tickets and etc. Sub-contracting: The term refers to the involvement of third persons (not part ofthe consortium) to implement certain project tasks. Subcontracting is requiredwhen the consortium does not have the required capabilities. The coordinator ora consortium partner signs a contract with the sub-contractor, based on whichthe amount identified in the budget is paid. Typical example of sub-contractingfor EU projects is signing a contract with an external evaluator of the project.Sub-contracting for web design, website hosting, logo and other virtual identity isalso quite common

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Equipment: Some projects require the purchase of certain equipment and/orconsumables to implement particular project activities. For example, if a projectenvisages training activities, the partners may need to procure training materialssuch as a PC, projector, white board and etc. Please note that the programmeshould explicitly define the purchase of equipment as eligible costs, otherwisethese costs will not be reimbursed. Other: Finally, the costs that do not fit in any of the budget headings above areconsidered other costs. Typical other costs are the printing consumables for thedissemination materials, Conference expenses (meeting room rental) and etc.

B. Indirect Costs:During the project implementation, partners might have expenses, such as internet andother communication costs, office materials, local transport to implement projectactivities etc. These are called Indirect costs and should not exceed 7% of the totalbudget. The example below show how to calculate them:Overall project budget: 300.000 €Individual partner budget: 42.000€ (14%)Indirect cost for the partner: 7% of 42.000 =2.940 €Generally, the Contracting authority (the Agency) doesn’t demand for any proof orreporting for indirect costs. In any case, it is recommended to read carefully the financialguide for the programme in question.

C. EU Grant & Own ContributionNearly all of the EU funds require “own-contribution” by the project consortium. Thismeans, that each party of the project consortium needs to co-finance their activities.Generally, around 25 to 30 % of overall budget must be covered by the partners’ ownbudget. For example, if the project budget is around 100.000 €, the own partnercontribution equals to 25.000 € to 30.000 €, distributed among partners based on theirinvolvement.8.3 Financial KitThe financial toolkit, prepared by the Commission, aims to help recipients of EU fundsfor external actions2 to comply with the financial management rules stipulated in the EUcontracts. In a user friendly format, the toolkit provides practical guidance for financialmanagers, such as how identify important risk areas, what are the tricky areas and what2 External Actions: “The EU maintains diplomatic relations with nearly all countries in the world. It hasstrategic partnerships with key international players, is deeply engaged with emerging powers around theglobe, and has signed bilateral Association Agreements with a number of states in its vicinity. Abroad, theUnion is represented by a number of EU Delegations, which have a similar function to those of an embassy”.Reference: http://www.eeas.europa.eu/what_we_do/index_en.htm

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might go wrong and how to avoid risks a can be avoided. The document also presentsbest practices, tools and templates. Further, the toolkit is designed as an educationaltraining program and covers 8 different modules:Module 1: Internal ControlsModule 2: Documentation, Filling and Record KeepingModule 3: ProcurementModule 4: Asset ManagementModule 5: Payroll and Time ManagementModule 6: Cash and Bank ManagementModule 7: AccountingModule 8: Financial Reporting*These modules and as well as other useful tools and templates can be found at:http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/financial-management-toolkit_en.htmIt is highly recommended for financial managers to study these training modules beforestarting their project. However, please be aware that the Commission notes that: “Thetoolkit is not a set of rules in addition to the existing legal, contractual and regulatoryframework”.More details and useful tips for Financial Reporting are summarised in section 8.3Budgeting and Reporting8.4 Financial SkillsSome of the essential skills a financial manager should possess are as follows:

Accounting: As the whole reporting task is about the numbers, the financialmanager should have basic accounting skills. Documentation: The financial manager must keep and file properly all theexpenses’ documents, including payrolls, timesheets, invoices, sub-contracts etc.,as these are essential for both reporting purposes and also for the smoothfinancial management. The authority generally asks partners to keep thedocuments up to 5 years after the end date of the project. Time Management: Each project is implemented within a particular time frame.Therefore, financial managers must be able to adhere to strict deadlines andprioritize tasks. Communication & Team Work: Team working and good communication skillsare also very important as financial managers need to provide guidelines andlead the partners while preparing their individual financial reporting. A strong,dynamic and functional communication network among partners makes thefinancial management and reporting much easier. Stress Management: Dealing with money might be stressful as financialreporting errors could create undesired and tensed situations. Thus, financialmanagers should get used to work under pressure.

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Budget and Cash Management: What to pay? When to pay? How much to pay?How to manage objectives if in case of payment delays? These are crucialquestions for a financial manager to keep in mind at each project phase.8.5 Budgeting and ReportingA final financial report, covering the entire project period, is always required by theAgency. Interim financial reports are required for project longer than one year. Failureto submit the requisite reports may result in contract termination and recovery of theamounts already paid but unreported.The reports are really essential for the following purposes:

to verify that the funds have been used in accordance with the objectives,activities and budget agreed in the Contract; to inform the Contracting Authority on the progress of the activities (for interimfinancial reports); to determine the final amount of the EU’s contribution to the project.

What Could Go Wrong?Some of the problematic areas during the project reporting stage are presented below: The financial reports must be in accordance with the conditions defined in thecontract by the Agency. Otherwise, the Contacting authority (Agency) may cancelthe contract and even reclaim the amounts paid in previous payments. Thus,financial managers must ensure that financial records are kept up-to-date. Theymust also adhere to the reporting deadlines. Some supporting documents, providing an evidence for the eligibility of theexpenses, might be missed out. Thus, managers should be careful to include allthe supporting documents and/or accounting records (bank statements, invoicesand etc.). The financial reports must be in accordance with the underlyingaccounting records. Also, the supporting documents must provide a proper trailfrom the accounting records. Giving clear reference numbers to the supportingdocuments and providing these in all relevant parts of the financial report is veryuseful as it makes the reporting much more comprehensive. The classification of the different budget headings may not be clearly mirrored inthe financial report. This may cause confusion and rejection of the report by theAgency. The financial manager must prepare the financial report in accordancewith the classification used in the budget. This is also useful in comparing theactual expenses with the envisaged budget. The currency rate may cause some problems for partners outside of the Eurozone. If the correct exchange rate is not used, the authority may conduct somedeductions in the payments. The financial manager should consider the exchangerate identified in the contract for all expenses that need currency exchange. Theofficial website of the Commission for the exchange rates is:

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http://ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contracts/inforeuro/inforeuro_en.cfm The financial report must cover all the funding sources used in the project.

TIPS AND TRICKSHow to prepare good financial reports

Drafting financial reports is a must!“All contracts for EU funded external actions (except supply and works contracts) require theRecipient to submit financial reports to the Contracting Authority. Failure to submit these reportsmay cause the Contracting Authority to terminate the contract and to recover any amounts alreadypaid and not substantiated. If the project is audited, the lack of a financial report may cause theauditors to issue a disclaimer report (declaring that it is impossible to formulate an opinion on theproject’s financial report). This could result in the Contracting Authority deciding to recover anyfunds paid.”

The financial report must be aligned with the accounting records.“Recipients should arrange for a clear audit trail from the financial report to the accountingrecords and the underlying supporting documents. If there is no proper audit trail, any auditorsmight declare the financial report to be un-auditable. The consequences for the Recipient might bethe same as if no financial report was submitted at all. Ideally, the financial report should directlytally with the accounting records, account by account, line by line, without any addition, grouping,adjustment or omission. If this is not possible, the Recipient should at least draft a clearreconciliation between the two. This reconciliation should be kept in the project documentation.”

Financial reports must mirror the classification used in the budget.“It is essential to draft the financial report using the same classifications as in the agreedbudget. This budget, annexed to the Contract, is the only budget version that matters. Thisrequirement is vital to allow budgeted and actual expenditure to be compared.”

Financial reports must be drafted in the correct currency.“It is essential to draft the financial report in the same currency as that used in the agreed budget,usually the euro. The currency is specified in the special conditions of the Contract. It is the currencyin which the EU contribution is denominated. This requirement is vital to allow budgeted andactual expenditure to be compared. Recipients must follow the rules laid down in the Contract whenconverting expenditure in local currency into the reporting currency.”

Financial reports must cover all sources of project funding.“The financial report must cover the entire project and not just that part of it financed by the EU.For grant contracts, the general conditions require that “the financial report shall cover the actionas a whole, regardless of which part of it is financed by the Contracting Authority”. It is essential tocomply with this rule, as the EU grant is calculated as a share of the total eligible costs of theproject.”

All the quotes are from the Financial Kit

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Project Managers’ Skills9

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9 Project Managers’ Skills9.1 IntroductionIn order to successfully manage a project, the project manager needs to possess a certainset of skills. Generally one divides these skills into two main groups: hard or technicalskills and soft skills.Soft skills refer to interpersonal skills such as motivation, negotiation and persuasion.As the Project Manager is managing a variety of people from diverse backgrounds,he/she needs to be an expert on people management.In most projects the manager also needs a great deal of technical expertise in order tomake the right decisions and in order to monitor and evaluate the work of his/hersubordinates. The technical expertise is either literally concerned with technical areassuch as IT or management tools, such as using certain managementapproaches/management techniques.To give an example this table illustrates the differences in Soft and Hard skillsFig.1: Hard skills and Soft Skills

SOFT SKILLS HARD SKILLSRelate to interpersonal skills and theirchallenges Often involves the creation of a tangibledeliverableLeadership is more importantMore intangible and less visible More technical in natureTypically employed without the use oftools/templates Often incorporate the use of a tool(scheduling software, spreadsheets,presentations) or deliverable templates9.2 Technical Skills (Hard Skills)The project manager must have the skills to use management techniques, proceduresand tools. She/he must know how to interpret a budget report, how to read a statisticalanalysis of a project baseline data, and understand the correct application of thedifferent management methodologies.In addition to the above, the project manager is expected to have skills in the effectiveuse of information and communication technology to help him/her be more effective inhis/her work.Technical skills are essential to communicate successfully with the project team. Forexample to assess risks and to make well founded choices based on the costs involved,

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the plan, time and quality issues. In other words, technical skills are related to work withprocesses and tools. Technical skills refer to the use of particular knowledge, to theexperience related to project management and specific methods for implementingproject activities.Most important hard skills in project management: Problem solving skills Conceptual skills

Problem Solving SkillsProjects are likely to encounter problems. Problems arise unexpectedly and need to beaddressed and managed. Problem solving demands a good problem definition in anearly stage of the project. In many cases the problem that was identified is a warning fora larger problem.Problem solving skills make use of different techniques, and by using these techniquesone can tackle problems, which might otherwise seem huge, overwhelming, andexcessively complex. Techniques such as breaking problems down into manageableparts, identifying root causes of problems, analyzing strengths, weaknesses,opportunities, and threats, must be mastered in order to solve problems.3Additionally, the project manager needs analytical thinking skills. A project managermust be able to synthesize information and arrange disparate information into ameaningful whole. A project manager must be able to see patterns and derive meaningfrom distinct pieces of data. Analysis is the skill of breaking a whole into componentparts.Conceptual SkillsConceptual skills refer to the ability to coordinate, organize, and fit in all projects efforts.Conceptual skills are the ability to see the "big picture." Project managers that haveexcellent conceptual skills know how different external elements interrelate andinfluence one another, and eventually influence the project. They understandrelationships between projects, project partners and the environment and how changesin one part of the environment can affect the entire project. Conceptual skills areessential in order to deal appropriately with the project’s politics and to get support.A project manager can anticipate that a modification in the project will affect the entireproject. A project manager is required to see the project as a whole, understand how allparts fit together, and how all parts relate to one another.The larger, the more complex, a project is. And thus, the more important this type of skillbecomes. Conceptual skills help a project manager to keep a clear vision of the goal ofthe project, and to understand its relations with the project’s environment.3 See Chapter 3 “Introduction to the Logical Framework Approach for Project Design and Management”

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Guidelines for European Project Proposal WritingEvery project requires different set of technical skills and thus it is difficult to focus on aparticular expertise or knowledge area.The technical skills for managing European projects are referring to the expertise oninterpreting calls and formulating proposals that connect to the priorities mentioned inthe call. This skill comes usually with experience in project proposal writing. However,in the following section, the most important guidelines in order to write a successfulproject proposal will be summarized:Follow the guidelines of the project form (minimum partners, objectives, etc.)

Match research groups with topic

Defined role of each group• What’s in it for me? It must be visible that the project proposal also leads to a value forthe participating or initiating company.Clear synergy between the groups• Complementary skills, no major overlapsChoose recognized partners known to deliver

Need to be a balance between academia and industry• SME’s if stated in the call textAll in all the “hard skills” or technical skills can be summarized as all the know-how ofprocedures, methodologies, and tools in order to achieve the desired project outcome.The main technical skill activities involve writing and reading proposals, analyzing,scheduling, interpreting, evaluating, and monitoring concepts. These activities are partof the conceptual and problem solving skills.

9.3 Soft SkillsThe soft skills as mentioned in the first paragraph refer to the project manager’s abilityto manage people. The soft skills are becoming more and more important for projectmanagers nowadays, which can be supported by the following graphic that illustrate thetop ten reasons for projects to fail. One can see that most reasons heavily emphasize theimportance for the soft skills (see soft skill barometer).

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Fig.2: Hard Skills and Soft Skills

Soft SkillsBarometer

Reasons for Project Failure Hard Skills Barometer1. Inadequately trained orinexperienced projectmanagers2. Failure to set and manageExpectations3. Poor leadership4. Failure to effectively identifyand document requirements5. Poor plans and planningprocesses6. Poor effort estimation7. Cultural misalignment8. Misalignment between projectteam and organization itserves9. Poor or misused methods10. Poor communicationUsually “soft skills” include interpersonal communication, leadership, negotiation skills,influencing, and personnel management. Soft skills are much more art than science.Companies that invest in the development of their project managers’ set of soft skills arethe ones that have the greatest chance of achieving project success.CommunicationFor a project manager, one of the most difficult skills to be mastered is communication,which requires technical skills to develop a communication plan and soft skills to handledifficult conversations, negotiate with stakeholders or to address poor performance to amember of the project team.Effective communication skills include verbal and nonverbal communication that enablea project manager to transfer project information in such a way that it is understood byall project stakeholders. The first vital skill is the ability to communicate. This skill is

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absolutely crucial in project management. Project managers spend about 90 % of theirtime just communicating. A project manager delivers their thoughts and ideas clearly.Communication is effective when the sender as well as the receiver have the sameunderstanding of given information.A study of Brandeis University shows that one of the top ten reasons why projects fail isthat there is poor communication within a project or project team. In addition, this studyshowed that the soft skill of communication (including progress reporting) was ratedmore than two times more responsible for failure or success than the hard skill set ofcreating the communication plan.Communicating with team members in a one-on-one setting shows them they areimportant to the project. Numerous project managers are able to make a plan, monitorit, and control costs, timelines, and scope. However, those project managers that cancommunicate clearly are consequently able to influence stakeholders and display teamleadership.Leadership SkillsLeadership skills are vital for project managers as project managers are required toinfluence the behaviour of others. Project managers need leadership skills because theysucceed in their work because of the efforts of other people (people who have faces andnames). Leadership is the main contributor to the success of the project manager. Byshowing leadership, the project manager expresses a clear vision and provides guidance.Negotiation SkillsProject managers spend a large part of their time negotiating for funds, equipment orother support. If a project manager lacks strong negotiating skills, the chances forsuccess are much lower. A significant part of the negotiation happens within theorganization, which is to get the resources that are necessary. Negotiation is the processof finding mutually satisfactory solutions with individuals or groups.Negotiation includes making deals when stakeholders request changes to the projectand its resources. Negotiation skills are important when dealing with projectbeneficiaries that will benefit both the project and the beneficiaries. The projectmanager must be able to find the best approach to develop common understanding andalign the interest of the beneficiaries with the interests of the project.ConclusionSoft skills are all interpersonal communication tools and strategies that are used tosupport and create a working atmosphere, which ensures the success of a project.It can be concluded that the most important soft skills consist of negotiation skills,leadership skills, and communication skills. All these skills fall under the inter-personalcommunication category.

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FAQ10

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10. FAQSo many calls for proposals there are, so many kinds of questions may occur.Nevertheless, there are established habits and pieces of best practices which can help usduring the preparation of a project proposal. When only consortiums are eligible toapply for a call, applicants have to face the difficulties of collective research, indicate acoordinator organisation, collect different types of official documents, etc. This chapterprovides useful information for those who have no extended practice in such activities.General Questions

1. Why doing a specific project?A unique project idea is always advantageous for the applicants. The European Unionprimarily supports projects that comply with the following general rules: the project proposal has an added value the project proposal has multiplier effect the project proposal promotes the goals and the objectives of the specific call

2. How to solve a particular problem?Programme operators are at the applicants’ disposal by e-mail. There are specificworkgroups for technical and IT questions, and professional experts are available foradministrative, bureaucratic, and professional issues related to the content of aproposal.3. What differs for private/public organisations concerning obligations?All application systems are more permissive in cases of public entities concerningmandatory annexes. The most important one is to provide proof for the evaluators aboutthe official legal status of the organisation. Sometimes it is enough to submit a simpledeclaration; however, occasionally applicants have to submit at least one document tocertify their legal status. Basically, most of the calls for proposals provide theopportunity to submit other supporting documents. The documents that are mostcommonly looked and asked for are the Legal Entity Form4 and the FinancialIdentification Form5 whose templates are available in 23 languages.Frequently requested documents in case of private entities:

extract from the official journal copy of articles of association

4 http://ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contracts/legal_entities/legal_entities_en.cfm5 http://ec.europa.eu/budget/contracts_grants/info_contracts/financial_id/financial_id_en.cfm

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extract of trade or association register certificate of liability to VATFrequently requested documents in case of public entities: copy of the resolution or decision establishing the public company other official documents establishing the public-law entityOperational capacity has to be demonstrated in case of every participant. However, thefinancial capacity is not so important in case of public entities. Private entities can beobliged to submit a filled-in financial statement form which contains the most importantfinancial indicators, e.g., staff costs, profit/loss for the financial year, inventory, fixedassets, etc. The submission of the annual accounts for the last financial year or a bankstatement could be also requested as other supporting documents. Certain calls forproposals do not ask for these documents at the phase of submission.

4. How many project proposals can be submitted for a call?It depends on the specific call, although it is considered that there is no constraint on thenumber of applications made by one organisation.5. What are the differences between partners, associates and subcontractors?Partners are actively involved in the design and implementation of the action andtherefore have the right to be reimbursed for the related eligible costs. Partners aresubject to the eligibility rules set out in the Guidelines for grant applicants.Associates are an interested party taking part in the implementation of the action butare not involved in its design and their costs are not covered by the grant except fortravel and per diem expenses. Also associates cannot be taken into account with regardto any partnership composition requirements of a Call.Subcontractors are neither partners, nor associates. Grant beneficiaries can awardcontracts to subcontractors for services, supplies, and works.

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Administrative Questions

1. How much time is necessary to invest in EU projects?The elaboration of an EU project proposal can take months, which depends on severalfactors, such as the duration of our project proposal, number of partners, number ofmandatory attachments, etc. Generally, the bigger a project is the more time is necessaryfor the elaboration. For instance, if a project consortium consists of five partners, wehave to plan the budgets and fill in templates for each partner which can take a longtime. If there is an experienced project manager in the project team, the situation ismuch easier. After the consortium has been set up, the duration of the proposalelaboration is somewhere between 2 weeks and 3 months.2. Does the European Commission provide technical support for the preparationof proposals?The European Commission does not provide technical support for the preparation ofproposals. Applicants must follow the instructions in the Guidelines for grant applicantspublished for each call for proposals together with the relevant annexes. Also regardingthe methodology and project management, the European Commission has adopted the“Project Cycle Management” guidelines as a tool for design and project management,based on the logical framework approach.Partners and Info Search

1. How to find partners?The first step of partner search is to plan an ideal consortium. Most of the calls forproposals stipulate the required composition of the consortium, e.g., number/location/type/function/experience of the project partners, etc. Generally, the coordinatororganisation begins to look for partners who can be interested in the project proposal.Personal relations are always advantageous at this stage of a project idea. Since theparticipants are usually in different countries, the role of confidence is a priority duringthe selection. Consequently, people like cooperating with well-known partners, avoidingunnecessary risks. If someone can’t create a consortium on his/her own, online partnersearch surfaces can be very useful. Official homepages of bigger programmes alwaysinclude a platform for partner search directly. Accordingly, these programmes have aunique database of potential partners which is freely accessible. To be listed in thedatabase, it is necessary to fill in and upload a template provided by the programmeoperators. These templates contain basic information about the partners to help othersin their selection. In some cases, uploading a project idea to these platforms is alsopossible, in this way the process of application turns and the only thing that acoordinator has to do is to wait. If we cannot find these opportunities on the official

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websites off calls for proposals, we should try to find partners on the Internet. There areseveral webpages whose aim is to support the professional collaborations throughmediation. One of the most popular initiations for networking is LinkedIn with whichthe partner search is quick and easy due to the well-structured surface.www.linkedin.comEuropean Commission provides a database (PADOR) for searching potential partnersamong organizations that have made their details accessible. Registration is needed inorder to access it.2. DatabasesDatabases are very useful when we have to obtain background information for ourproject proposal. Data gathering plays a crucial role during the preparation of theproposal, it is inevitable for the assessment of demands and the eligibility of our ideas.Before we would submit a proposal for e.g., development of a new product for a specifictarget group, we have to survey the market, the concurrency, etc. in order to provide thesufficient project implementation and its sustainability.3. Info daysFrom time to time, programme operators organise info days or open days to present thelatest results as good examples of granted projects. Nevertheless, an info day not onlycan focus on the awarded projects, but could also focus on the dissemination of aprogramme. There are several webpages on the Internet which collect the actual infodays, but the stakeholders are usually invited by e-mail. Occasionally, a registration forparticipation is required.

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Eligibility Questions

1. Do all subcontracts have to be tendered? Is it allowed to follow the nationalguidelines in tendering?Usually, beneficiaries have to demonstrate that they have selected their subcontractorsbearing in mind the best value for money. If the call for proposals does not stipulate therules of tendering, beneficiaries can implement (public) procurements according to theirnational regulation or practice.2. Is it possible to subcontract the management of Action?The applicant and partners must be directly responsible for the preparation and themanagement of the proposed action. Consequently, the applicant may not subcontractthe management of action to another organisation.However, subcontracting project management to another organisation may not beconfused with recruiting a member of the proposed project’s personnel through aservice contract: (E.g. The person will not appear on the payroll of the grant beneficiaryto perform “project management” tasks.3. Which costs may be covered?In principle, costs that are eligible for the project promoter (the partner in thebeneficiary country) are also eligible for the donor country partner.Examples of eligible expenses for donor country partners:

Costs of staff assigned to the project, comprising actual salaries plus socialsecurity charges and other statutory costs included in the remuneration,provided that this corresponds to the project partner’s usual policy onremuneration. The corresponding salary costs of staff of national administrationsare eligible to the extent that they relate to the cost of activities that the relevantpublic authority would not carry out if the project was not taking place; travel and subsistence allowances for staff taking part in the project, given thatthese costs are in line with the project partner’s usual practices on travel costsand do not exceed the relevant national scales;

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Supporting Documents

1. Curriculum VitaeCommonly used form of curriculum vitae is the Europass CV6 form which is requestedand/or accepted in the territory of the European Union. This template is available in 28languages with instructions; however the English version is the most popular since thelanguage of the proposals is English. Nevertheless, there are such calls for proposals thatallow submitting annexes in other official EU language.2. As it is not possible to upload originals of the supporting documents, shouldcopies be certified?It is not necessary to provide certified copies, but the copies must be true copies of theoriginals, they must be legible and clearly showing the signatures, dates, stamps, etc.Copies in the form of unsigned computer printouts or in illegible hand-writing, will notbe accepted.3. Should translations of supporting documents be certified translations?It is not necessary for translations to be certified, only the relevant parts of thesupporting documents proving the eligibility of the applicant or partner (nationality,type of organization, non-profit-making objectives, etc.) need to be translated.

6 http://europass.cedefop.europa.eu/en/documents/curriculum-vitae/templates-instructions

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11. BibliographyEuropeAid Cooperation Office. “Publications.” Development and Cooperation - Europeaid. March2004.http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/index_en.htmEuropean Trade Union Institute. “Publications.” European Trade Union Institute. Edited by theEuropean Commission. 2004.http://www.etui.org/Publications2/Guides/Project-monitoring-and-evaluation-guidelinesUlrich Schiefer, Lucinia Bal-Dobel, António Batista, Reinald Dobel, João Nogueira e Paulo teixeira.MAPA_Manual de Planeamento e Avaliação de Projetos. S. João do Estoril, Cascais: Prinicipia,2006.http://www.uc.pt/feuc/publicacoes/guiapedagogico/GuiasPedagogicos/GuiaPed_2011-12Marando Anne, Balancing Project Management–Hard skills and Soft skills, Master of Science inmanagement of projects and programs, Brandeis University, Feb. 2012http://projectmgmt.brandeis.edu/downloads/BRU_MSMPP_WP_Feb2012_Balancing_Project_Management.pdfAdditional online sources:http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/index_en.phphttp://catalogue.pearsoned.co.uk/samplechapter/0130219142.pdfhttp://projectmgmt.brandeis.edu/downloads/BRU_MSMPP_WP_Feb2012_Balancing_Project_Management.pdfhttp://www.pm4dev.com/resources/http://www.vinnova.se/PageFiles/89206772/How%20to%20succeed%20with%20FP7%20Project%20Proposal.pdfhttp://cboprojects.com/2013/09/project-management-soft-skills-a-must-have/http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/procedures/implementation/grants/index_en.htmhttps://WebGate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/onlineservices/index.cfm?do=publi.welcome.http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/multimedia/publications/publications/manuals-tools/t101_en.htmhttp://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/onlineservices/pador/index_en.htmhttp://eeagrants.org/Partnerships/Participate-in-projects#partnership_agreement