Transcript Project Management

COMMON PROVISIONS :
1. TECHNICAL ASPECTS
Slide n°1
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
Programme implemented
through individual financing decisions
• LIFE+ regulation
• Grant Agreement
• Common + Special Provisions
• Revised Proposal
Slide n°2
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
WHO IS INVOLVED IN THE PROJECT ?
Coordinating beneficiary
Associated beneficiaries
Co-financiers
Subcontractors
Slide n°3
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
The Coordinating Beneficiary
• Sole legally and financially responsible to the
Commission for the implementation of the project
(art. 4)
• Concludes agreements with the associated beneficiaries
within 9 months, following «Guidelines» and including
the «mandate»
• Is granted power of attorney by associated beneficiaries
(mandate)
• Single Contact point for the Commission
• Only participant reporting directly to the Commission
Slide n°4
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
The Associated Beneficiaries
(art. 5)
• Provide the coordinating beneficiary with all supporting
documents necessary for technical and financial reporting
Slide n°5
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
All Beneficiaries
(art. 6)
• Community support is published
• Freely share know-how
• Prohibition of acting as subcontractors
Slide n°6 LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
THE CO-FINANCIERS
(art. 7)
• Contribute financially to the project but do not
benefit from the Community contribution
• Are not directly involved in the technical
implementation of the project
• All beneficiaries shall conclude with co-financers any
agreement to ensure co-funding
Slide n°7
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
THE SUB-CONTRACTORS
(art. 8)
• Provide external services to the coordinating beneficiary /
associated beneficiaries and receive the corresponding
full price
• no financial investment in the project
• Public tendering for Public coordinating beneficiary /
Associated beneficiaries
• Private coordinating beneficiaries/Associated
beneficiaries: for purchase exceeding € 125 000:
Competitive tenders and bid offering best value/money
Slide n°8
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
TECHNICAL ACTIVITY REPORTS
• One Inception report within 9 months from project start
• Final Report within 3 month of project completion
• Mid-term Report (if duration exceeds 24 months and EC
contribution € 300.000)
• Periodic Progress Reports (to ensure reporting with no
more than 18 months interval)
Slide n°9 LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
TECHNICAL ACTIVITY REPORTS
All reports shall contain information on:
(art. 12)
•
State of project implementation
•
Respect of the work plan
•
Financial situation of the project
•
If projects’ objectives have been reached or are still
achievable
Form and content of the reports shall be in accordance with
guidelines issued by the EC and available on LIFE website
Slide n°10
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
TECHNICAL ACTIVITY REPORTS
(art. 12)
•
One complete copy of the technical reports in both paper
and electronic version including the annexes, the
statement of expenditure and income shall be sent
simultaneously to the Commission and the monitoring
team
•
A copy of the Final reports shall also be submitted to the
MS authorities.
Slide n°11
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
INCEPTION REPORT
(art. 12)
Special focus:
 Shall include an assessment if the project objectives and
and work plan are still feasible.
 If this is not the case the Commission may launch early
termination procedure.
 Shall identify and quantify output indicators and other
monitoring indicators.
Slide n°12 LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
MID-TERM REPORT
(art. 12.6)
Special focus:
 Shall contain a statement of expenditure and income and
sufficient information to allow for a preliminary
assessment of costs incurred so far.
Slide n°13 LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
FINAL REPORT
(art. 12.7)
Special focus:
 Shall contain a statement of expenditure and income and
all the information necessary to allow the Commission to
evaluate the eligibility of costs incurred
 Shall assess the sustainability in the future of project
results.
 The technical part should cover the whole duration of the
project.
Slide n°14
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
COMMUNICATION ACTIONS
(art. 13)
•
A separate presentation is dedicated to this issue!!!
Slide n°15
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
AMENDMENT TO THE AGREEMENT
(art. 15)
 Significant changes to nature or content of actions
and/or deliverables
 Changes of the legal status of coordinating or
associated beneficiary
 Changes to partnership structure
 Changes to duration of project
 Changes in provisional budget categories exceeding €
30.000 and 10%
Slide n°16
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
REQUEST FOR CHANGES
(art. 15.3)
Prior written agreement of the Commission
Fundamental changes in overall objectives will NOT be
accepted!
Guidelines- See the LIFE website
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/toolkit/pmtools/lifeplus/documents/amendment_guidelines2007.doc
Slide n°17
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
POSTPONEMENT OF THE END DATE
(art. 17)
 May be granted only in unforeseeable, exceptional
circumstances which make the implementation of one or
more project actions impossible for a certain period of
time
 A request for postponement must be submitted in
accordance with guidelines issued by the Commission and
include sufficient information to assess the justification of
delays and feasibility of a revised work-plan.
Slide n°18 LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska ,Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
Project Management
The best advice for a good Project
Management is the following:
read, re-read and consult often the
Common Provisions
Slide n°19
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Project Management
The second best advice for a good
Project Management is the following:
read, re-read and consult often the
Common Provisions
Slide n°20
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Project Management
Always refer to the approved project
and its key-components:
- Description of activities
- Timing
- Objectives and results
- Budget
Slide n°21
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Project Management
•Possible problems shall not be ignored or hidden.
•A good management of the partnership (Art. 4.8
CP) may be ensured by:
Coordination meetings
Frequent contacts
Slide n°22
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Project Management
•When identifying a Contact Person for the
Project, this person should actually be
available and easy to find. It is better to avoid
indicating a Director or a Top Manager (usually
not easily available).
Slide n°23
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
•Do not forget the compulsory elements (even if not
mentioned in the project):
Website (Art. 13.4 CP) within 6 months from project
start and for 5 years after its end.
Project reference in all correspondence (Art. 2.2
CP) – also in email messages!
Layman’s report (see the template for Final Report)
Info panels (Art. 13.5 CP)
All reports also in electronic format (Art. 12.3 CP)
AfterLIFE plans (template for Final Report)
Slide n°24
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Project Management
•Contacts and exchanges of experience
and information with other LIFE Projects
are highly appreciated. Use the LIFE
database for a thematic search of national
or foreign projects:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/project/Projects/index.cfm
Slide n°25
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Project Management
•It is necessary to check often the LIFE website, to
verify the availability and updating of useful
management tools (e.g. financial reporting forms,
audit template, reporting templates, Layman’s Report
samples, standard timesheets, guidelines for project
modification, etc.).
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/life/toolkit/pmtools/
index.htm
Slide n°26
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Dealing with the LIFE Units
•Transmission of Reports to the EC (1):
 Do not neglect any section of the report, as
described in the available official templates;
 Quantify the achieved objectives and results, in
comparison with what was foreseen in the project
(avoid generic descriptions);
 Verify that all foreseen elements (deliverables and
other) are annexed,easily identified and well ordered.
Slide n°27
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Dealing with the LIFE Units
•Transmission of Reports to the EC (2):
 It is necessary to send also an electronic copy of
all documents (report + annexes);
 Always indicate the foreseen / actual start and end
date of each project Action;
 Inform the EC and the Monitoring Team in case
you foresee to delay the transmission of a report
(often projects indicate as deadline the 31/12 or the
31/08).
Slide n°28
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
WHAT WE HAVENT TALKED
ABOUT…
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Civil liability
Conflict of interests
Spatial data
Delayed performance
Reduction in performance and technical failures
Termination of the project
Confidentiality
Protection of data
Ownership and exploitation of results
Applicable law and competent court
Slide n°29
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission
Good luck !
Slide n°30
LIFE09 Kick- off meeting 13 January 2011, Warsaw
Izabela Madalinska, Technical Desk Officer, LIFE
Unit, European Commission