Dr' Michalis Tzatzanis

1
Project Life Cycle

• Dr. Michalis Tzatzanis
• Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG)

2
Project Phases / Presentation Flow
1. Project idea ? 2. Consortium building
3. Planning/Submitting ? 4.
Evaluation 5. Negotiations 6.
Project-start ? 7. Project duration 8.
Project closure
?
2 M
2 M
3 M
4 M
36-60 M
3
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4
Project Idea

• Choice of Programme/Thematic Area (e.g.
  COOPERATION ? Environment, CAPACITIES ? Research
  for SMEs)
• Choice of Call for Proposals
• Choice of Strategic Objective ? Topic

5
Project Idea

• Reflections
• NoEs (Networks of Excellence)Are the criteria
  known? Organisation restructuring backing of
  the institution?
• CPs (Collaborative Projects)
• Co-ordination is fulltime job Resources
  Competences?
• CSAs (Co-ordination and Support Actions)NO
  research activities financed !!
• SMEs high or low technological potential?
  Co-financing?

6
Project Phases / Presentation Flow
1. Project idea ? 2. Consortium building
3. Planning/Submitting ? 4.
Evaluation 5. Negotiations 6.
Project-start ? 7. Project duration 8.
Project closure
?
2 M
2 M
3 M
4 M
36-60 M
7
Consortium building

• Partnership in EU RTD Projects
• The right number of partners a minimum of 3
  partners form 3 Countries (Member Sates (MS),
  Associated Countries (AC))
• Type of organisationsIndustry, SMEs,
  Universities, Research Centres, international
  organisations, Natural persons, etc.
• FunctionsResearcher, Technology Developer or
  Producer, Technology Provider, End-user, Manager

8
Consortium building

• Project Consortium
• Consortium in accordance with project targets
• Choose an experienced Co-ordinator with time
  resources
• Choose motivated and competent partners!
• Balanced Consortium - Complementarity!
• Reputation and Resources of partners!
• Consider the language barrier and the cultural
  Differences!
• Suitable partners for a long-lasting cooperation.
• Develop mutual trust among partners!

9
Project Phases / Presentation Flow
1. Project idea ? 2. Consortium building
3. Planning/Submitting ? 4.
Evaluation 5. Negotiations 6.
Project-start ? 7. Project duration 8.
Project closure
?
2 M
2 M
3 M
4 M
36-60 M
10
Planning/Submitting

• Read thoroughly the text of the actual Work
  Programme!
• Respect the Funding Scheme stated in the work
  programme
• Read the additional documents provided!
• Guide for Applicants
• Call Fiche, etc.
• Every Evaluation Criterion is equally important!
• Clear, quantifiable Objectives / Deliverables
• Comprehensible and realistic budget planning
• Suitable management and decision-making structures

11
Planning/Submitting

• Proposal
• Project Summary
• Project Structure
• Detailed work-plan
• Agreement on responsibility assignment
• Detailed budget-planning of the Project
• Proposal writing
• Requested templates
• Quality check of the proposal
• Submission of Proposal, Deadline is strictly
  observed!

12
Project Phases / Presentation Flow
1. Project idea ? 2. Consortium building
3. Planning/Submitting ? 4.
Evaluation 5. Negotiations 6.
Project-start ? 7. Project duration 8.
Project closure
?
2 M
2 M
3 M
4 M
36-60 M
13
Principal Process of an Evaluation
remote or in Brussels awarding of individual
scores first assessment of the thresholds for
each criterion
Individual Evaluation
overview of individual observations collection
of discussion points overview over the
evaluation of thresholds and the dispersion of
scores
Consensus Threshold
Comparison consensus results lowest common
denominator from all evaluations final score
and comments
Panel Review ( hearings)
EC decisions if necessary thematic/budgetary
adjustments
Ranking lists follow up
14
Project Phases / Presentation Flow
1. Project idea ? 2. Consortium building
3. Planning/Submitting ? 4.
Evaluation 5. Negotiations 6.
Project-start ? 7. Project duration 8.
Project closure
?
2 M
2 M
3 M
4 M
36-60 M
15
Negotiations

• Observe the evaluators considerations from the
  Evaluation Summary Report
• Arrange for the justification of project costs
• Is there potential for reduction of costs?
• Design several scenarios
• Leave out Tasks
• Minimise the number of Partners

16
Project Phases / Presentation Flow
1. Project idea ? 2. Consortium building
3. Planning/Submitting ? 4.
Evaluation 5. Negotiations 6.
Project-start ? 7. Project duration 8.
Project closure
?
2 M
2 M
3 M
4 M
36-60 M
17
Project-start

• Main problem Internationality
• Different cultures
• Holidays, vacation dates, working culture
• Taboo topics religion, politics
• sensibility!
• English a common language?
• tolerance support, ask for clarification!
• silence does not mean consent!

18
Project-start

• Writing of a project handbook
• Addresses
• Documents (numbers, standard,...)
• WWW
• Templates for reports
• Roles of participants
• Contract incl. Technical Annex
• Project structure, activities (work-packages),
  time plan
• List of deliverables
• Consortium agreement

19
Project-start

• Kick-off Meeting
• Administrative questions
• Presentation of all partners
• Introduction of the planned activities
• Precise clarification of all responsibilities and
  rolls
• Establish project culture
• Important Determine each-ones interest in the
  project

20
Project Phases / Presentation Flow
1. Project idea ? 2. Consortium building
3. Planning/Submitting ? 4.
Evaluation 5. Negotiations 6.
Project-start ? 7. Project duration 8.
Project closure
?
2 M
2 M
3 M
4 M
36-60 M
21
Project duration

• Management particularities
• Project culture
• internal Communication wide distances!
• Meetings, e-mail, Telephone, Extranet
• external Communication
• with EU-Project Officer
• Public relations (webpage, CORDIS, Conferences,
  Publications)
• Conflict management
• Regular reports

22
Management particularities

• International Cooperation
• Technological Innovation
• Shared project effort
• Democratic team-structure
• Assessment through the Commission

23
Project culture

• Project culture replaces language, working and
  living culture specific Rules Rituals
• Established at Kick-off Meeting and strengthened
  in everyday-communication, by
• uniform procedures
• exact equal treatment, politeness, cooperation
• social contacts
• official project logo motto
• team spirit
• appropriate communication
• common extranet

24
Communication

• Internal
• Meeting of project partners
• Minimizing of communication
• Technical means email lists, web based project
  management, telephone and video conferences

• Commission
• Coordinator and Project executive, PO
• POs often overburdened, little time, frequent
  business trips
• Conferences, workshops, expert groups

25
Conflict management

• Prevention
• Protect democratic structures
• Regard on the weaker partner (see Silence is
  not agreement)
• Measures
• Depersonalise problem
• Clarification of the undisputable, fixing of the
  already achieved
• Coordinator as mediator
• Discussion with concerned parties (eventually in
  private)
• Discussion at the Project Meeting
• Use PO only as last possibility

26
Regular reports

• General information on reporting
• reports short and regular ? no delay!
• exact and checkable!
• Use?
• for internal/external monitoring and
  communication of project relevant issues
• external Commission requires periodic and final
  reports by Consortium, submitted by Coordinator
• internal Coordinator can ask from each project
  partner to submit regular reports on used
  resources, progress, problems,...

27
Regular reports

• Periodic reports to be submitted by coordinator
  60 days after end of period
• progress of the work
• use of the resources and
• Financial Statement (Form C)
• Final reports to be submitted by coordinator 60
  days after end of project
• publishable summary report, conclusions and
  socioeconomic impact
• covering wider societal implications and a plan
  on use and dissemination of results

28
Project Phases / Presentation Flow
1. Project idea ? 2. Consortium building
3. Planning/Submitting ? 4.
Evaluation 5. Negotiations 6.
Project-start ? 7. Project duration 8.
Project closure
?
2 M
2 M
3 M
4 M
36-60 M
29
Project Closure

• Final Review
• Take care of formal aspects
• Technology Implementation Plan
• Exploitation/Use Rights
• Follow-up Project