Project management issues the non-scientific side of NEAREST Alessandra Borgatti ASTER

1. Project management issues the non-scientific side of NEAREST Alessandra Borgatti ASTER Nearest Kick-off meeting Bologna, 11 October 2006

2. Management: key definitions What is management? Management is the practice of handling, supervision and control the project Is management important in FP6 project? Yes! It is an element in all proposals, it is specifically evaluated and its costs are fully reimbursed …but it concerns coordinators only, doesn’t it? Not exactly! Management activities and relevant skills are needed by all partners

3. Management: what does it facilitate? Reporting Scientific activities Coordinator (and partners) Dissemination Funding distribution IPR

4. Management Structure Coordinator Steering Committee Advisory Board

5. Reporting issues: why? The project coordinator on behalf of the consortium has to submit REPORTS and DELIVERABLES - it is a contractual obligation!!! - - reporting allows the EC to monitor and evaluate the scientific progress of the contract - approval of the reports enables the consortium to receive further financing NO REPORT, NO MONEY!!!

6. Reporting issues: periods The project is divided into REPORTING PERIODS Nearest has 3 reporting periods: • P1: from month 1 to month 12 • P2: from month 13 to month 24 • P3: from month 25 to the last month of the project P1 P2 P3 [ Article 6 Core Contract ]

7. Reporting issues: six-monthly intermediary report April 2007 April 2008 April 2009 According to the Consortium Agreement, each Party undertakes to elaborate and submit to the Coordinator a SIX-MONTHLY INTERMEDIARY REPORT structure and timing defined by the Steering Committee [ Article 4.2 Consortium Agreement ]

8. Reporting issues: after each reporting period • The YEARLY REPORT will include the following documents: • PERIODIC ACTIVITY REPORT (including Publishable Executive Summary and Plan for Using and Disseminating the knowledge) • PERIODIC MANAGEMENT REPORT • PERIODIC REPORT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE COMMUNITY’S CONTRIBUTION • Interim Science and Society Reporting Questionnaire (not for P2) • Interim Socio-Economic Reporting Questionnaire (not for P2)

9. PERIODIC ACTIVITY REPORT • It has to contain: • overview of: • activities carried out during period • progress in relation to project objectives and • any problem encountered and correction actions taken • work package progress • publishable executive summary (max 4 pages, good quality for publication) • information on Consortium management • plan for using and disseminating knowledge (type: press, TV, conference, publication.… and type of audience)

10. PERIODIC ACTIVITY REPORT (2) • At the end of each reporting period each partner responsible is asked to produce about his/her Organization’s activities: • a short report on activities carried out for each task/WP by his/her staff including • overview of the activities carried out during the reporting period • progress in relation to the project objectives • progress towards the milestones and deliverables set for the period • any problems encountered and corrective actions taken • reporting the worked person months of the staff split by WP • These reports should be delivered within 20 days from the end of the reporting period at the latest

11. Reporting issues: after the end of the project • Besides the yearly reports for the last reporting period, at the end of the project the following documents have to be prepared: • FINAL ACTIVITY REPORT (including Publishable Executive Summary and Plan for Using and Disseminating the knowledge) • FINAL MANAGEMENT REPORT • FINAL REPORT ON THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE COMMUNITY’S CONTRIBUTION • Final Science and Society Reporting Questionnaire • Final Socio-Economic Reporting Questionnaire • Final reporting Questionnaire on Workforce Statistics

12. Reporting issues: deadlines 45 - 90 days 45 days 45 days 20 days End of reporting period Advance payment (corrected) 80% of upcoming 18 months Submission to Coordinator Submission to EC EC approval FEEDBACK FROM EC:Normally within 45 days after reception Tacit approval: for periodic activity reports within 90 days after the receipt No tacit approval: for all other reports even if no response is received from the Commission within 45 days

13. Reporting issues: overview of P1

14. Reporting issues: overview of P2

15. Reporting issues: overview of P3

16. Deliverables • Deliverables and timing of submission specified in Annex I to the contract (DoW) • To be submitted electronically and on paper as for project reports • To be submitted on the due date specified in Annex I and with a maximum delay of 45 days after the end of the reporting period • Delays of deliverables must be reported in the Periodic Activity Report • Formal approval of deliverables by the Commission is part of the periodic review process

17. Reporting issues: recommendations • Please always submit complete sets of documents • Check your forms carefully (stamps, signatures,…) before submitting them • Please keep the deadlines otherwise whole Consortium is blocked • Inform the coordinator early about any changes or problems and support the coordinator in all matters

18. ASTER S. Cons. p.a. Via Gobetti, 101 - 40129 Bologna Tel: 0039 051 6398099 Fax: 0039 051 6398131 E-mail: nearest@aster.it Soon available in Nearest web site