Issues regarding Proposal Submission Process

1. Issues regarding Proposal Submission Process Short Form Communication to Scientists Multi-lingual Files Chris Stuebner April 2005

2. I. Short Form (and Host Government Concurrence)

3. Project Coordinators, DED, ED Project Coordinators Project Accountants, Procurement, DED, ED Project Coordinators Project Accountants, Procurement, DED, ED Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Q6 Q7 Q8 Simple View Scientists Application (Short-Form) Proposal (Full-Form) Project Agreement & Work Plan Quarterly, Technical, Annual & Final Reports Gov’t. Concur. DED approval Registration Transmittal Coversheet Board Meeting Monitoring Visits Redirection Letters STCU Staff

4. Another View Application (Short Form) Registration HGC HGC HGC Host Government/s send Proposal (Full Form) to STCU STCU sends Proposal to Financing Parties

5. Details beneath Surface Application (Short Form): scientist’s contact info, country, and intent Registration: computer-generated instructions specific to country: Scientists follow one of six procedures and submit draft proposals for Host Government Concurrence/s: AZ GE MOL UKR UZB Host Government/s send Proposal (Full Form) to STCU STCU sends Proposal to Financing Parties

6. Varied Procedures

7. Discussion: Short Form Elimination Application (Short Form) Currently, automatic email depends on contact/info from application. How will STCU communicate these procedures? Registration HGC Host Government/s send Proposal (Full Form) to STCU STCU sends Proposal to Financing Parties

8. Discussion: Monitoring Process

9. Discussion: Tracking time to HGC Application (Short Form) Registration What we collect now Time in for HGC Review HGC HGC Host Government/s send Proposal (Full Form) to STCU STCU sends Proposal to Financing Parties

10. II. “Automated” Communication with Scientists Email upon Registration Individual files sent Web site access

11. ‘Ad hoc’ process • Communication already taking place • Responsibility for content not firmly managed by senior specialists or IT • Active management would yield benefits: • Reduce inquiries by phone • Improve quality of proposals • Assign active, empowered owner of ‘automated’ communication • Important first contact with scientists • Interface with • STCU field officers (country-specific procedures) • IT (to actually make changes) • Designate “reviewing authority” • Understand process, clear English, notice detail • Aware of other impending changes, but willing to fix the fixable now

12. Email to Project Manager - Ukr • The STCU is pleased to inform you that your proposal [proposal title] has been registered and assigned number [#].Please complete and submit the Project Proposal (1 English copy and 2 Ukrainian copies) to the Ministry of Science and Education… • You are kindly asked to submit only original documents. The deadline for submission is three months from the date of this letter. Your proposal package should include the following documents: • 1. STCU Project proposal (in English and Ukrainian) • 2. Previous Professional Experience Review for each weapon scientist, engineer, and technician (PPER_UA.doc); • 3. List to Senior Deputy State Secretary of Ministry of Education and Science (LSDSSMES.doc) • 4. Project Manager guarantee (PMG.doc) • 5. Expert review (ER.doc) • 6. Electronic version of your Project Proposal ( {proposal_number.ff}) on floppy, CD-ROM, etc. Previous version of letter specified: “Full Form of the proposal (printed version of files FF_EN.doc, FF_ru.doc and FF.xls”)

13. Email to Project Manager (cont.) • Please be informed that for joint proposals with organizations in Azerbaijan, Georgia, Ukraine or Uzbekistan governmental concurrence from each involved country is required. • Please note that the Full Form has been revised as of 9 February 2004. Because your project has been registered since that date, you will be required to complete the new form. You are notrequired to submit a separate Sustainability Plan. The current version of the informational package (Sustainability_Plan.doc) is provided for your guidance only. Some sections may prove helpful as you answer the new questions in the Full Form. • The attached file ({proposal_number.ff}) can only be edited using the STCU Project Software which can be downloaded from the STCU website (www.stcu.int/stcups/). Once your proposal is complete, all required files mentioned abovewill be included when you print the document. Need to make reference in letter & file name consistent May wish to explain what, exactly, needs to be printed: 3081_P_EN.doc, 3081_P_RU.doc, 3081-P-budget.xls (which tabs?)

14. Email to Project Manager – Uz • The Science and Technology Center in Ukraine is pleased to inform you that your proposal [proposal title] has been registered and assigned number [#]. Please complete and submit the STCU Project Proposal (1 English copy and 1 Russian/Uzbek copy) and submit the full package of documents to the Uzbekistan Field Office of the STCU.…. • You are kindly asked to submit only original documents. The deadline for submission is three months from the date of this letter. Your proposal package should include the following documents: • 1. STCU ProjectProposal (in English and Russian); • 2. Previous Professional Experience Review for each weapon scientist/engineer/technician (PPER_RU.doc); • 3. ElectronicVersion of your Project Proposal ({proposal_number.ff}) on floppy, CD-ROM, etc.; • 4. Governmental Concurrence. File appears as 3081.ff Not mentioned: ER (in Ukrainian) LSDSSMES (in Ukrainian) PMG (in Ukrainian)

15. Email to Project Manager – Uz • In order to receive governmental concurrence, the following documents should be submitted to the Center for Science and Technologies of the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan: • STCU Project Proposal (1 copy in English and 1 copy in Uzbek or Russian); • Previous Professional Experience Review for each weapon scientist/engineer/technician; • Letter of Concurrence from the Institute; • Letter of Concurrence from the Ministry; • Cover letter. Previous version of letter specified: “Full Form of the proposal (printed version of files FF_EN.doc, FF_ru.doc and FF.xls”)

16. STCUPS output: Uzbek (3081) Not necessary for pure Uzbek project: ER (in Ukrainian) LSDSSMES (in Ukrainian) PMG (in Ukrainian)

17. Email to Project Manager - Az • The STCU is pleased to inform you that your proposal [proposal title] has been registered and assigned number [#].Please complete and submit the STCU Project Proposal (1 English copy and 1 Russian/Azeri copy) to the Azerbaijan Field Office of the STCU… • Please submitone original and one copy of the package of documents. The deadline for submission is three months from the date of this letter. Your proposal package should include the following documents: • 1. STCU Project proposal (in English and Russian) • 2. Previous Professional Experience Review for each weapon scientist, engineer, and technician (PPER_RU.doc); • 3. Electronic version of your Project Proposal ({proposal_number.ff} ) on floppy, CD-ROM, etc. • In order to receive governmental concurrence, the following documents should be submitted to the STCU Field Office in Azerbaijan: • Letter of Concurrence from the Institute (Act expertise) • Draft of Cover Letter Don’t need: ER (in Ukrainian) LSDSSMES (in Ukrainian) PMG (in Ukrainian)

18. Email to Project Manager - Ga • The STCU is pleased to inform you that your proposal [proposal title] has been registered and assigned number [#] .Please complete and submit the STCU Project Proposal (1 English copy and 1 Russian/Georgian copy) to the Georgian Information Office of the STCU… • You are kindly asked to submit only original documents. The deadline for submission is three months from the date of this letter. Your proposal package should include the following documents: • 1. STCU Project proposal (in English and Russian) • 2. Previous Professional Experience Review for each weapon scientist, engineer, and technician (PPER_RU.doc); • 3. Electronic version of your Project Proposal ({proposal_number.ff} ) on floppy, CD-ROM, etc. • 4. Governmental Concurrence. • In order to receive governmental concurrence, the following documents should be submitted to the Department of Science and Technology of Georgia: • STCU Project Proposal (1 copy in English and 1 copy in Georgian); • Letter of Concurrence from the Institute. Don’t need: ER (in Ukrainian) LSDSSMES (in Ukrainian) PMG (in Ukrainian)

19. From Scientist’s Perspective • Modify/improve instructions: • Specify more precisely what scientists should print • Make sure files names are called out consistently • Improve: • Clarity of instructions • Consistency between text and oral guidance • Website focus (IT vs. user perspective)

20. Generating Output Files • Do not include Ukraine-specific documents in output files for scientists from outside Ukraine: • List to Senior Deputy State Secretary of Ministry of Education and Science (LSDSSMES.doc) • Project Manager guarantee (PMG.doc) • Expert review (ER.doc) • Do continue to generate files by country: • Ukrainian/English for Ukrainian • Russian/English for non-Ukraine • Ukrainian/Russian/English for joint

21. Monitor Quality of Output Files, (example: PPER_RU) • English typos (one since corrected): • “Stam” for “stamp” (or probably better, “seal”) • “Guiding systems” for “guidance systems” • Word choice/capitalization • Format: • text overran box at top of each page • Output: • error caused letter to be generated for ALL scientists, not just former weapons scientists

22. Website focus - currently • Welcome • Participants (former Weapons Scientists) • Projects: • Regular – [currently no link to Project Software] • Partner - [seems ok] • STCU Project Software • News • Downloads [nice page] • ‘FAQS’ ‘bugs’, ‘Version history’, ‘On-line Registration’ • Documents / General Forms & Manuals • Grant-writing Workshop materials • Lab notebook • Sustainability Planning Guide • Info / Collaborators / Benefits for Participants

23. Proposed • Welcome to Participants (former Weapons Scientists) • Projects: • Regular – • Explanation of three stages (may borrow from workshop materials) • Link to Application (Short Form) – on-line option / or download • Link to Proposal (Full Form) & instructions • Link to Agreement (Work Plan) & instructions • Collaborators info & [new] Letters of Support page • Partner [keep much as is] • Explanation of Governmental/Non-Governmental • Link to Applications • Link to existing Partner sites • Useful Information: • grant-writing / sustainability / other sources of funding • IPR & lab books

24. Tactical Issues • Once overall process oversight assigned … • Clarity of instructions / interaction with scientists • Website focus (IT vs. user perspective) • Then, process may benefit from refinement…. • Document integrity • Word vs PDF • Ease of download • Embedded in software vs. ‘loose’ • File size / format

25. II. Multi-lingual files Two examples Question

26. Files sent to West • Random project assigned to test software • Recent proposal (2004) • Currently published for Western Review • Problems: • No Ukrainian tech description accessible through database …. BUT • Work plan appears in Ukrainian, not English • Excel tables combine languages

27. 3588_P_UA.doc As is standard, database contains only blank template. ‘Real’ file on PC’s computer.

28. 3588.ff English! Ukrainian language

29. 3588.ff Ukrainian No language

30. 3588-P-Budget.xls Work Schedule, Equipment & Materials are in Ukr or mix of Ukr/Eng

31. Status I checked with Senior Specialist and confirmed this was not an IT glitch. Rather, the project was received from the Ukrainian Ministry with only partially-translated Excel tables. Does the Registration Control Officer have the right or responsibility to require a complete English translation?

32. Files needed here • Share project information with Ukrainian business students • Time-sensitive • Sustainability staff, not project coordinator • Problem: no Ukrainian text to be found • Proposal was drafted in in Ukrainian; • There was a file labeled 2224_ua; but, that turned out to be blank template; • Search of floppy disks did not turn up document • Had to contact PM and ask him to resend doc

33. Tech Description.UA Document, according to database, appears to “exist.” However, this file contains only Blank Template; ‘real’ doc may be on PC’s computer.

34. Joint project 3513_P_RU and 3513_P_UA.doc Should default be English? ? ? Near identical for _P_UA.doc

35. Questions • Do we care if we ‘lose’ or misplace the Ukrainian / Russian language versions of project proposals? • Staff here can’t work with original language, if files aren’t readily accessible • If yes, then DEDs should convey to the Steering Committee their concern – and develop a standard repository for those documents. • Do we care if we send Western Reviewers documents in a combination of Ukrainian and English? • Reviewers can’t evaluate workplan / equipment requests in Ukrainian • If yes, then DEDs should work with Registration Control Officer / Ministry to clarify procedure and screen proposals.

36. Recommended Action Points for DEDs responsible for Proposals • Direct IT to modify STCUPS output for non-Ukrainian projects to include only required files • Task staff to improve letter to scientists • Designate review mechanism/authority • ensure IT-originated changes are proofed & acceptable • Provide point of contact for other STCU groups that touch on proposal processing (training, outreach, sustainability) • Work with IT to modify website to enable scientists to readily see links to existing on-line application process • Assess potential impact • if local language files are lost • if reviewers receive incompletely translated proposals