PlanCoast Procedures for Non-EU Partners

1. PlanCoast Procedures for Non-EU Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden PlanCoast Coordinator Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non-EU Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

2. Common Project Coordination Tasks • Regular Half-Year Reporting to CADSES about activities carried out and finances used by all partners • Management of Common Project Activities and Costs • Co-organisation of half-yearly PlanCoast workshops • Coordination and maintenance of PlanCoast WebSite • Production and dissemination of other common promotional and informational material • Maintenance of contacts with interested parties of PlanCoast • Correspondence with CADSES Joint Secretariat and other Contracting Authorities (if necessary) Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non-EU Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

3. Contract Facts I • Application Form dated 7th Nov 2005 is the BASIS to everything! • Changes only possible with great difficulty! • Furthermore EU Regulations / CADSES, CARDS, PHARE, TACIS Programmes / etc. • On this basis OWN individual contract with Contracting Authority • Main Subsidy Contract: • Between Lead Partner and Management Authority • Stipulates rights & duties of Lead Partner / Amounted of granted ERDF funds / Application Form and Joint Conventions PART of subsidy contract • Lead Partner responsible for ENTIRE project • Make sure that also all EXTERNAL LP start contracting • Keep overview on concluded contracts and obligations of extLP • BUT: Financially liable for the ERDF part only Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

4. Contract Facts II • Joint Convention: • Legal relation between Lead Partner and all Project Partners • Rights, duties, responsibilities, field of co-operation • Activities need to be in line with overall Application • 12% reserved as common costs - but individual invoices • Contributions to CADSES Progress reports • LP monitors and reports on overall progress of non-EU parts • LP needs to be updated on all project changes • LP needs to update Application Form • Contributions to Common PlanCoast Tasks • LP receives copies of external progress reports Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

5. Contract Facts III • Own Grant Contract • Basic Approval assured via CADSES approval • But still individual contracting necessary => in some case extra application • Probably in all cases renegotiation of budget => ask APPROVAL of LP due to 12% contribution • Extra reporting necessary beyond CADSES reporting • LP can assist you especially in terms of common information on PlanCoast activities • LP can assist you in getting external expertise - if wanted Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

6. Project Reporting / Invoicing Timetable Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

7. Partner Project Activity Reporting • Common / Summary Information: • Man achievements, outputs and deliverables, management, info activities, partnership, non-EU PPs • Brief, coherent, comprehensive description • Not simply listing of Activities & Results • Detailed Action specific information: • Action No, Start. End, Description, Involved Partners, Location, Output / Deliverables, Planned Costs => Already pre-filled from application form! No changes possible! • Description of how action was implemented during reporting period • Description of concrete outputs / deliverables achieved • Justification of any deviation and envisaged solutions • Table of expenditures incurred within this action • The descriptions should provide evidence that planned activities were carried out, milestones achieved and outputs delivered! Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

8. Principle of Comparison Comparison between envisaged activities and milestones foreseen in the project application and activities and milestones actually carried out or finished in the respective period • All deviations will need to be explained, justified and solutions offered => • MA / SC / MC may decide on possible consequences Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

9. Partner Project Finance Reporting I • Project Costs split according to • Actions / Partners / Budget lines • Moment of payment of NO relevance: • All partners report about physical implementation of the Action carried out so far and the connected costs • Actions which start in in one period and finish in another period have to be reported with corresponding description and part of costs in first progress report and then be mentioned again in next Progress Report with remaining part of costs and description • Source of the value of delivered goods / services • Certification of Expenditure • Paid out invoice / salaries (payrolls) / timesheets • Received invoices, bills or similar documents • Contracts, confirmed orders • Received delivery notes, costs estimations... • Reports from subcontractors, consultants, suppliers • Informal information of subcontractors, consultants, suppliers, • Personal estimatioons of the Project Partners / Lead Partner Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for NON-EU Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

10. Partner Project Finance Reporting II • Example 2: An activity is carried out in more than one reporting period, but paid in a single payment. The payment covers all costs of the activity (the moment of payment is of no relevance) • Progress Report 6 contains neither the costs nor the description of the Activity X • Progress Report 7 contains the description of the already delivered part of Activity X and the proportional part of total costs, according to the work carried out by the end of the Rep. Period 7. • Progress Report 8 contains the description of the remaining part of Activity X and the remaining part of the total costs, which had not been inserted in the Progress Report 7. Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

11. Sample Progress Report Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

12. Differences between ERDF and PRAG • Reimbursement of actually incurred expenditures vs. fixed instalments according to payment schedule (incl. advance payments) • BUT: Final invoice / payment also in PRAG all according to REAL expenditures • Eligibility: From Date of Project Start (even in the past) vs.from the date of concluding the contract on • Higher degree of freedom and flexibility for ERDF Partners regarding use of project funds, project changes, shifting of funds, etc. • Different kind of budget lines and higher restrictions in PRAG: • Heading 1 (personnel) ONLY for own personnel or experts on real working contracts • Consultants, etc. ALL have to go under Heading 5 (other costs) • Sub-contracts under Heading 5 have to be below EUR 5.000 if to avoid tendering • Heading 2 (per diems) very specific in terms of countries of destination • Heading 3 (equipment) needs to be tendered according to EU regulations • 12 % Contribution to LP needs to be calculated under Heading 5 and Heading 8 (admin. overhead) • LP will provide you with invoices accordingly - payments to be made in EUR Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

13. Partner Project Reporting: General Remarks DO NOT WORRY! :-) • Coordination Office sends you pre-filled forms, which are AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE • ONLY stick to your OWN activities and costs and inputs to common tasks • WE will put together all partner reports / payment claims into ONE BIG report to be submitted by Lead Partner to JTS / MA BUT! :-O • Stick to Timing! - No exception is made for sticking to CADSES deadline • INDICATE immediately to any kind of PROJECT CHANGES and do NOT assume automatic approval - ask BEFOREHAND • Check fit to regulations yourself - LP is NOT responsible for non-payment, but assists you in negotiations with contracting authorities in best possible way • Regulations, implementation rules, etc. all to be found under www.cadses.net or own contracting authorities Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

14. Partner Project Promotion / Dissemination Input Main Communication Tool: www.plancoast.eu PlanCoast Corporate Identity • ALWAYS use PlanCoast Logo (to be found on PlanCoast website) • ALWAYS use SAME PlanCoast main description (as in flyer) • ALWAYS use also EU & CADSES Logo (to be found on www.CADSES.net) Make www.plancoast.eu a success! • Provide regular input (minimal requirement: half-year reporting) • Provide us with links to other useful websites • Create links FROM other websites to PlanCoast • Send as much info as possible on own organisation / sub-projects / etc. • Provide us with any kind of reports, photos, etc. (also from other sources) for download section on ICZM / maritime spatial planning • If wanted: Translation of www.plancoast.eu in national languages (but from own funds) • Maintenance of www.plancoast.eu exclusive with project coordination Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006

15. Final Remarks • We are there for you! • We want to make your project work as easy as possible so that you can concentrate on content rather than formalities • BUT: Please communicate with us! • We can only advice or solve problems, if we know about them! • The earlier we receive information - the better we can help! • If we indicate limiations, it is NOT because we do not want to help, it is because we want to avoid problems with EU and risk EU - Cofinance • If there are delays, it is NOT because we do not want to work, but due to procedural limitations! Angela Schultz-Zehden / Kasia Scibior info@plancoast.eu or asz@sustainable-projects.eu Workshop: PlanCoast Procedures for Non EU-Partners Angela Schultz-Zehden, Ancona, 14th July 2006