Сommunication with beneficiaries: partnership and control

Сommunication with beneficiaries: partnership and control Irmina Šalčiūtė-Ričkienė, Central Project Management Agency (CPMA), Lithuania

Content • Good practice of communication with beneficiaries (our case) • Project communication: difficulties and our solutions SF communication

Good practice of communication with beneficiaries

Background: CPMA as an intermediate body SF communication

Background: SF administration • Our beneficiaries are public sector institutions, mostly the ones selected by ministries/municipalities (we can reach the applicants and beneficiaries directly). • We organize trainings about the project implementation for the applicants and beneficiaries (1.000 participants per year), we also make consultations during personal meetings, on the telephone, etc. SF communication

Personal experience as a communication tool Aim: (1) to create a place for beneficiaries for their experience exchange; (2) to hear their problems and explain our view (the quality of implementing projects). • Idea: events “The Academy of Experience“ for beneficiaries. • How?: • 3 events in different cities of Lithuania (Klaipėda, Kaunas, Panevėžys). • Events based on work groups (5 groups during one event, 13-30 persons in each group, different experience of project administration). • Beneficiaries were grouped according to the field of the project. • 2 hot topics: public procurement (for project managers); eligibility of expenditures (for financial officers). • A general part of the event: CPMA presentation on the regional actualities of the project implementation; 2 beneficiaries’ presentations; and the final part, which is a short session with the multiinstrumentalist. SF communication

Some moments SF communication

Visuality SF communication

Evaluation : relevance of the event SF communication

Evaluation: work in the groups SF communication

Future plans • To continue events (according to 70 percent of CPMA beneficiaries, meetings are one of the most important information sources). • To develop the idea of experience exchange. SF communication

Project communication

Difficulties • Lack of attention to project communication: in most cases it is a formality for beneficiaries. Why? Lack of competence in communication; beneficiaries do not understand benefits of communication for the organization image. Result: bad quality of project communication. Question for us: how well do we control quality of project communication activities? Project communication = Responsibilities of beneficiaries relating to information and publicity measures for the public according to the regulation 1828/2006. SF communication

Example SF communication

Difficulties (2) Different EU structural fund logos with different names of funds: beneficiaries make mistakes by choosing logos and do not mention the proper fund name. Result: activities do not face the EU regulations. Question for us: are these communication activities not eligible even if the content is of good quality? How can these mistakes be corrected? SF communication

Examples SF communication

Our solutions The aim: to meet formal requirements and achieve betterquality of project communication. (1) Recommendations on project communication for CPMA beneficiaries • 2 parts of document/brochure: formal requirements with the specifics of CPMA beneficiaries’ projects; recommendation on project communication quality. (2) Trainings - 1 h. presentation on project communication,emphasizing this activity as an beneficiaries’ obligation, showing mistakes and good examples, etc. Education is a way to reach the quality in projects communication (beneficiaries’ evaluation of this presentation: good and very good). (3) Inner procedural changes. (4) Consultations by e-mail, tel. (5) Analysis and inner discussions on our flexible view. SF communication

Our methodological material SF communication

Contacts: • Irmina Šalčiūtė-Ričkienė • i.salciute@cpva.lt • +370 5 210 7480 • Thank you!

Сommunication with beneficiaries: partnership and control