How to Manage a Research Project or “What do I do now I’ve got the grant?”

1. How to Manage a Research Project or “What do I do now I’ve got the grant?” Tim R.L. Fry School of Economics, Finance & Marketing

2. What is a Project? • A planned undertaking [according to the webster dictionary] • A one-time endeavor, delineated by a start and a completion • A typical project will have: • A charter (or mission) • Requirements/Specifications • Deliverable(s) • Resources (people, money, materials, time, knowledge) • Constraints • Risks • Deadline(s) • The project manager is the facilitator for the project • Project Management is a “role” someone must play • Project Management deals with the art and science of making projects happen!

3. Why need Project Management? • Project Complexity • Division of responsibilities - specialization • Knowledge & Expertise – breadth vs.depth • A typical tri-partite project leadership model: • Business Lead – owner of the purpose (know why) • Technical Lead – subject matter expert (know how) • Project Manager – make happen (know when; know who) • All Three – work as a team (all must know what)

4. What do good project managers do? • They Manage the entire Project Life Cycle and make sure it aligns with the vision & mission (strategy & charter) • They Make Things Happen • They Manage Resources : • Time • Money • People • Intellectual Capital • To Drive : • Efficiency • Productivity • Effectiveness, & • Optimal Deployment of Resources

5. How do they do it? • They Organize the Team • They Plan & schedule • They Manage the • Deliverables • Resources – time, money, people, knowledge • Priorities • Expectations • Risks • Project Life Cycle • They Communicate • They Monitor and Measure (set up metrics) • They Document • They Review, and make sure lessons are learned

6. What did you get and what do you need? • Great to get the funding but were you: • Exactly funded? • Assuming that you correctly budgeted and costs haven’t changed then the project is on the starting grid. • Over funded? • Maybe you padded the budget or costs are not as high as projected. • Under funded? • Maybe the project wasn’t fully funded (time or funds cut) or costs have risen.

7. What did you promise? • Revisit the project • Can it still be done? • Do you have to modify and, if so, how? • Is it still viable? • Can the stated outputs still be delivered? • Return to the funding body (bodies) for clarification. • Seek new or extra funds from elsewhere • Is this feasible?

8. On the starting grid • Large amounts of paperwork to attend to! • Contract/Funding Agreement/Letter of Engagement • Terms and conditions. Timelines. Reporting requirements. • Prepare your budget • When does the income arrive? • What are you spending money on? • When is the expenditure required? • What are the rules – funding body and university – concerning expenditures?

9. Starting the project • Most projects will involve you working with others • These could be others “on the grant” who might be • “equals”, “junior”, “senior” researchers • Do researchers need to be recruited? • Assistants, Associates, Fellows. • Are these recruits to hand or where might we find them? • How long will it take to recruit? Can they be found?

10. Running the project • Manage your time, resources (people, equipment, money, space) • Does your school actually have the space and other resources required? • Budgets need to be assessed on a regular basis • Manage others’ time and resources • Deal with administrative issues such as time sheets • Hit milestones. • Produce Progress Reviews • Produce Reports/Outputs

11. Closing thoughts • Successfully managing your successful research project requires a number of skills • Time management skills • Resource management skills • People management skills • Negotiation skills • Project management skills • NOT the skills that you made you successful in getting your project funded!

12. Remember you actually have to do the research! One last thought …

13. Project managements in practice • Project Coordination (GANTT) • Meetings and communication flows • Deliverables • Milestones • Financial issues

14. Communication structures / Communication flows • Meetings (scopidifferenti) • Phone conferences • Web-based communication platforms (extranet) • Internal newsletter,… • Reporting structures • Meetings:

15. Deliverables • Example one (basic) • Example two (application and results)

16. Milestones • One example

17. Financial issues

18. 1.Payment modalities • One pre-financing (upon entry into force) for the whole duration • Interim payments based on financial statements (payment = cost accepted * funding rate) • Retention (10%) • Final payment

19. 2. Eligible Costs (1) • Eligible • actual* • during duration of project • in accordance with its usual accounting and management principles • recorded in the accounts of benficiary • non-eligible (identifiable indirect taxes including VAT…)

20. 2. Eligible Costs (2) • *Average personnel costs accepted if : • Consistent with the management principles and accounting practices & • they do not significantly differ from actual personnel costs= if identified according to a methodology approved by the Commission (NEW)

21. 3. Indirect Cost : • For all: • either actual overhead or simplified method • flat rate of 20% of direct costs minus subcontracting and 3rd parties not used on the premises of the beneficiary. • For Non profit Public Bodies, Secondary and Higher Education establishments, Research Organisations and SMEs unable to identify real indirect costs, may apply for a flat rate of 60% for funding schemes with RTD.

22. 4. Certification (5) • Who can provide these certificates : • Qualified auditors under the 8th Directive • Independent • Public bodies, secondary and higher education establishments and research organisations may opt for a competent public officer

24. Reporting (1) • 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

25. Reporting (2) • Commission has 105 days to evaluate and execute the corresponding payment • No tacit approval • After reception Commission may: • Approve • Suspend the time-limit requesting revision/completion • Reject them giving justification, possible termination • Suspend the payment

26. Dissemination • Define stakeholders • Accademia, Industria, Consumer groups, generalpublic • Dissemination Plan • Websites, Pubblications, Workshop forindustry • Presentations • Alwaysmakeuseof project template • Prepareflyers • following the template • Prepare newsletter • Translateit in alllanguages • Events • At leastoneeventat the end of the project