Dr. Jala Garibova Azerbaijan University of Languages

1. TEMPUS Project Representatives’ MeetingBrussels26-27 November 2012Managing a TEMPUS project: Grant-holding in Azerbaijan Dr. Jala Garibova Azerbaijan University of Languages

2. OUTLINE • Azerbaijan University of Languages in TEMPUS • Managing RITSA: • Team structuring • Management challenges and tips • Effective communication • Planning and reporting • Effective performance - financial management - document management - assessment, review and analysis • Dissemination - visibility • resource building and knowledge transferring • Some challenges

3. Project granted in 2010 RITSA Azerbaijan University of Languages coordinator Partner in 3 other TEMPUS projects First time coordination of a TEMPUS project in Azerbaijan EU grant: 1, 076, 258.43 Euros Duration October 2010-October 2013 Curricular Reforms ________________________________________________

4. Project Objectives RITSAJP 511329 (Reforming Interpreting and Translation Studies in Azerbaijan) Specific goal: Modernizing interpreting and translation (I&T) undergraduate and graduate study programs by • building capacity and resources (teacher-trainings; development of teaching resources; restructuring curricula; establishing joint study programs); • establishing infrastructure for new study programs (language resource centres, conference interpreting centre) • disseminating good practice (conferences, online resources, student exchange, life-long education programs)

5. Teams should be established at the beginning of the project It is essential to have thematic teams (academic, research etc.) and technical-administrative teams Description of the tasks should be provided from the start Representatives from all of the partner institutions are involved in each of the temes Some staff may be involved in more than one team Overall supervision is essential Administrative teams Academic teams Steering group TEAM STRUCTURING Teams should be well informed of the project activities, schedule, budget, partner responsibilities etc. Often teams are concentrated on limited tasks which brings to lack of links among tasks, with partners’ mainstream activities, legislation etc.

6. Steering Group INVOLVEMENT: strategic planning and overall supervision strategic communication financial management and budget planning self-audit and evaluation designing dissemination activities student matters curriculum supervision, partner responsibilities communication with EU, communication with partners planning activities needs assessment communication with authorities

7. Academic Teams

8. Technical (administrative) Teams

9. Early planning Regular review of compliance with activities schedule Effective and timely communication Using effective online tools Clear communication; honest feedback Building teams; training teams for concrete tasks Effective team-work: delegation and equal involvement; clear tasks; teams’ interaction Fostering bottom-up approach Regular financial review, review of budget spending and budget forecasting Regular internal reporting Timely provision of supporting documents Involvement of authorities: planned work for support and further sustainability Problem-solving approach INTERACTION OF TEAMS Better analyzed goals Integration of tasks Attitude and responsibility fostered More sustainable results Effective Management Tips

10. Effective Communication for Smooth Management • Regular communication and feedback from internal actors • Sharing experience from coordinators in neighboring countries • NTO and EU contact point • Using social networks for faster communication • Posting events of online calendar • Circulating mails • Easier • Faster • Broader

11. Effective Communication Tools Online Calendar

12. Online Scheduling Online tools are not magic; certain cases require face-to-face or telephone contact Time-saving, easy, reliable, effective Participants can indicate preferred dates and hours

13. Timely Communication • Timely communication with partners and Agency about possible changes in the schedule/venue of activities with the explanation of the reasons • Timely communication with partners about concerns and problems • Explaining to the team and involved partners their duties from the beginning

14. Getting needs assessment and expectations from all of the partners (AZ) Planning together (AZ and EU partners plan activities according to the concrete needs of each partner) Scheduling Logistics planning Financial planning (budget tables compiled and sent to the partners before the activity) Planning Activities What? Why? How? Who? When? Where? How much? What if……? Contingency planning (reserve staff, insured costs, visa issues etc.) Plan for (possible) recovery actions

15. Smooth Coordination Online posting enables quicker feedback and effective interaction Before each coordination meeting, a full description of the purpose, achieved levels, and recommendations and expectations on the follow-up steps is posted by coordinator. The agenda is designed after relevant feedback

16. Detailed Agenda The deadline Is established by coordinator If a partner is unable to perform the delegated task, the task If re-delegated and the budget is re-allocated after notifying the Agency) Planning to follow project timetable; the venue can be agreed on, considering relevance to activity, cost-efficiency, and involvement of all partners

17. Reporting on an Activity • Reports obtained from the partners involved in a concrete activity • Reports shared and feedback obtained • Evaluation made and positives and negatives discussed • Relating to further steps • Recommendations

18. Effective Performance: Team preparation Initial trainings and exposure for the teams • General administrative and project-running matters • Eligible expenses • Tendering procedures • Support documents • Online communication tools • Surveys and questionnaires (QA and LLL) • Web design tips • Reviews and progress report • Employer feedback • Cross-cultural awareness ________________________________________ Trainings for the Language Resource Center employees Training students involved in conducting surveys QA handbook, project management manual, brief of statutory tax norms have Been prepared for the project teams

19. Effective Performance: Needs Assessment Prior needs assessment (before activities) (All parties; QA centers, employers, authorities, businesses, parents are actively involved) Broad narrative description of the needs is provided after survey, online discussions, And feedback Needs assessment report linked to activities QA Center and student representatives are involved in surveys

20. Effective Performance: Review and Analysis • Statistics • Analysis • Prognosis • Regular reviews and self-audits (It is helpful to obtain statistics regularly on various categories (costs on each activity, costs on each institution on each activity, involved staff in each activity, involved institutions in activity, active/passive venues and utilized resources. Helpful for smoother follow-up, better analysis and better prognosis for future activity and sustainability) Regular self-assessment is essential (every 6 months)

21. Financial Management • Before each activity starts, the payment schedule according to the budget allocated to the relevant activity is made and sent to partners • The sum/bank transfer is requested from the bank from the relevant account. The request is made on the basis of the document signed by Rector or coordinator. • A bank statement on each operation is also requested after the operation is completed

22. Activity budget sample The budget for each activity (or its segment) is designed and sent to all of the partners beforehand. The yellow cells indicate estimated amounts, which are adjusted later after the activity is over. Once the activity is performed and payments are effected (and figures adjusted), the budget is sent to the Financial Team for analysis, taxation and further prognosis. In the process of implementation, it is possible to merge/otherwise alter activities (time, venue) for cost-efficiency as long as the outcomes are not affected (with the approval of partners and Agency)

23. Managing travel payments (tips) • Timely obtaining of supporting documents • Payment in 2 installments (where possible): paying a minor part of the sum after obtaining all necessary documents may be helpful • Insurance on air tickets • Project payment cards (sometimes bank transfers for hotels etc. are required in some EU countries (establishing a special credit card for TEMPUS purposes may be helpful)

24. Managing staff cost payments (tips) • Obtaining invoices from the services providers with the indication of hours/days • Having the staff costs signed by the service provider on a timely manner • Deducting the necessary tax and social payments • Transferring the relevant sum to the service provider and obtaining bank statements for the transaction • On a regular basis, transferring statutory payments to the State budget (timely – to avoid sanctions)

25. Document management • Folders are prepared for each activity according to the work-plan • Preparing each individual staff/mobility convention with all supporting documents • The supporting documents for staff costs also include bank statement • The folder contains a list with the following information (this makes it easy for further transfer of information to an online database, and cross-referencing): • Indicating the number of activity. (e.g.: Activity 3.4) • Indicating time, duration and venue. (e.g.: 6-12 December, Strasbourg) • Indicating purpose: Train-the-trainer (e.g.: language component) • Indicating the number of people involved. (e.g.:15 people involved) • Indicating EU/non-EU origin of participants (e.g.:12 EU, 3 non-EU) • Indicating the overall sum spent on this activity (e.g.:32,000 EUROS) - (For travel documents) Indicating possible lacking documents, which will be obtained later from the individual (or in the case of loss of that document from a relevant agency (airlines etc.)

26. Files Online • The data on paper-based documents are further transferred into electronic files: a) by activities undertaken b) by partner institutions (on each segment/work-package separately) • This is helpful from the point of view of cross-referencing, budget follow-up and prognosis and planning.

27. Sample Travel Costs Table by Partners Costs for each partner is calculated upon the completion of a trip Helps in budget analysis and timely follow-up

28. Online File Management Available for everyone, easy sharing, less delays in document processing and delivery, open access, time-saving

29. Dissemination Dissemination groups(dissemination groups include LLL team members, academic staff members, IT/webmaster, media) Dissemination schedule(conferences, meetings with authorities and stakeholders, workshops with local partner representatives, round tables for the Ministry, regular media publications) Dissemination systems(creating visibility, resource development and transfer, capacity building via delegation of resource development and administration, awareness raising with authorities, students, stakeholders, teaching staff, and higher administration, reaching various (disadvantaged etc.) communities outside the project) Optimizing dissemination tools • regular meetings with project partners in AZ to share good experience and analyze shortcomings • delegation by team-mixing (especially for activities where the coordinator’s involvement is heavier – teams of different partners exchange team members for certain tasks) • work with other departments at Universities (transfer of good experience) • liaising with other international projects visibility should not overshadow knowledge/skills transfer Sustainability Larger scope, better quality Systemic approach, easy follow-up Better focus on content

30. Interdepartmental/Inter-institutional transfer of good practice RITSA Reforms at Translation Departments

31. Visibility (Webpage)http://www.tempus.adu.edu.az

32. Visibility (Media) The project is also elucidated in public newspapers in Azerbaijani, Russian and English Project activities and outcomes are regularly elucidated in University newspapers

33. Dissemination (Intra-communication tools)

34. Dissemination (Resources)

35. New Syllabi ONLINE

36. Dissemination in Publications Guidelines for innovative language teaching

37. Dissemination Sustainability • A new Master degree (Delocalization of the Master degree from ITIRI) • A double degree program with UE • Student exchange program with SCM • Research collaboration with SCM • Translation network with local partners • Language teachers’ association (local) • Collaboration with NTO on transfer of expertise to other grant-holders in Azerbaijan • University-Employer collaboration (in needs assessment, recruitment, professional teaching) • Involvement of students in surveys, needs assessment and curriculum design Dissemination to institution, other partners, other structures, communities, authorities, students, stakeholders: BROAD SCOPE

38. Document Sharing

39. Some Management Challenges

40. THANK YOU!