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Minerva Socrates. SOCRATES-Minerva Kick-off Meeting 2006 6 March 2007, Brussels Introduction and Contracts Sylvie Rohanova Minerva Project Manager. Meeting objectives. Introduction Legal basis Contracts Contract modifications, Amendments Dissemination and Exploitation of Results BREAK
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Minerva Socrates SOCRATES-MinervaKick-off Meeting 20066 March 2007, BrusselsIntroduction and ContractsSylvie RohanovaMinerva Project Manager EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Meeting objectives • Introduction • Legal basis • Contracts • Contract modifications, Amendments • Dissemination and Exploitation of Results BREAK • Reports • Financial management and reporting • Discussion, Conclusions EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Contacts EACEA / Unit P1 Lifelong learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages ADDRESS: EACEA BOUR 2/30 A (or 2/43) Avenue du Bourget, 1 BE-1140 Brussels http://eacea.ec.europa.eu EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Minerva team (P1 / ICT sector) • Sylvie ROHANOVA, Minerva Project Manager Sylvie.rohanova@ec.europa.eu +32-2-29 91806 Countries: AT/CY/DE/DK/EE/HU/IE/IT/LI/LT/MT/ PL/RO / SI • Karin DE KELVER, Minerva Project Officer Karin.de-kelver@ec.europa.eu +32-2-29 88366 Countries: BG / BE / CZ / ES / FI / FR /GR / IS / LV / LU / NL / NO / PT/ SE / SK / TR / UK • Mette LEARIE, Minerva Financial Officer • Mette.learie@ec.europa.eu • +32-2-29 62190 EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Minerva team (P1 / ICT sector) • Salahuddin MATIN, Minerva Finance Officer • Salahuddin.matin@ec.europa.eu • Luis CARVALHO, Secretary +32-2-29 97763 luis-miguel.carvalho@ec.europa.eu EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Socrates / Minerva legal basis • Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No. 1605/2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=en&type_doc=Regulation&an_doc=2002&nu_doc=1605 • Implementation rules for FR 2005: http://eur-lex.europa.eu/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexplus!prod!DocNumber&lg=en&type_doc=Regulation&an_doc=2005&nu_doc=1261 • Decision 253/2000/EC (Jan 2000) - 2nd phase of the Community Action Programme Socrates: 2000-2006 http://ec.europa.eu/education/programmes/socrates/decsoc2_en.pdf EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
CONTRACT - Composition • Grant Agreement • Art. I: Special Conditions (relevant to the project only) • Art. II: General Conditions (relevant to all Socrates projects of the given year) • Annexes • I. Description of the action • II. Estimated eligible budget of the action • III. Contractual timetable • IV. Administrative and financial handbook • V. Technical implementation reports and financial statements (Progress and Final reports) http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/static/en/Bots/2006.htm ! Contract special conditions (relevant to the project) take precedence to the General conditions and these take precedence over the terms of Annexes – Read all documents together, Link them EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Partnership agreements content • Duties and obligations of partners • Delivery schedule and results • Own contribution and grant share • Payment conditions • Termination and notice • Management structure for the project and powers • Separate coordination and management activities • Ensure active cooperation • Reporting and accounting • Quality and evaluation system • Intellectual Property Rights EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
CONTRACT - Parties • Beneficiary (institution) • Signs the Grant Agreement on behalf of the Partnership; has primary legal responsibility towards the Agency for the proper execution of the Grant Agreement, day-to-day coordination and management of the project and for distribution of the Community funds to partners • Legal representative • Person legally authorised to enter into legal and financial commitments on behalf of the beneficiary institution • Agency • acts under powers delegated by the Commission of the European Communities • Coordinator • The person or institution selected among the members of the transnational partnership to be responsible for the necessary coordination and day-to-day management tasks at the implementation stage of the project • Partners • Any institution or body which is participating in a proposal and project and which has signed a letter confirming its contribution to the implementation of the project – Partnership agreements EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
CONTRACT – Problems • Contact person for the project towards the Agency: coordinator (! role cannot be subcontracted. Assistants – yes, but must have authorisation from the coordinator. Responsibility always kept by coordinator) EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Contract - problems • Ownership of the results (Article II/3) “… shell be vested in the beneficiary” • The rights o ownership is a matter for the partnership to resolve legally when taking into account the copywrite and other relevant laws of the countries concerned. The Grant Agreement with the Agency invests the property rights in the Beneficiary, but does not prevent the Beneficiary from investing the property rights in third parties!! EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
CONTRACT - Problems • Publicity (Art. II.5.1.) • Socrates / Minerva logo • Disclaimer • “This project has been funded with support from the Minerva action of the Socrates programme of the European Commission. This publication reflects the views of the author only, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained herein.” • Agency publishes (Compendia): • The beneficiary’s name and address • The subject and purpose of the grant • The amount granted incl. the proportion of the action’s total costs EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
CONTRACT – Problems • Procurement (subcontracting) Art. II.9. + Annex IV –III. iv.4. • Only if the partnership does not have the skills required for the performance of the work concerned • The need for subcontracting activities must have been mentioned in the application (if not – prior approval / amendment) • Basic activities (management, general administration) cannot be subcontracted • If specific expert needed who would be working full time / frequently – go for staff costs • One subcontracted task implemented by one person / institution – payment cannot be divided among partners (II.9.1.) EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Minerva Socrates SOCRATES-MinervaKick-off Meeting 20066 March 2007, BrusselsReportingSylvie RohanovaMinerva Project Manager EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Communication with the Agency • System: • Languages: EN, F, DE • In writing: emails x signed originals (by legal representative) • Always mention the number of the project • Saykiss (e.g. 225451-CP-1-2005-1-IE-MINERVA-M) • Appfin (year-four digit number) • Purpose: • Consult • Report on all changes • Inform on results and the use of Community grant (Progress and Final Reports) EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Progress Reports • Purpose: • to learn the progress on the project and any specific problems that the partnership encountered with it and which still can be solved • For 2 and 3 years projects only • Deadlines (viz. Annex III) • 2 years projects: 9 months after the start of the project (01/07/2007) • 3 years projects: 15 months after the start of the project (01/01/2008) • Formal requirements • Standard report form (Annex V) • Original signed by the legal representative of the project + 2 copies + 1 copy of completed products (electronic format) EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Progress Reports • Cannot be submitted before the contracted deadline unless 70 % of the first pre-financing has been used andall activities envisaged for the first reported period have been achieved (Annex III-Contractual timetable; Annex IV-Handbook, Art. V, iii.3.) • The deadline for the submission cannot be extended • Second pre-financing instalment can be requested only if at least 70 % of the first one has been used and properly reported • If less than 70 % of pre-financing used at the PR stage – separate payment request must be submitted as soon as 70 % spent. Request must include : • revised - and signed - financial statement (p. 3 – Declaration by the Beneficiary + Section 2: Declaration of expenditure) + other documents listed in Art. II.15.2. • Update on the progress of the action (Art. I.4.2.) since the Progress report has been delivered EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Final Reports • Deadlines (see Annex III): • End of the legal duration of the project • 1 year projects: n/a for Minerva 2006 • 2 years projects: 30/09/2008 • 3 years projects: 30/09/2009 • FR – 3.5 months after the legal duration of the project • Formal requirements • Original signed by the legal representative + 2 copies using standard report form (Annex V) • + 1 electronic copy including the Declaration of expenditure • 3 copies of all products, in electronic format preferably • (including those products which have been submitted in the Progress Report stage) EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Final Reports • Schedule after delivery: • Assessment (content + finance) • Approval • Additional information requests (! delay in the schedule) • Rejection and request of a new report EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Final Reports • Assessment – overall, i.e. considers all aspects of the project (objectives, activities, outcomes) – All work must be completed • The final products/outcomes will be compared with the plans in the “Description of the action” (Annex I) • Final payment will be provided only after the analysis of the final payment request. EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
Progress and Final Reports - problems • Signature – must be that of the legal representative as (last) agreed with the Agency. If someone else signs: • Authorisation for signature is needed or • Non-contractual modification must be prepared and agreed with the Agency • Page 4 – Login and password for the Agency not given (tool for the report assessment though!) • PR – 70 % to be spent – from the 1st pre-instalment • List of activities, namely the 2nd part (future plans) missing • Further activities, planned in the Progress report stage, go beyond the agreed legal duration deadline • All financial tables (all cells) must be filled-in. Mark as n/a (not applicable) if it is the case (e.g. renting of equipment when no equipment has been rented) EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
TIPS FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT • Give constant feedback to the Agency • Ask the questions / clarifications whenever uncertainty appears; remind yourself • Give the Agency information on project meeting plans (possible monitoring visits by us) • All documents to be signed – have them signed by the legal representative not by the person whom you understand as authorised to sign (usually Head of the Administration; Head of Finance) EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
TIPS FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT • Keep website updated. Use it also as the management tool (e.g. partners’ platform; project management documentation bank; scheduling of activities…). Do not give the experts the reasons for assessing it incomplete or simply poor (very problematic mainly for ICT projects). EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages
TIPS FOR PROJECT MANAGEMENT • Mainly for the partnership management (agreements…) learn “A Survival Kit for European Project Management – Advice for Coordinators of Centralised Socrates Actions) available in EN, FR, DE, ES, IT on http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/static/en/Bots/condocs.htm (last version of March 2004, something outdated but very useful) EACEA – Unit P1 – Lifelong Learning: Comenius, Grundtvig, ICT and Languages