Training event on European Programs

Presentation of AGE Platform Europe’s

experience regarding projects’ management

Alice Sinigaglia, Logistic and Campaign Officer

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Promoting intergenerational solidarity through EU projects

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Relevant funding instruments

• Lifelong Learning Programme

1. Senior Volunteering Programme

2. Grundvig for adult education

3. Leonardo da Vinci programme for vocational training

• European Regional Development Fund

1. Interreg IV

2. URBACT II

3. Regions for Economic Change

• Youth in Action Programme

For more information:

http://www.age-platform.eu/images/stories/EN/brochure_activeageing_en.pdf

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Examples of EU projects on intergenerational solidarity

Computeria - Intergenerational solutions

(Co-funding: Lifelong learning programme)

This project brings socially disadvantaged older and younger people together to help each other develop. The young people act as personal ICT trainers - teaching older people skills they often need to participate fully in modern life. The older people act as mentors - passing on their experience and guidance to young people struggling to start their careers

HEAR ME - Highly educated retirees mentoring early school leavers

(Co-funding: Grundtvig)

Many young people leave formal education without adequate qualifications and lack guidance and advice. Many retirees wish to use their knowledge and experience to make a social contribution, but do not know how to go about doing so. HEAR ME provides a course package for retirees (55+) with the potential to become mentors to early school leavers (15-25).

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AGE’s experience in project management

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AGE’s experience in project management

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AGE’s experience in project management

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Tips for a successful EU project

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Call: key issues to take into account

• Indentifying all possible funding opportunities

• Kind of project (sense of continuity/ sustainability/ specific application of what you are doing)

• Financial and human resources + supplementary resources to take into account (evaluation/ dissemination)

• Partnerships (different stakeholders and countries)

• Multiplier effect

• EU added value and the policy dimension of your proposal

• Grass root realities + language

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Set up the project

- Read very carefully and several times the call for proposals and the financial guidelines

- Send as soon as possible a first draft of the project to members and interested parties (and follow as much as possible the questions of the call)

- Anticipate the deadlines as there will always be problems just before sending the application (ask all the future partners to send the documents needed for the application at least two weeks prior to the application deadline)

- Draft the project summary and the budget in cooperation with the future project partners : the budget will be your guideline during the whole project duration!

- Give a clear idea of what we expect from the partners in the project – « Work packages » and tables can be useful , and can help to anticipate the budget as well.

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Manage the project

• Prepare a project handbook for the partners which provides information on the project, the budget, the partners, what we expect from them and useful links

• Always have and keep for all meetings an agenda, minutes and a signed attendance list (proof for the expenses)

• Have communication tools : webpage or website, information paper on the project to be disseminated, logo if possible – a private access webpage can be useful to let the documents and project information available

• EU flag/Funding programme logo present on all project documents (see financial guidelines)

• Have, if possible, on-going internal evaluation of the project meetings and activities

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Manage the partners

• The partners are very different (resources, size, organisation, cultural background) and you need to take that into account when managing the project

• When designing the budget, make sure the partners can develop what they want in the project and adapt the budget according to their needs (travel costs, staff costs, accomodation prices, expert fees, regional travels)

• You may need some bilateral contracts between you (coordinator) and your partners – take the example of your grant agreement (contract with the European commission) and specify the tasks of the partner.

• Consult them regularly during the course of the project and try to detect some difficulties, obstacles to develop the project (time consuming, costs).

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Manage the project budget

• Follow strictly the financial guidelines

• Strict budget management: have expenses claim forms for the partners and follow the project budget to limit the expenses if necessary (the EC does not provide more money if you spend more)

• Different budget headings can exist, mainly :

- Staff costs- Travel, accomodation and subsistence- Costs of Services- OverheadsThere is some flexibility in the headings ( keeping the same amount), but very

few between them (usually 10% to 20% flexibility accepted – see the financial guidelines)

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Final report of the project

• Make sure that you use the good template for the final report

• Read carefully the template (deadlines, documents to provide) and don’t hesitate to ask feedback from the partners

• Make sure with your partners that you received all their claims for expenses – compare your data and their data concerning the expenses

• Make sure you can prove each of the expenses made during the project (a bill, an invoice, timesheets, boarding passes, train tickets, etc.)

• Make sure of the number of copies to send and to which address (it changes all the time)

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Conclusions

• Importance to be part of a network

• Considering all funding opportunities

• Showing how the results of the project can be used once the project is finished

• Need to select carefully the partners

• Monitoring the project

• Multiplier effect

• EU added value

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Conclusions

• No magical recipee for a good project !

• Each call for proposal and each project is different

• Adaptation, flexibility mixed with budget control, respect of the project objectives and a good support to the partners from the coordinator are key to succeed

• Need to select carefully the partners to change a good project into a successfull project

• Think of looking for external links and expertise outside the project to ensure a better dissemination of the project development and results

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Conclusions

• No magical recipee for a good project !

• Each call for proposal and each project is different

• Adaptation, flexibility mixed with budget control, respect of the project objectives and a good support to the partners from the coordinator are key to succeed

• Need to select carefully the partners to change a good project into a successfull project

• Think of looking for external links and expertise outside the project to ensure a better dissemination of the project development and results

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AGE Platform EuropeRue Froissart 1111040 Bruxelles – Belgique

Contact person: Alice SinigagliaE-mail: alice.sinigaglia@age-platform.eutel. : +32.2.280.14.70fax : +32.2.280.15.22www.age-platform.eu

Any questions?