1. Erasmus Project Reports (Interim and Final)
Katia DE SOUSA, Project Adviser
Guido DI FIORE, Financial Coordinator

2. Overview of the presentation
Purpose, structure and requirements
Assessment of the reports
Common strenghts and weaknesses
Financial reporting requirements
Checks and audits

3. Purpose of the reports For the Agency's benefit and use
For the benefit of the entire project consortium
Measure the state of progress
Adopt solutions to improve certain aspects
Improve visibility in the consortium and in the wider community
Reinforce the dissemination strategy
For the Agency's benefit and use
Monitoring by the Agency through external expertise
Decision on evaluation – next payment
Identification of good practices or projects needing following up
Feedback to the Commission for policy-making

4. Reporting period Projects selected in 2010
CONTRACTUAL DATES
Length of eligibility period
Event
Deadline
24 months
Starting period of eligibility
1/10/2010
End date of period of eligibility
30/09/2012
Submission of the progress report
31/10/2011
Submission of the final report
30/11/2012
36 months
30/09/2013
30/04/2012
30/11/2013
*For projects with other eligibility periods, please consult your grant agreement

5. Reporting period Projects selected in 2011
CONTRACTUAL DATES
Length of eligibility period
Event
Deadline
12 months
Starting period of eligibility
1/10/2011
End date of period of eligibility
30/09/2012
Submission of the final report
30/11/2012
24 months
30/09/2013
Submission of the progress report
31/10/2012
30/11/2013
36 months
30/09/2014
30/04/2013
30/11/2014
*For projects with other eligibility periods, please consult your grant agreement

6. Structure of the reports
Public part (including executive summary)
Project objective
Project Approach
Outcomes and Results
Partnership
Plans for the future
Contribution to EU Policies
Confidential part
Declaration Page
Concrete Outcome / Results / Products
Implementation of the work plan / tasks
Impact
Involvement of partners
Involvement of Staff
Management Aspects
Dissemination and Exploitation
Annexe 1 – Financial reporting Table
Number of copies to be sent: 1 original and 2 copies on CD or USB key

7. Progress and Final reports
Progress reports
Monitoring after which corrective measures can still be applied
Allows stocktaking of the project’s achievements up to date – stop and think!
Coincides with the project’s turning point from preparatory stages to implementation
Allows evaluation of how the project corresponds to original objectives and is responding to implementation realities
Allows to EVALUATE and DO dissemination (public Part)
Final reports
Final is final!
Prove that the contractual obligations have been fulfilled
Present project’s results for accountability (both parts) and dissemination purposes (Public part)
Prove that hopefully products/results are able “to live their own life” – are valid, relevant , meet quality standards and/or are transferrable to other areas/fields of higher education

8. Processing the reports
Submission to the Agency: report must reach the Agency not later than the date appearing on the contract
Eligibility check (e.g. signed by the Legal Representative, all requested documentation provided)
Analysis of the Report: by external experts (peer review)
Request for supplementary information on content or financial matters if necessary
Decision and feedback on the report to the beneficiary including recommendations from the Agency

9. 7 assessment criteria – not only results but also process
Objectives, results, products
Are results/outcomes available
Are they in accordance with aims as in original application
Coherence between workplan and activities carried out to date
Are activities in accordance with the project’s work plan of the original application
Have variations been justified
Partnership
Are all partners involved
Do all of them contribute to the project
Are there any changes in partnership
Project management
Mechanisms used for effective monitoring
Are decision making and problem solving adequate
Internal communication strategy (video conferencing, etc..)
Financial management
Are expenditures in line with project’s activities
Evaluation and QA
How evaluation strategy is being implemented (internal & and external)
How recommendations of the PR and monitoring have been implemented
Dissemination
What is the quality of dissemination activities do they start from the beginning
How the issue of exploitation of project’s results is addressed

10. Common strengths and weaknesses
1. Needs analysis not prominent; 2. over ambitious work programmes; 3. underestimated accreditation; 4. Impact too vague; 5. inability to get rid of “project speak” in web and dissemination information; 6. Standard and loosely targeted dissemination activities ; 7. Staff costs cat. 1
Weaknesses:
1. balanced leadership of work packages; 2. partners used according to their competences; 3. clear added value (countries languages, curricula, cross sector cooperation); 4. specific and tangible progress indicators; 5. in some cases well developed and targeted web-site
Strengths:

11. Impact of scoring – Final report
Final Assessment
Corresponding reduction in eligible staff costs within the final Community contribution
Grade
Rating
Very Good 10 0% 9
Good 8 7
Acceptable 6 5
Weak 4
25% 3
50%
Very Weak 2
75% 1
85%
A second expert opinion will be asked before reducing the eligible staff costs.

12. Progress report and 2nd pre-financing (1)
Projects lasting up to 18 months:
- No progress report, no 2nd pre-financing.
24 month duration projects:
- Progress report but no 2nd pre-financing.
- Payment arrangement 70% - 30%.
36 month duration projects:
- Progress report and 2nd pre-financing if at least 70% of 1st pre-financing payment is reported/spent (if less than 70% of the 1st pre-financing payment is reported/spent, the 2nd pre-financing is reduced by the unspent part of the 1st pre-financing).
- Payment arrangement 40% - 40% -20%.

13. Progress report and 2nd pre-financing (2)
Example:
Grant: € (40% - 40% - 20%)
1st pre-financing: € (70% of 1st pre-financing = €)
Total expenditure reported in progress report: € (< €)
Not spent from 1st pre-financing: € € = €
2nd pre-financing (max 40%) = € € = €
If expenditure reported were €, 2nd pre-financing = €

14. Progress report and 2nd pre-financing (3)
Approval of the Progress report does not imply a confirmation of the eligibility of expenditures declared in the financial reporting tables at the end of the project.
A complete financial analysis on the eligibility of the expenditures declared will be made at the Final Report stage only.
Comments following the analysis of the financial reporting table (annexed to the approval letter of your progress report) must be taken into consideration for the final implementation and final reporting of your project.

15. Final report - Financial analysis (1)
Covers full eligibility period
Deadline for submission: end of eligibility period + 2 months
Report all actual expenses (even if they exceed the ceiling) and revenues (costs must be incurred during the eligibility period but can be paid after but before submission of the final report)
Use EACEA excel financial reporting 2010/2011 templates.
Only provide supporting documents upon request by the Agency staff or in the framework of an audit.

16. Final report – Financial analysis (2)
Total expenditures = total revenues (i.e. sources of financing)
Any ineligible cost will be deducted from the total amount of expenditures reported, in order to calculate the total eligible costs of the project (max 10% equipment, 30% subcontracting, 7% indirect costs will be based on this latter amount)
Bank interests generated (bank statements should allow clear calculation) on pre-financing payment(s) must be declared if pre-financing exceeded EUR. Interests will be deducted from the final grant
Queries or objections must be submitted not later than 60 days after receipt of the closure letter of the final payment or pre-information letter of a recovery order.

17. Calculation of the final grant
The final grant is determined as follows:
Declared expenditures from the Excel financial reporting table
LESS
Ineligible costs found during the financial analysis
EQUAL
Eligible costs of the project
Final grant = Eligible costs of the project X percentage of EU co-financing stated in the agreement
Calculated Final grant is the lowest of 3 ceilings:
Eligible expenditures x EU co-financing percentage
Maximum EU contribution amount (agreement)
Final grant cannot result in any profit (non profit rule)
Calculated final grant > pre-financing payment(s)  FINAL PAYMENT
Calculated final grant < pre-financing payment(s)  RECOVERY ORDER

18. Checks and audits (1)
The coordinator undertakes to provide any detailed information requested by the Agency or by any other outside body authorised by the Agency. In case of a multi-beneficiary agreement a co-beneficiary can also be asked directly to do so
The beneficiaries shall keep at the Agency’s disposal all original documents (or, in exceptional and duly justified cases, certified copies of original documents), accounting and tax records relating to the agreement for a period of 5 years from the date of payment of the balance/debit note
The beneficiaries agree that the Agency or the Commission may have an audit of the use made of the grant carried out either directly by its own staff or by any other outside body authorised to do so on its behalf
The beneficiaries undertakes to allow Agency or the Commission the appropriate right of access to sites and premises where the action is carried out and to all information

19. Checks and audits (2)
Project are selected either based on a risk analysis made by the Agency or chosen randomly, for a check or an (ex-post) audit
An ex-post audit can result in an (additional) recovery order (even if a final balance payment was made by the Agency)
The European Anti Fraud Office (OLAF) may also carry out on the spot checks and inspections

20. Original documents to be kept (examples only: please refer also to Handbooks 2010/2011)
Staff costs: pay slips and time sheets, employment contracts;
Travel and subsistence: (e-)tickets, (e-)boarding pass, minutes of meetings, travel agency invoices, signed receipts by travelling staff receiving an allowance;
Equipment costs: invoices, proof that procurement rules were complied with;
Subcontracting costs: invoices, proof that procurement rules were complied with (invitation to submit an offer, offers received, minutes of evaluation/selection of the best offer);
Other costs: invoices.

21. Time sheet minimum requirements
Time sheets  to document the number of working days x person
Title and reference number of the EU project
For each staff member working on the EU project
Minimum on a monthly basis
Mention the hours and project activities spent on the EU project
Signed by the staff member and by an authorised person
Dated

22. CONTACTS María Luisa GARCIA MINGUEZ (coordination)
Gilles GERVAIS, Natalia RIESGO, Alba PRIETO GONZALEZ, Misia COGHLAN,
Mireia FABREGA-IGLESIAS, José MATOS MARTINS, Magalie SOENENS
Katia DE SOUSA
Natalia RIESGO 22