Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007www.ist-bonus.netwww.ist-bonus.net Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Management of RTD Projects in FP7* Dipl.-Ing. Pierre T. Kirisci University of Bremen (BIBA) Tel.: *some of the contents are based on the presentation: FP7 und die Herausforderungen an das Management von Forschungsvorhaben“ by Mr. Jörg Scherer from the European Research and Project Office GmbH, Germany

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 How EU project often end up Dik Browne, Hägar the Horrible, © King Features Syndicate.

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Efficient Management in FP7 - Challenges Size of the consortium: 5-60 partners, dependent upon project type Ambitious objectives: Development of new products and methods Relative high risks due to… ú Very large project budgets ú Scientific-, financial- and legal issues Management structures and legal contracts between partners have to be adjusted to the individual project (size of organisation, internal legal policies, IPR)

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Challenge for Consortia Higher requirements regarding management skills (due to a more flexible playground) Shift of activities in research management to the area of evaluation and dissemination of project results Higher requirements for the selection of project partners (due to less restrictions from European Commission) Stronger identification of project partners with the project idea (was a big problem in NoEs in FP6!) Stronger integration of Partners (especially SMEs) in decision process

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Requirements to the Coordinator Management of multidisciplinary- and intercultural teams is very complex (e.g. due to increasing technical specifications of researchers) To bring interests of Universities and Industry in line with one another Efficient Management is essential in order to coordinate risks, and to extract an added value out of the interplay of project partners Presentation- and negotiation capabilities

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Key players of an RTD project Partner Scientific Officer Administrative Officer Scientific Manager Financial Manager IPR Manager Coordinator Subproject Coordinator Subproject Coordinator Subproject Coordinator WP1 manager WPn manager Partner WP2 manager EU Commission Partner WPj manager

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Management Structure of an RTD project From the project

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Supportive Tools Project Management Handbook/Quality Handbook ú Communication Standards ú Workflow, Reporting ú Rights and duties Project Management Tools ú MS Project ú Internet-based collaboration platforms (e.g. BSCW) ú Groove Virtual Office ú Open Source Solutions

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Project Reporting in FP7 Reports will be rationalised in FP7 Official Reporting guidelines by the EU are now becoming available Duty of the coordinator: Develop the reports in cooperation with the partners and on-time delivery to the commission

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Recommendations for on-time reporting and delivery Inform the partners at an early stage about the contents and deadlines of the reports Set clear assignments and manage responsibilities Academic partners should handle the workflow issues with their administration very early (due to delays) ú Who needs what information? ú How long does the creation of an report on expenditure take? ú How long does it take to complete an audit certificate?

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Team Building through the Coordinator Develop a corporate identity (Logo, Website) Organise meetings as events (e.g. contests) in order to motivate the partners Recognise the different type of partners and handle them accordingly ú The „Follower“ ú The „Perfectionist“ ú The „Lone Wolf“ When things are going severely wrong, then implement your sanctions consequently!

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Pre-emptive measures of conflict avoidance Different legitimate interests of partners: Dissemination interest of academic partners (e.g. publication) Exploitation interests of industrial partners Solutions: Identification of possible conflicts during the proposal- and negotiation phase Publication rules and IPR issues should be adopted appropriately in the consortium agreement

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Pre-emptive measures of conflict avoidance Partners have a different degree of experience in EU projects ú Take advantage of support by national EU project offices Holiday periods in different countries impact the reporting ú Set no deadlines in August! ú Specific negotiations when considering projects with 3rd member countries (Asia, South America)

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Recommendations for culture-aware management Never consider culture as an obstacle Culture cannot be negotiated Motivate your employees for cultural understanding

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Some typical problems „Sleeping Partner“ Late or no reaction on requests Insolvency Change of contact persons Over- and underspending of resources Partner do not stick to their deadlines Partner deliver a bad quality of work (deliverables) Unexpected costs or new activities Often changing project officers Personal disputes between project partners are done on consortium level …

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Final Recommendations Don‘t over-enlarge your consortium. Every project partner should have a specific role. Rule: doubling the number of your partners increases your management to factor 10! Read the contracts and agreements throughly - take benefit from them Responsibilities should be percepted on all management levels Motivate partners: create visibility & common identity Short versions of all major documents/Meeting reports Sympathy and sense of humour can open many doors!

Training Event, Sofia – Feb 22 nd, 23 rd 2007 Thank you for your time and attention! Dipl.-Ing. Pierre T. Kirisci University of Bremen (BIBA) Tel.: