1 Project “EGO - ENTERPRISE GENDER ORIENTED” LLP-LDV-TOI-09-IT-0496 Management of the project: aspects of its contents Porto, January 2010 EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer Of Innovation

2 The Beneficiary is responsible for the proper coordination of the partner organisations and undertakes to store all the documentation pertaining to dealings with the partners at its offices and to make this available to the National Agency upon request. EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer Of Innovation

3 Amendments to Projects in progress The following changes are not admissible : changes to the project’s total cost changes in the percentage of LDV contribution and that of the partners to question the decision of the adjudication of the funding violate the principle of equal treatment of candidates/partners EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer Of Innovation

4 Types of amendments REPLACEMENT OF THE COORDINATING INSTITUTION PARTNER/S WITHDRAWAL NEW / REPLACEMENT PARTNER/S CHANGES TO PROJECT ACTIVITIES / CHANGES TO THE WORK PROGRAMME CHANGE OF BANK ACCOUNT CHANGES TO THE ELIGIBILITY PERIOD CHANGES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENT (+10% of the heading) CHANGE OF NAME OR STATUS OF THE COORDINATING INSTITUTION CHANGE OF LEGAL REPRESENTATIVE EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer Of Innovation

5 Types of amendments PROROGATION OF THE REPORTING SCHEDULE (INTERIM or FINAL) CHANGES TO THE CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENT (- 10% of the heading) CHANGES TO THE PARTNER’S BUDGET SHARE CHANGES TO AUTHORISED SIGNATORIES NEW SILENT PARTNERS CHANGE OF COORDINATING INSTITUTION EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer Of Innovation

6 Amendment requests The Requests must be presented: using the Contract Amendment Request Form for multilateral Transfer of Innovation Projects available at the national agency’s web site including supporting documentation, referred to in the form itself be made before the change comes about (i.e. it cannot be retroactive) within and no later than one month before the end of the project EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer Of Innovation

7 Approval Procedures AMENDMENT REQUEST → DRAWING UP OF AN OFFICIAL AMENDMENT UNDERSIGNED BY THE PARTIES An amendment only becomes effective after the National Agency has signed it (the date on the amendment is the effective date). In order to be valid it must be approved before the end of the contract period. REQUEST FOR CHANGES → ACCEPTANCE COMMUNICATION FROM THE NATIONAL AGENCY Changes only become effective following their formal acceptance by the National Agency EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer Of Innovation

8 Procedure for the presentation of reports EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer Of Innovation Project DurationInterim ReportFinal Report 24 monthsBy the 14° month from the start date of the project Within 2 months from the closing date of the project

9 Interim Report: objectives To monitor the progress of the project To check the use of community funding EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer Of Innovation

10 Progress report: evaluation times The Agency has 90 calendar days in which to approve or reject the report received or to request further supporting documentation. This term will be suspended if further information is necessary for the assessment of the report and will continue upon receipt of said information. Beneficiaries have 30 calendar days to send additional information / or further documents / or of a new report. EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer Of Innovation

11 Final Report: objectives To establish the exact sum of Community funding in order to make payment of or to recover the funding Monitor the implementation of the work plan Check on the use of Community funding Evaluate the expected results of the project EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer of Innovation

12 Dissemination All communications, publicity and products regarding the project must bear: The wording: “This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication [communication] reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.” available in different languages at the following url agencies/use- translation.pdf The updated logo for the LLP programme is available at the address: EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer of Innovation

13 Monitoring Tools EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer of Innovation Project lifespan card Is a chronological record of events related to the project’s implementation, agreement deadlines, accompanying actions, checks and monitoring conducted by the National Agency. This is filled in by the tutor from the National Agency. Cahier de Bord Is a tool to record the progress of the project and expenses incurred. It is to be used by Beneficiaries and as an auditing tool for the National Agency. The Agency asks that this be filled in starting from the month after the Agreement has been signed by all Beneficiaries. Updates are required every six months until the project ends. Monitoring questionnaire Provides information and highlights any critical points concerning the macro-areas of interest such as project management, the partnership, the progress of the work plan and the valorisation activities. The National Agency requires this to be completed within three months from the conclusion of the project.

14 Monitoring Visits makes it possible to gather information on the quality aspects and how the project is being implemented and may also be used to identify good practices may be carried out at any point during the project’s lifespan, bearing in mind the results of other monitoring activities by the National Agency is aimed at a sample of projects EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer of Innovation

15 Monitoring – The Beneficiaries perspective This is an iterative activity (throughout the project’s lifespan and not in close proximity to the institutional deadlines) Requires the collaboration of partners The objective of monitoring: - to provide physical information (e.g. the referees for each partner) - to provide administrative and financial information (e.g. payments, the extent to which funding has been used etc.) - process information (e.g. the implementation of the planned activities) EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer of Innovation

16 Type of first level checks -1/2 Analysis of final reports = checks of the formal requirements and assessment of the results obtained and of the expenses reported in order to define the overall eligible community contribution. on the network of Beneficiaries Examination of the support material to the final reports = this is a check on the documentation and invoices/evidence of expenditures presented by Beneficiaries in support of their final accounting carried out on a sample of Beneficiaries EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer of Innovation

17 Type of first level checks 2/2 on the spot checks Financial Control (during the project) = is a check of the project documentation to verify the efficacy of the strategies employed for the administrative and accounting procedures and the fulfilment of contractual obligations Financial Audit (at the end of the project) = is a direct check on the documentation to ensure the correct allocation of budget headings, that spending is consistent with the Coordinating institution’s basic accounts, that receipts and invoices are correct and conform to bookkeeping entries (see art.19 of the Funding Agreement) System Audit = is an analysis of the general procedure for the management of projects funded for recurring Beneficiaries  aimed at a sample of Beneficiaries EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer of Innovation

18 Some suggestions………. Identify a project referee and an administrative referee for each partner organization Prepare a system of monitoring, of activities assessment and of analytic accounting Collect systematically the project documentation with particular reference to the invoices/evidence of expenditures and record and store them in a structured way Always refer to reference documentation of the Programme and check with National Authority EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer of Innovation

19 Thank you for your kind attention Provincia di Livorno Sviluppo Ph Fax EGO, Kick-off Meeting, Porto, January 2010 LEONARDO DA VINCI Transfer of Innovation