NOTES

[10] For further study:

Like the others, this chapter does not claim to be exhaustive, given the breadth of the subject matter, but it is intended to bring together some important points not yet covered in the previous chapters. Most of the topics covered can be explored in greater detail and accuracy (and even with some systematicity) on OpenPM2, the European Commission’s project management guide, as well as on the “Guides for participants” made available by the different European programs, declined based on the specific needs of each type of program.
As part of OpenPM2, they are of particular interest in furthering the contents of this chapter:
- The detailed analysis of the phases of the life of a project from start to finish, with specific advice and a discussion of the intermediate stages, items to be produced, progressive checkpoints and responsibilities in carrying out the various processes;
- The different aspects that you need to keep under control throughout the life cycle of a project: performance, time, cost, relationships, needs, changes, risks, issues and decisions, quality, products, transition, operational aspects, and management of external resources.

Other general and conceptual aspects, which summarize the logic of the OpenPM guide2, can be found in an in-depth study devoted to the “mental approaches” and “infrequent questions” in European projects.
To learn more about other aspects of this chapter, we recommend the Guide Update devoted to the evaluation of European projects and the online registration for participation in community calls for proposals
Regarding the writing activity, we recommend the “handbook of clear writing” from the European Commission. [it is a “classic” but with unstable links, I recommend moving links to repository]

Developing and managing a project

As a conclusion to this chapter ¹⁰ , we provide some additional elements of a practical nature that are useful in devising and managing a project effectively. These are very general guidelines, identifying a “common denominator” among European projects: much depends on the type of project, the nature of the funding, the area of intervention, and the rules and formats used for each program and call.

Main elements of a call and proposal

The activity of writing a project begins with an extremely careful reading of the call for proposals. The elements of a project proposal follow a similar general structure, while varying according to the type of project. The following text shows the typical contents of a call and proposal under the Structural Funds-similar, in each case, to the contents of a call and proposal typical of directly managed projects.

As the main sections and contents of a notice we can identify:

The call for proposals.: Information on the Contracting Authority, the subject matter of the project and the reference amount; legal, economic, financial and technical information (required sureties and guarantees, payment methods, legal forms allowed in case of consortia, economic and financial capacity requirements, technical capacity requirements); award criteria, timelines and deadlines.
The decree: Issued by the Managing Authority, expresses official approval for the publication of the public notice.
The instructional document.: Indication of relevant regional, national and European documentation.
The specifications: Incorporates all the points expressed in the notice and presents some supplementary rules: participation procedures, award procedures, timeframe and how to submit bids (normally divided into administrative documentation, technical documentation and economic bid).
The specifications: Technical document outlining the specifications required for the implementation of the project: description of the purpose and expected results, characteristics of the required activities, mode of execution, presentation of the working group. Specifications and specifications are often presented together.

As the main sections and contents of a proposal we can identify:

Application for Participation.: A document in which the proposer submits his/her personal details and formally requests to be admitted to the call.
Administrative documentation: Documents related to the submission of declarations in lieu (in accordance with Presidential Decree 445/200), financial statements, technical and economic capacity documents.
Technical documentation.: Submission of the project in accordance with the specifications, including attachments (e.g. resumes of working group participants).
Financial documentation.: Financial bid indicating the consideration required for the implementation of all activities, formulated taking into account all the elements described in the technical bid, the detailed elements required, and the amounts/maximum shares of funding.

Project submission directions

The project writing phase begins once the main conditions of departure, namely:

The existence of a project idea suitable for the call (in terms of thematic and eligibility of the type of activity proposed).
The existence of a notice within the reach of the organization’s capabilities (even in terms of a deadline date).
The existence of an eligible partnership in terms of administrative criteria, with sound and complementary technical and financial resources.

Next, the elements key to the preparation of the proposal are:

Careful reading of the guidelines.
The verification and updating of the context analysis.
The clear and structured definition of project goals and outcomes.
The response to the timely demands of the notice.
The final structuring of the partnership and working group.
The accurate description of activities.
The drafting of a realistic and accurate time schedule (Gantt chart).
The finalization of a rigorous and justified financial plan (both in terms of resources provided by the partners and the contribution requested).
The description of the dissemination strategy of the project results.

The European Commission often makes available templates for the submission of project proposals, as part of the documents attached to the notice. These templates normally include all of the above elements, as well as a structure for describing activities by “work packages.”

The specific elements that weigh most heavily in the success of the proposal are normally defined in the call for proposals within the evaluation criteria.

The development of the proposal must first take into account the criteria fundamental described above: relevance, efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability.

In addition to the above criteria, it is possible to mention other particularly frequent criteria that can be conceptually related to the five already listed:

The originality and innovativeness of the project idea, i.e., the elements of novelty compared to previous or still ongoing initiatives. In some cases (e.g., in research and innovation) the application of cutting-edge approaches and technical expertise is required;
The European dimension of the project (also referred to as European added value), i.e., the ability of the project to involve and provide solutions that can be used in different contexts, to open up new opportunities, and to benefit directly or indirectly, through its implementation, the entire European territory and areas other than the specific one of the intervention;
“Best value for money”-that is, ensuring that the project delivers the best outcome and quality with the least use of resources.

The clarity in the use of language and exposition of the proposal (especially if the language in which one is writing is not one’s own) and the adoption of the logical framework are in all cases a matter of considerable importance in writing a project.

Since in many cases the submission of proposals is done through special web platforms, time should also be spent in analyzing the instructions for their use, which are normally found in the tender documentation. Submitting the proposal close to the deadline is discouraged to avoid technical problems or server overload making it impossible to submit by the specified deadline date and time.

The initiation of the project

Writing a project is certainly challenging, but it is the implementation and management of it that requires the most effort.

When a project is awarded, the funding body (a national authority or the European Commission) draws up a contract which is normally signed by the Lead Partner representing the members of the partnership (under an appropriate delegation agreement). The signing of the contract with the European Commission may be preceded by additions and revisions: this is the stage when the contractors agree on technical and economic details underlying the implementation of the project.

The contract establishes the start and duration of activities, as well as legal and financial (pre-financing, budget distribution among partners, final reporting), procedural (monitoring of activities) and reporting/dissemination of results.

The project usually begins with a kick-off event (kick-off meeting) that includes the participation of all partners.

With the start of the project, the Lead Partner assumes its responsibilities for communicating with the European Commission, coordinating the partners, controlling the budget, and implementing the activities in the planned manner and timeframe.

During the period of project execution, the Lead Partner receives the co-financing fees and pays the other partners their shares upon their reporting of expenses and progress of related activities.

Monitoring and evaluation

With the start of the project, the process of monitoring Of activities. It is a continuous process, extending from the beginning to the end of the project, and its purpose:

The verification of the progress of activities and the achievement of expected results;
The implementation of actions necessary to address any difficulties or delays and the ongoing updating of work schedules and timelines.

Holding frequent partnership meetings can facilitate project monitoring and continuous adjustment of the activity program. The Lead Partner or the funding agency may also request progress reports (progress reports) to illustrate their progressive implementation.

While monitoring is a tool used in operational project management to analyze the progress of activities to identify and solve implementation problems, the evaluation is a process that has a more strategic value and aims to evaluate, at predetermined stages, the objectives, impact and added value achieved by the project. Therefore, the evaluation:

involves not only those who manage the project, but also external evaluators and the funding agency,
gains importance as the project approaches and exceeds its time limit,
provides a valuable basis for partners, grantees and the funding agency to promote successes and lessons learned.

Elements related to project monitoring and evaluation – aspects closely related to the indicators identified in the logical framework – are analyzed further above, in the section on indicators and sources of verification in the section “Structuring the Intervention Logic.”

The conclusion of the project

European funding is derived from public funds; therefore, every project that receives a community grant is expected to generate a positive impact on society. A dissemination phase sufficiently long and curated is essential to publicize the results of the project and to ensure that as many beneficiaries as possible are reached. It consists of promoting project results and generating a positive “multiplier effect” so that what has been achieved is useful and inspiring for other interventions.

Dissemination of results may include the use of a specific website built as part of the project itself, organization of events and dissemination of publications. All partners and stakeholders are invited to take an active part in this phase.

At the end of a project, they are usually asked by the funding agency for a final report (summarizing its phases and achievements) and a financial document.

The document of financial reporting reports the details and justification of eligible expenses incurred and co-financing conferred from other sources. The rules defined in the call clarify how the project budget will be managed, the degree of flexibility allowed, and the level of detail required in final reporting. Specific forms are sometimes made available by the European Commission to facilitate the reporting phase and to give order to project expenses and their supporting documents.