Additional information on project management Gabriella Soos REA Unit S2 – Space Research

Table of content Where to find documents Reporting Auditing Amendments to the Grant Agreement Publication issues

Find guidelines and templates in Cordis FP7 web portal CORDIS http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ Open and closed calls Guide for applicants Work programme Most important! FIND A DOCUMENT 9 thematic priorities: a couple of them new as compared to FP6 Database of experts

Guide to financial issues Guidance notes on project reporting Key documents to read The coordinator and/or the person in charge of the administrative and financial issues in the coordinating organisation must read – at least - the following documents: Guide to financial issues Guidance notes on project reporting Amendments Guide for FP7 Grant Agreements 4

Accessing the reporting functions: the Participant Portal (1/2) (Not legally binding) Accessing the reporting functions: the Participant Portal (1/2) http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/page/home Log on to the Participant Portal Additonal information on Participant Portal on the online User Manual

The Participant Portal (2/2) (Not legally binding) The Participant Portal (2/2) 2. Once connected to the Participant Portal, select the tab "My Projects" 3. The list of the projects you are involved will be displayed. 4. For any of your projects in the "Active" phase, you can access: - the technical reporting (deliverables) - the financial one (Form C). 5. Once you have clicked on the link, you will be redirected to the right supporting application.

Reporting Table of content Where to find documents Auditing Amendments to the Grant Agreement Publication issues

Guidance Notes on Project Reporting ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/project_reporting_en.pdf 8

Periodic reporting and deliverables During the course of the project, the consortium has to submit: The deliverables according to the timetable specified in the Deliverables list A periodic report within 60 days of the end of each reporting period (including the last reporting period) BE ON TIME! 9

At the end of the project you have to submit: Final Reporting At the end of the project you have to submit: A final report, within 60 days after the end of the project, comprising: A final publishable summary report covering results, conclusions and socio-economic impact of the project; A report covering the wider societal implications of the project, in the form of a questionnaire (gender equality actions, ethical issues, etc.) After receiving final EU payment, the coordinator shall submit a report on the distribution of the Community financial contribution between beneficiaries. To be submitted 30 days after receipt of the final payment. 10

1 part of the report completed only on-line: Submission in SESAM Reports, deliverables and financial statements (Form C’s) have to be submitted in the IT application SESAM Access through the Participant Portal http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/ portal/appmanager/participants/portal 1 part of the report completed only on-line: Publishable report, Explanations on use of the resources Tables of deliverables and milestones Report on work progress and achievements Follow the template (available at http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/find-doc_en.html )

In SESAM submit only FINAL deliverables Both coordinator and beneficiaries can upload the deliverables, whereas ONLY the Coordinator can submit the deliverables at the due dates Upon the electronic submission, the coordinator receives a short generic, automated ‘acknowledgment of receipt’ Important: Submit only final deliverables Once submitted the deliverable cannot be modified To change a deliverable, the project officer has to “reject” it and the coordinator has to submit the finalised document SESAM is an “archive”, not to be used as a platform for working documents 12

How to submit deliverables/reports? By electronic means: Periodic / Final reports / deliverables, etc. via web-based tool in the Participant Portal Forms C via web-based tool in the Participant Portal (via FORCE) NB: The signed self declaration is part of the electronic submission. By post to the mail address indicated in article 8 of the GA, in parallel to the electronic submission: ONLY: the signed Forms C (prepared and submitted via the web-based tools. The coordinator should collect them and send them to REA) the certificates on financial statements or on the methodology (only if applicable!).

How to write the progress report on the activities Give a clear account of the project activities during the reporting period The progress report What did you do? What did you achieve? Which problems did you encounter? Any deviations? Corrective actions? Clear, informative, straight to the point, concise Transparent communication 14

Periodic report: the financial part 2 financial documents: The explanation on the use of the resources This is part of the report submitted on-line in SESAM How did you spend your budget? Any deviations? Personnel: Who worked on the project? How many person*months? How much? KEEP TIMESHEETS Travel: which trips? Where? Why? How much in total? Meetings: collect participants’ signatures (especially if you reimburse or claim travel costs) Any subcontracting? Etc. One Financial statement per beneficiary (Forms C) and a summary financial report for the whole consortium submitted via Participants Portal AND by post (can be signed by any representative of the beneficiary) The coherence between the two financial documents has to be ensured. In addition the use of the resources has to be compared with the section “Resources to be committed” in the Description of Work to explain deviations. 15

Explain the use of the resources: an example For each item, specify type of activity: RTD Demonstration Management OTHER (e.g. dissemination) Personnel: specify position (not name) and no. of person-months of work Equipment: has to be depreciated Travels: distinguish between travels claimed under RTD and travels for dissemination (OTHER) indicate title of meeting, date, location, « purpose » of travel Note to the coordinator: if one partner overspends, it is up to the coordinator to decide how much the partner can claim as EU contribution (i.e. full amount if the overspending is due to anticipated work, or only the budget share agreed for the reporting period and lower than the amount which could be claimed). * All the entries are examples and purely for illustration 16

Some important financial rules 1. Interests generated by the pre-financing Coordinator to identify the interests generated by the prefinancing due to the beneficiaries, if any, at the end of the 1st Reporting Period 2. Purchase cost of durable equipment and Depreciation Durable equipment (e.g. software, computers, etc.) is subject to depreciation, according to the usual accounting rules of each partner Please see p. 61 and following of the Financial Guidelines (there is a new version dated 28/02/2011). 3. Participation in conferences and other public events Costs can be charged to a project ONLY if justified by a public presentation of the project activities and results “Just to listen and network" cannot be charged Participation of several beneficiaries and/or various representatives of the same partner to be justified If presentation of the project, the FP7 funding has to be properly acknowledged (see later) A copy of the submitted paper and/or the presentation, and the event agenda, have to be delivered to the REA project officer (i.e. as deliverable). 17

Approval of reports After reception of the reports the REA may: Approve the reports and deliverables: REA disburses the corresponding payments within 105 days of their receipt unless the time-limit, the payment or the project has been suspended; Suspend the time limit if reports/deliverables have not been supplied, are incomplete, unclear or raise doubts concerning the eligibility of costs claimed. Suspend the payment at any time for the amount intended for the beneficiary(ies) concerned: for details see Article II.5 of Annex II (General conditions) to the grant agreement; Reject the reports and deliverables by giving an appropriate justification and, if appropriate, start the procedure for termination of the GA. 18

Intermediate payments Payments are linked to submission of a complete and correct report, deliverables Electronic and signed form C’s «The Commission shall evaluate and approve project reports and deliverables and disburse the corresponding payments within 105 days of their receipt.» 19

Prefinancing and Guarantee Fund If 2 reporting periods: 60% of EU contribution If 3 reporting periods: 160% of the average EU contribution per period Paid to the coordinator within 45 days following the date of entry into force of the grant agreement Guarantee Fund 5% of maximum EU contribution No collective financial responsibility in FP7 as was the case in FP6 (still collective scientific responsibility) At the final payment, the amount contributed to the Fund shall be returned to the beneficiaries via the coordinator 20

Technical reviews Planned at the end of each reporting period Usually the review takes place 2 or 3 weeks after the submission of the report and deliverables Present the work carried out, the main achievements and the use of the resources Participation of the coordinator, participation of WP leaders to be discussed on a case-by-case basis Independent experts are appointed as external reviewers give external advice to the REA on the project for the period concerned assist the REA by recommending any reorientation that may be required. ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/project_review_en.pdf 21

Reporting: flow chart submitted through the Participant Portal Comments from Project officer Correction of Report and submission of v2 ALL documents received, correct and accepted REPORT, DELIVERABLES and FORM C’s More than 1 iteration may be necessary Technical review Payment and Assessment by the financial officer

For IT problems Helpdesk for IT related questions EC-FP7-IT-HELPDESK@ec.europa.eu Tel: +32 2 29 87288 (08:30 – 16:30 CET)

Auditing Table of content Where to find documents Reporting Amendments to the Grant Agreement Publication issues

Financial audits The Commission/REA may, at any time during the implementation of the project and up to five years after the end of the project, arrange for financial audits to be carried out, by external auditors, or by the Commission/REA services themselves including European Anti-Fraud Office OLAF. The beneficiaries shall keep the originals or, in exceptional cases, duly authenticated copies – including electronic copies - of all documents relating to the grant agreement for up to five years from the end of the project. 25

Amendments to the Grant Agreement Table of content Where to find documents Reporting Auditing Amendments to the Grant Agreement Publication issues

Requests for amendments Amendments are legal acts modifying the commitments initially accepted by the parties and which may: create new rights or impose new obligations, or modify significant parts of the grant agreement (GA). See: ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/amendments-ga_en.pdf

When to submit an amendment request? When should the coordinator submit an Amendment request? If any GA provision needs to be modified and/or In case of major modification to the Description of Work When is an Information Letter sufficient? Changes to contact point/authorised representative, legal address/name In this case the LEAR of the concerned beneficiary should update the information in the Participants Portal Only if necessary, beneficiaries are allowed to transfer budget between different activities and between themselves (without amendment!), namely: - the needs are clearly justified - the work is carried out as planned in the Description of Work, and - the Project Officer agrees. Always refer to the Amendments Guide at ftp://ftp.cordis.europa.eu/pub/fp7/docs/amendments-ga_en.pdf

Publication issues Table of content Where to find documents Reporting Auditing Amendments to the Grant Agreement Publication issues

Publications and publicity The beneficiaries shall, throughout the duration of the project, take appropriate measures to engage with the public and the media about the project and to highlight the EC financial support. Any publicity, including at a conference or seminar or any type of information or promotional material must specify that the project has received EC research funding and display the European emblem. Any publicity made by the beneficiaries in respect of the project must specify that it reflects only the author’s views and that the Community is not liable for any use that may be made of the information contained therein.

Publications and publicity All publications shall include the following statement: The research leading to these results has received funding from the European Community's Seventh Framework Programme ([FP7/2007-2013]) under grant agreement n° xxxxx (see Article II.30. of the Grant Agreement). During and after the project, the coordinator shall provide references and an abstract of all scientific publications relating to foreground at the latest two months following publication (see Article II.30. of the Grant Agreement). As part of the final project report, the coordinator will be required to submit a full list of publications relating to foreground of the project.

REA – Research Executive Agency http://ec.europa.eu/research/rea Gabriella Soos REA – Research Executive Agency http://ec.europa.eu/research/rea @ Gabriella.Soos@ec.europa.eu  COV2 17/102▪ 1049 Brussels ▪ Belgium site 16 Place Rogier ▪ 1210 Brussels  +32-2-298 72 57  +32-2-297 96 46 Copyright © 2007-2009 Close Comfort 32