Seminar Reykjavik September European Collaboration Practical experiences of running a project with DG SANCO funding Meeting Public Health Institute of Iceland 23 September 2005 Georg Bröring Senior advisor NIGZ, AIDS & Mobility Europe

Seminar Reykjavik September Introduction Three elements of the presentation –Funding procedures Framework of funding How to apply How to manage the contract –Networking at the European level Being involved in networks Running a network Collaboration with other networks –Structure of AIDS & Mobility Europe History National Focal Points Financing the project A&M working plan (if requested)

Seminar Reykjavik September Funding procedures Framework: Decision by European Parliament –Programme of Community action in the field of public health ( ) –Workplan – /programme_en.htm Policy context (e.g. in 2004): focus on –Inequality –Enlargement –Best practice promotion –Capacity and skills building –EU CDC –Continuity of support for key networks

Seminar Reykjavik September Funding procedures How to apply? –Develop a draft plan According to EU priorities According to (epidemiological) evidence –Establish European added-value –Find partners (or confirm existing ones) –Formalise (in draft form) collaboration –Submit application –Negotiate, if necessary

Seminar Reykjavik September Funding procedures The Application form Part I: The story –Two page summary! –Aims & objectives –Tasks & time table –Deliverables, expected results –Community-added value –Consistency with EU work plan –Dissemination of results –Effectiveness of partnerships –Consistency of funding plan –Loads of appendices

Seminar Reykjavik September Funding procedures The Application form Part II: The money –The Budget Fees (salaries etc.0 Travel and subsistence Miscellaneous services Administration Unexpected costs –Balance of EU and other funding –Negotiate, if necessary

Seminar Reykjavik September Funding procedures Factors of success? –Evidence & data –Geography –Contacts –Quality of results –Good management –Visibility of EU –Politics –You never know…

Seminar Reykjavik September Funding procedures Managing the contract –In general max 60 % co-funding by EU –In general quite clear contracts But procedures may change during the project period Clarity/detailed budget may lead to limitations There is (little) space for negotiation –Make sub-contracting agreements –Interim (financial) reporting –Final (financial) report / audit –Pre-, Interim, Final payment

Seminar Reykjavik September Networking at European level Being involved in networks –Advantages Access to information Access to experiences Access to contacts Being aware of new trends Motivating to share expertise Achieve political support International collaboration can be fun and motivate for your work at home

Seminar Reykjavik September Networking at European level Being involved in networks –Obstacles and concerns ‘Transferability’ of experiences –Diversity in Europe limits the use of the same approaches Make the right choices, where to be involved Time investment often under- estimated Measuring output may be difficult

Seminar Reykjavik September Networking at European level Running a network –Advantages Visibility of your organisation Access to expertise and contacts Developing broader (over)view Gaining management experience International collaboration can be fun and motivating for your work at home

Seminar Reykjavik September Networking at European level Running a network –Obstacles and concerns Financial risks –In preparation stage - > pre- investment –In implementation stage - > reliability of partners –In final stage - > financial reporting What if funding stops? –Staff? Project partners? Time investment often under- estimated Bureaucracy

Seminar Reykjavik September Networking at European level Running a network –Tasks of the supervisor Process management –Guide the project from A -> B Define terms of collaboration Develop project culture Motivate partners –Cope with diversity of situations and people Quality control Contacts with funding agencies (Financial) reporting

Seminar Reykjavik September Networking at European level Collaboration with other networks –EuroHealthNet General overview about Europen health issues Insider information Support with agenda setting –Tampep Focussing on migrant prostitution –Correlation Focused on health and social inclusion –Integration project Focused on HIV in Central/Eastern Europe –AIDS Action Europe Focused on NGOs and advocacy

Seminar Reykjavik September Structure of AIDS & Mobility Europe History –Start in 1991 WHO review on ‘Migrants and travellers’ Hosted by National AIDS Commission of the Netherlands (NCAB) –1992: start European funding Pilot projects Creating databases Collaboration with selected European countries on migration issues

Seminar Reykjavik September Structure of AIDS & Mobility Europe 1995: Moving to NIGZ 1996: Creation of NFP network –At the request of European Commission –Changed position in the field 1996: In addition to primary prevention, care aspects became important –Access to care 2004: Broadening –Public Health Programme –Enlargement –Merging ‘AIDS & Mobility’ and ‘AIDS & Youth’

Seminar Reykjavik September Structure of AIDS & Mobility Europe National Focal Points –Formal contacts and contracts with organisations in the ‘old’ EU member states –Currently extended to the new member states Definition –A NFP is a set of functions additional to an existing (unit of a) governmental or non-governmental body. –It supports A&M and the EC in planning effective HIV/AIDS and STD prevention programmes addressing the needs of international mobile groups. –It is a key information and exchange point and will take care of advocacy and networking on a national level.

Seminar Reykjavik September Structure of AIDS & Mobility Europe Objectives of NFPs –To assess needs and problems of the mobile target groups at a national level –To advocate the needs and problems of mobile groups at a national and European level –To support the A&M coordinator in providing the EC and member states with objective, reliable and comparable information at European level concerning target groups –To improve the quality of European Health Promotion Programmes by coordinating their own national network and transmitting the necessary information for developing effective health promotion programmes –To be aware of information, to gain access to this information and to interpret the information and where useful disseminate the information to relevant partners in the network –Capacity development; to strengthen NGOs and CBOs

Seminar Reykjavik September Structure of AIDS & Mobility Europe Tasks of NFPs –Collection and dissemination of information –Organising a national network in which all mobile target groups are represented –Stimulating collaboration with other European networks within the country itself –Stimulating collaboration between member states (NFPs will function as interfaces between the European and the national level) –Country coordination on HIV/AIDS & STDs and mobility issues –Advocacy for themes which should be translated in national and European action plans

Seminar Reykjavik September Structure of AIDS & Mobility Europe Role of NIGZ –Co-ordination of the network Motivating project partners Supervising processes Control quality –Providing communication structures, i.e. website, newsletter etc. –Advice Towards policy makers Towards health workers –Responsible towards main funding agency (European Commission) re. contents and finances –Reporting

Seminar Reykjavik September Structure of AIDS & Mobility Europe Role of the European Commission –Evaluate A&M activities –Translate outcomes of the project into policies –Provide financial and technical support Agreements formulated in document formulated together with A&M partners and confirmed in sub-contracting agreement (agreement between ‘main beneficiary’ and ‘associated beneficiary’)

Seminar Reykjavik September Structure of AIDS & Mobility Europe Challenges –Inclusion of communities NFP structure created distance between A&M and migrant populations –Quality control Few means of sanctions in case of non- compliance –Responding to diversity in Europe More countries, more mobile populations, more issues –Advocacy and agenda setting Decision making processes have become more complex European policy development not easily accessible

Seminar Reykjavik September The European partners