1. Management - what we would have liked to know before starting
COST Action IS0906
Management - what we would have liked to know before starting
Emilie Vossen – Grant holder officer

2. Challenges and advices (1/2)
Workload due to the large size of the Action & its intense activity
Advice: flexibility within the management staff (flexible planning, help from students, etc.)
Budget management: difficult anticipation (meetings, outputs, etc.)
Advice: anticipate the expenses (meetings not too close to the end of grant period and outputs invoiced on time); and aim for completing the outputs and activities during the grant period; tools
Collecting data on members and outputs: what data?
Advice: think about it from the beginning of the action and think in advance about the necessary tools (check out with the COST office what’s needed)

3. Challenges and advices (2/2)
eCOST: needs >< tools
Advice: support from eCOST help desk, development of one’s own tools (forms, etc.), use eCOST mainly as the financial reporting tool
Evolving COST rules and procedures
Advice: communication with the administrative officer from the COST Office in order to address the difficulties and develop solutions that respond to both administrative/financial constraints and scientific/network logics

4. What we can say afterwards
Rewarding work: networking, meeting people, positive feedback
Gain in expertise (both administrative and scientific) for the institution in the management of a European network and possibility to share it with you today!