Erasmus Mundus programme

Action 3

Promotion of European Higher Education

Project Management

Presentation overview Administrative and financial management

• Project Life Cycle/Day to day management

• Grant Agreement

• Partners roles

• Reporting (Progress report + Final report)

• Monitoring visits

• Modification of the Grant Agreement

• Publicity

• Questions and answers

Project life cycle

Financial events First pre-financing

(40% )

Second pre-financing

(40%)

Final payment

(20%)

Administrative events Grant Agreement

Progress

Report

Final

Report

Management events

Financial management & Audits

Modification of the Grant Agreement

Day to day management

Monitoring visits

Start End

Grant Agreement

• Must be signed by both parties • All the partner mandates must be sent to the Agency • The duration and eligibility period is indicated in the Grant

Agreement • The Agency has anticipated the starting date of most of the

selected projects to the 01 October 2013 in order to allow you to participate to the Coordinators Conference

• Due to this change in the eligibility period please note that the deadlines for the submission of the Progress reports are in some cases anticipated accordingly (check the agreement)

Partner roles

• The involvement of partners is assessed during the selection

phase

• Respect of the original application in terms of tasks and

work division during the complete lifecycle of the project

• Avoid silent partners (coordinator role)

• Change in partnership accepted only if the project is

benefiting from it and the aim of the project is respected

Progress and Final Reports deadlines

Progress report • For projects lasting between 2-3 years, within 18

months following the starting date: at the earliest by 01/04/2015 or according to the starting date

Final report • For all the projects, within 2 months following the

ending date

Deadlines must be respected

Progress Report

Technical part: • Description of project activities implemented in the period

covered by the progress report • Description of the intermediate products and outcomes

Financial part: • Financial statement for the period concerned • Second pre-financing payment only if 70% of the first pre-

financing is spent

If 70% is NOT spent: • Only acceptance of the technical part • Submission of pre-financing request once 70% of pre-

financing spent

Progress Report: technical part

• Work of the project undertaken during the reporting period

• Description of activities

• Description of results and products (including degree of finalisation, first impact on target groups, dissemination strategy)

• Organisation of the partnership

• Methodology, tools and technology used

• Monitoring and evaluation arrangements

• Feedback on the implementation of the project (including divergences from initial work plan and difficulties encountered)

• Work Plan (table)

• Summary description of activities planned for the rest of the project period

Progress Report: financial part

• Overview of expenditure

• Overview of income

• Second pre-financing payment request

• Progress report: declaration

Progress Report: Assessment procedure

• Analysis and payment of the second pre-financing by the Agency within 60 days after its receipt

• Requests for additional information by EACEA possible within this period

• Acceptance letter with possible recommendations to the coordinator

NB: Please reply timely to requests for additional information

(respecting the deadline indicated in the message)

Final Report

Technical part:

• Detailed picture of work and activities completed during the eligibility period

• Products, outcomes and results of the projects

• Sustainability strategy

Financial part:

• Financial statement covering the full eligibility period (including declaration of interests gained on pre-financing payments)

• Obligatory use of the final report excel table

• New: No obligation to open interest-bearing accounts

Final Report Technical part: • Activities of the project

• Achievement of objectives

• Organisation of the partnership

• Methodology, tools and technology used

• Monitoring and evaluation of the action

• Feedback on the implementation of the action (including explanations for major divergences from initial work plan and any difficulties encountered. If necessary fill in table 1 on "Deviations from the work plan and tasks")

• Work plan including all activities held throughout the project (fill in table 2)

• Impact, products, results and their dissemination

• A clear qualitative and quantitative description of the action results and/or products (including impact on target groups, and recommendations of evaluations)

• Elements of good practice identified and discoveries made

• Dissemination measures undertaken

• Long-term exploitation

• Intellectual property rights, copyright

Final Report

Financial part:

• Overview of expenditure (Excel Table)

• Overview of income (Excel Table)

• Payment request (Excel Table)

• Declaration (Excel Table)

Final Report: assessment procedure

• Analysis and payment of the balance or recovery of unduly paid pre-financed amounts by the Agency within 60 days after its receipt

• Requests for additional information possible within this period

• Acceptance/closure letter (financial analysis) to the coordinator

• Payment of the balance or recovery of unduly paid pre-financed amounts

NB: Please reply timely to requests for additional information (respecting the deadline indicated in the message)

Tips for reporting (technical part)

• Respect submission deadline

• Ensure that the report is signed by the Legal representative

• Take into account Quality Assurance

• Explain how you reached the target groups

• Ensure the coherence between the approved work plan and the activities implemented

• Explain the role of the partners

• Provide information about events / workshops (venues, dates, lists of participants, material)

• Provide a copy of important material / publication or links to the published project outcomes and results

Final Report Financial table (Excel)

Where to find it:

• EACEA Website: http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/beneficiaries/beneficiaries_action_3_en.php

• In Action 3 beneficiaries Progress and Final Reports templates

Requirements:

• Fill in all the cells

(write down all the invoices and supporting documents)

• Submission in electronic (excel) and paper format (with signature of the LR)

Recommendation:

• To be filled in when an event occurs (during the implementation of the project)

Main changes – Grant Agreement 2013

• Payment delay

- 30 days for pre-financing payment

- 60 days for second pre-financing payment and

final payment

• No interest on pre-financing

- No obligation to open interest-bearing accounts

for the beneficiaries

Final Grant Calculation • The Agency checks the eligibility of costs • Ineligible costs are deducted • Total amount of final grant cannot exceed the amount laid down in the

Grant Agreement

The Final grant is calculated based on the no-profit rule:

A) Agency applies the percentage specified in the Grant

Agreement to the actual eligible expenditures

B) Agency calculates the difference between the declared expenditure and the declared income of the project

C) The Erasmus Mundus Grant allocated

The results of points A), B) and C) are compared and the final grant is the

lowest of these three amounts

Eligible expenditures

• Reasonable & justified (invoices or equivalent accounting documents and supporting documents)

• In accordance with the rules/law (tax and social legislation + Grant Agreement and Handbook)

• Actually incurred

• Occurred in the eligibility period (report dates correctly)

• Project related & necessary

• Each item in only 1 heading

• No profit

• Comply with sound financial management in particular regarding economy and efficiency

Ineligible expenditures

• Occurring before or after period of eligibility

• Not related to the project

• Debts & charges

• Provisions (losses, liquidations, winding up, contractual obligations)

• Interests paid

• Exchange losses

• VAT (if recoverable)

• Fines, penalties

• External co-financing for real estate

• Excessive expenses

Tips for reporting (financial part)

• Include the income overview

• Do not forget the payment request

• Fill in properly all the requested fields

• Check the eligibility of the costs

• Include the names of the participants (e.g. in travel and subsistence costs)

• Check the eligibility of the costs in relation to the eligibility period and in relation to the amounts allowed by the Administrative and Financial Handbook

Monitoring visits

The monitoring visits are performed in order observe and support the

co-ordinator and the partners during the realisation of the project.

They can be performed in one or more of the following ways:

• visit by Agency representative(s) to the kick off meeting

• visit by Agency representative(s) to the premises of the coordinator (in situ visit)

• visit by Agency representative(s) to a project event or meeting

Please inform us asap about your kick off meetings and events dates.

Modifications to the Grant Agreement

According to the type of modification requested, there are three different

applicable procedures:

• Formal amendment

• Exchange of letters

• Daily management

Modifications must be:

• submitted to the Agency according to the procedure foreseen for the type of modification proposed

• submitted at least 60 calendar days before the end of the eligibility period given in the Grant Agreement (except for the daily management)

• submitted to the Agency before the change occurs.

Modification of the Grant: Formal amendment

1. Partnership 2. Coordinating

institution 3. Work plan (major

changes) 4. Transfers between

budget headings exceeding 10%

5. Eligibility period 6. Change of

deadline for the final report (more than 1 month)

Amendment requests must be submitted at least 60 calendar days before the end of the period of eligibility.

Submission of the amendment request form signed by the legal representative. Signature by the legal representative and the Agency of the amended agreement is required before its entry into force.

Modification of the Grant Agreement: Exchange of letters

1. Legal representative

2. Contact person

3. Banking information

4. Status of the

beneficiary

5. Address of the

beneficiary

Amendment requests must be submitted at least 60 calendar days before the end of the period of eligibility.

Exchange of letters

needs to be signed by

the Legal

Representative

Modification of the Grant Agreement: Daily management

1. Transfer between

budget headings of less than 10%

2.Deadline for final report submission (less than 1 month)

3. Work plan (minor changes)

4. Other changes

These cases are non considered as amendments as such and do not require a formal amendment nor an exchange of letter. These cases are considered as daily management of the project.

Exchange of letters or e-mails between the Agency and the beneficiary.

Tips for requesting a modification

• Please inform the Agency as soon as you know and in any case before the implementation of the change

• Costs for activities related to amendments are only eligible if directly connected with the project and indicated in the estimated overall budget

• Submit modification requests and progress reports separately

• Submit a complete and correct modification request (wrong or incomplete requests will delay the amendment procedure)

• The modification enters into force only when the Agency gives its approval

Reference to Erasmus Mundus in external communication

Reference to support by the Erasmus Mundus Programme must be made in the following cases:

• Erasmus Mundus project websites

• Publication and products financed by Erasmus Mundus projects

• Project presentations and event descriptions (e.g. EAIE, NAFSA, project meetings)

The EM new logo is available on the EM website:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/about/eacea_logos_en.php

The recommendations for the A3 projects’ websites also:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/beneficiaries/documents/action3/a3_projects_websites_recommendations.pdf

Tips for successful management of Action 3 projects

• A close cooperation with the Agency and all the Erasmus Mundus actors and partners

• Detailed, timely and correct project management (respect of the Erasmus Mundus rules)

• Involvement of all the partners for the entire duration of the project

• Coherence between the work-plan and the activities done

• Attention to the quality of the outcomes

• Update the website

• Give visibility to Erasmus Mundus and include EM logo in products and publications

• Dissemination of results

• Sustainability of the project

Useful documents:

• Erasmus Mundus Grant Agreement 2013

• Erasmus Mundus Administrative and Financial Handbook 2013 (Annex IX of the Grant Agreement)

We strongly recommend you to read these two documents throughout the implementation of your project

Other useful documents for project management available on :

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/beneficiaries/beneficiaries_action_3_en.php

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Action 3 Achievements: summary of the activities and outcomes of the

most recent Action 3 projects:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/results_compendia/selected_projects_action_3_achievements_activities_en.php

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The Erasmus Mundus Action 3 team is here to support you!

Please contact us should you have any questions in the course of your project.

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Erasmus Mundus Website:

http://eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus/

index_en.php

Erasmus Mundus Action 3 mailbox:

EACEA-EM2-A3@ec.europa.eu

Good luck!

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