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TEMPUS Modernising Higher Education

Tempus Monitoring Policy

By Jacques Kemp & Aziza Abdurakhmanova

Tempus project representatives’ meeting

Brussels, 26-27 November 2012

WHY Monitoring

Management instrument - for project follow up and assessment In particular,

- for projects that might be encountering problems - for projects which are enjoying particular success

Benefits extend beyond a given project: - lessons can be learnt for the Programme - best practice can be disseminated

WHY Monitoring

General objectives:

- To maximise the impact of the Tempus programme - To maximise the return on investment of EU funds - To ensure proper use of tax-payer money - To support, control and assess the beneficiaries’ performances – coordinators & partners

- To support, assist, advise the beneficiaries

- Written reports submitted by Coordinators

- Minutes of beneficiaries’ meetings

- Exchange of mails with coordinators/beneficiaries

- Publications; websites of the projects / of the beneficiaries

DESK Monitoring (Brussels HQ)

Monitoring activity

Monitoring activity

FIELD Monitoring (on the spot)

• Actors: EACEA staff, NTOs, EU Delegations, External consultants (ROM)

• Locations: Any place concerned by the project. On the spot.

• Wish/request: As many project partners as possible including project coordinator Project stakeholders

Monitoring activity

FIELD Monitoring (on the spot)

• To monitor the progress and achievements in their real environment • To judge whether the project is progressing according to plan • To assess whether the project is producing the expected benefits • To assess the visibility and the potential for sustainability of the project • To be informed about financial management / accounting system put in place; to understand the organization of the partnership

Monitoring activity

FIELD Monitoring (on the spot)

• To scrutinise the context in which the programme is operating

• To highlight the added value for modernising HE policy

FEEDBACK TO COORDINATORS

recommendations - advice - questions Coordinators MUST debrief all partners

Three functions for Field Monitoring

• Preventive information on the rules & procedures

review of the objectives, priorities, methodology,

activities planned, cooperation with partners (role / rules)

further recommendations

• During the first half of the eligibility period • Recommendations results should appear in the interim

report

Three functions for Field Monitoring

• Advisory

advice / suggestion to accompany the project implementation / solve issues check content and financial aspects (based primarily on the content of the interim report)

• During the second half of the eligibility period • Links between the interim report and the situation on the ground • Recommendations for the continuation of the project results

should appear in the final report

Three functions for Field Monitoring

• Control

Check the results/impacts

Assess the sustainability, visibility

Check documents & procedures: staff conventions, tender

procedures, accounts

• After the completion of the project: after the end of the eligibility period

• Financial management & accounting relating to the use of the grant – use of EU funds

Monitoring activity

Financial AUDIT (on the spot)

• By sample

• Upon request by EACEA project officer, EU Delegation, EACEA financial unit, Com° DGs

• At any time, usually after the end of the project (within 5 years)

• EACEA Staff, Independent auditor, OLAF (suspicion of fraud)

FIELD Monitoring

Our Objectives

• To know the projects - To know the coordinators, beneficiaries; to support them

• To improve further the functioning of the Tempus programme

• To take your opinion into account when drafting next Calls

• To indentify any issue/problem

• To control the implementation and the use of EU tax payer money

Our Targets

• Two thirds (2/3) of the projects are visited annually (NTOs/EACEA/Other)

Might be a little bit less if more projects are selected

• Each project financed, on average, is visited twice during its lifetime

FIELD Monitoring 2012 projects

Scheduling Field monitoring

• EACEA-NTOs annual planning

• Upon prior appointement by NTO

• Kick off meeting (EU/Partner countries)

• Consortium meeting

• Special event

Please inform Tempus team when event schedules - opportunity for FM / getting familiar with your project

Field monitoring visits at EU co-ordinating universities

• > 75% EU coordinators

• Several projects as coordinators

• How co-ordinating institution manages Tempus projects

• Meetings with senior management, administrative/financial unit, project team

Field monitoring visits at EU co-ordinating universities

• To assess the overall operational capacity and management performance of the co-ordinating institution in managing Tempus projects

• To assess with the/each project teams the state of play of project implementation with particular focus on effectiveness of management

• To identify aspects of good practice within the project / co-ordinating institution

….More on NTO field monitoring activity

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NTO field monitoring activity

Planning is very important!

Good practice to coincide FM with a project meeting

Joint development of meeting schedule with local team

Implementation of the field monitoring visit

Presentation of meeting's objectives by NTO

General presentation of the local/national coordinator on the project

Questions and answers

Meeting with the university administration

Preliminary conclusions and recommendations

Standard monitoring evaluation criteria

Relevance - Effectiveness - Efficiency - Impact - Sustainability

…the floor is given to local partners!

• To observe the understanding of project objectives by the project team and university management > local ownership

• To consider and advice on agreements taken for decision making and financial management

• To take note and advise on possible changes in the initial planning

• To assess benefits to target groups AND dissemination strategy

• To evaluate role and involvement of the Ministry (for SM project)

NTO field monitoring activity

Past experience shows the positive impact of field monitoring on the quality of project implementation

EACEA and NTOs give priority to preventive field monitoring (i.e. all projects to be visited in the first half of their life-time)

NTO field monitoring activity

o General meeting in the morning of monitoring day can be an information/dissemination event about a project (open to all faculties and university structures, students, etc.) o Discussions focus on clarification of rules, set-up of project team, decision-making procedures, availability of project documentation and updated workplan in local language, coordination and communication mechanism in place, etc. …for a good start of the project!

Follow-up in the partner-country is very important!

• Copy of EACEA's feedback must be dispatched to all partners

• It should be translated and given to university administration

• Follow-up: meeting of the country project team to discuss FM results and recommendations and identify action points

• Advice: project team can prepare concluding remarks and further plans/changes based on FM recommendations to be discussed with the consortium and return them as a feedback to the NTO

NTO field monitoring activity

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Thank you for your attention