University of Trieste PHD school in Nanotechnology How to Manage a Research Project or “What do I...
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University of Trieste PHD school in Nanotechnology How to Manage a Research Project or “What do I do now I’ve got the grant?” Tim R.L. Fry School of Economics,
University of Trieste PHD school in Nanotechnology How to
Manage a Research Project or What do I do now Ive got the grant?
Tim R.L. Fry School of Economics, Finance & Marketing
Slide 2
What is a Project? A planned undertaking [according to the
webster dictionary] A one-time endeavor, delineated by a start and
a completion A typical project will have: A charter (or mission)
Requirements/Specifications Deliverable(s) Resources (people,
money, materials, time, knowledge) Constraints Risks Deadline(s)
The project manager is the facilitator for the project Project
Management is a role someone must play Project Management deals
with the art and science of making projects happen!
Slide 3
Why need Project Management? Project Complexity Division of
responsibilities - specialization Knowledge & Expertise breadth
vs.depth A typical tri-partite project leadership model: Business
Lead owner of the purpose (know why) Technical Lead subject matter
expert (know how) Project Manager make happen (know when; know who)
All Three work as a team (all must know what)
Slide 4
What do good project managers do? They Manage the entire
Project Life Cycle and make sure it aligns with the vision &
mission (strategy & charter) They Make Things Happen They
Manage Resources : Time Money People Intellectual Capital To Drive
: Efficiency Productivity Effectiveness, & Optimal Deployment
of Resources
Slide 5
How do they do it? They Organize the Team They Plan &
schedule They Manage the Deliverables Resources time, money,
people, knowledge Priorities Expectations Risks Project Life Cycle
They Communicate They Monitor and Measure (set up metrics) They
Document They Review, and make sure lessons are learned
Slide 6
Some PM tools & jargon Organization, organizational
behavior Tasks, work breakdown structures Milestones, deadlines,
on-time Network diagrams, PERT, CPM, Gantt Charts, Project plans
Justification, budget, variance Status, reporting, communications
Responsibilities, ownership, respect, trust Collaboration,
teamwork, community Intellectual capital management, knowledge
re-use Post mortem Quality, excellence
Slide 7
What did you get and what do you need? Great to get the funding
but were you: Exactly funded? Assuming that you correctly budgeted
and costs havent changed then the project is on the starting grid.
Over funded? Maybe you padded the budget or costs are not as high
as projected. Under funded? Maybe the project wasnt fully funded
(time or funds cut) or costs have risen.
Slide 8
What did you promise? Revisit the project Can it still be done?
Do you have to modify and, if so, how? Is it still viable? Can the
stated outputs still be delivered? Return to the funding body
(bodies) for clarification. Seek new or extra funds from elsewhere
Is this feasible?
Slide 9
On the starting grid Large amounts of paperwork to attend to!
Contract/Funding Agreement/Letter of Engagement Terms and
conditions. Timelines. Reporting requirements. Prepare your budget
When does the income arrive? What are you spending money on? When
is the expenditure required? What are the rules funding body and
university concerning expenditures?
Slide 10
Working with others You will need to work closely with others
to get onto and off the starting grid and throughout the project.
Funding body (bodies) Research & Innovation Head of School and
College office Financial Services Group (via your Finance Manager)
People Services
Slide 11
Starting the project Most projects will involve you working
with others These could be others on the grant who might be equals,
junior, senior researchers Do researchers need to be recruited?
Assistants, Associates, Fellows. Are these recruits to hand or
where might we find them? How long will it take to recruit? Can
they be found?
Slide 12
Running the project Manage your time, resources (people,
equipment, money, space) Does your school actually have the space
and other resources required? Budgets need to be assessed on a
regular basis Manage others time and resources Deal with
administrative issues such as time sheets Hit milestones. Produce
Progress Reviews Produce Reports/Outputs
Slide 13
RMIT University Closing thoughts Successfully managing your
successful research project requires a number of skills Time
management skills Resource management skills People management
skills Negotiation skills Project management skills NOT the skills
that you made you successful in getting your project funded!
Slide 14
ONE LAST THOUGHT Remember you actually have to do the
research!
Slide 15
Project managements in practice Project Coordination
(GANTT)GANTT Meetings and communication flows Deliverables
Milestones Financial issues
Slide 16
Communication structures / Communication flows Meetings (scopi
differenti) Phone conferences Web-based communication platforms
(extranet) Internal newsletter, Reporting structures Meetings:
Slide 17
Deliverables Example one (basic)Example Example two
(application and results)
Slide 18
Milestones One exampleOne
Slide 19
University of Trieste PHD school in Nanotechnology Financial
issues
Slide 20
1.Payment modalities One pre-financing (upon entry into force)
for the whole duration Interim payments based on financial
statements (payment = cost accepted * funding rate) Retention (10%)
Final payment
Slide 21
2. Eligible Costs (1) Eligible actual* during duration of
project in accordance with its usual accounting and management
principles recorded in the accounts of benficiary non-eligible
(identifiable indirect taxes including VAT)
Slide 22
2. Eligible Costs (2) *Average personnel costs accepted if :
Consistent with the management principles and accounting practices
& they do not significantly differ from actual personnel costs=
if identified according to a methodology approved by the Commission
(NEW)
Slide 23
3. Indirect Cost : For all: either actual overhead or
simplified method flat rate of 20% of direct costs minus
subcontracting and 3rd parties not used on the premises of the
beneficiary. For Non profit Public Bodies, Secondary and Higher
Education establishments, Research Organisations and SMEs unable to
identify real indirect costs, may apply for a flat rate of 60% for
funding schemes with RTD.
Slide 24
4. Certification (1) Certification will be provided on the
basis of Agreed Upon Procedure (AUP) AUP the auditor provides
information according to a specific format specified via agreed
terms of reference (ToR) ToR is annexed to the grant agreement
(Annex VII) AUP is derived from common practice in audits and
corresponds to international audit standards 2 types of AUP: Report
of factual findings on expenditure verification system
verification
Slide 25
4. Certification (2) Certificate on financial statements (CFS)
= AUP for expenditure verification Mandatory when requested funding
reaches 375,000 Euro (except for project of 2 years or less: the
CFS is submitted at the end) Mandatory for every beneficiary,
except if a certification on the methodology is provided Not
legally binding25
Slide 26
4. Certification (3) Certificate on the methodology= AUP for
system verification aims at certifying the methodology of
calculating (average) personnel costs and overhead rates Valid
throughout FP7, on a voluntary basis, must be accepted by EC
Particularly aimed at legal entities with multiple participation
Waives the obligation of certificates for interim payments
Simplified certificate for final payments
Slide 27
4. Certification (4) Advantages of system certification : The
EC will receive consistent certifications and cost claims cleaned
from errors Beneficiaries will gain legal security Beneficiaries in
many projects will have to submit less certificates EC and
beneficiaries will have less processes to handle: less certificates
EC gains significantly in terms of assurance on legality and
regularity
Slide 28
4. Certification (5) Who can provide these certificates :
Qualified auditors under the 8th Directive Independent Public
bodies, secondary and higher education establishments and research
organisations may opt for a competent public officer
Slide 29
5. Third party contribution and subcontracts Third parties
carrying part of the work Subcontracts: tasks have to be indicated
in Annex I awarded according to best value for money External
support services may be used for assistance in minor tasks (not to
be indicated in Annex I) Specific cases: EEIG, JRU, affiliates
carry out part of the work (special clause) Third parties making
available resources Third parties: to be indicated in Annex I,
Costs may be claimed by the beneficiary Resources free of charge
may be considered as receipts
Slide 30
Slide 31
Reporting (1) Periodic reports to be submitted by coordinator
60 days after end of period: - progress of the work - use of the
resources and - Financial Statement (Form C) Final reports to be
submitted by coordinator 60 days after end of project: -
publishable summary report, conclusions and socioeconomic impact -
covering wider societal implications and a plan on use and
dissemination of results
Slide 32
Reporting (2) Commission has 105 days to evaluate and execute
the corresponding payment No tacit approval After reception
Commission may: Approve Suspend the time-limit requesting
revision/completion Reject them giving justification, possible
termination Suspend the payment
Slide 33
Dissemination Define stakeholders Accademia, Industria,
Consumer groups, general public Dissemination Plan Websites,
Pubblications, Workshop for industry Presentations Always make use
of project template Prepare flyers following the template Prepare
newsletter Translate it in all languages Events At least one event
at the end of the project