Project Management for large research consortia
If the RSM researcher is co-ordinator of a project with several consortium partners, the funding body requires you to take on responsibilities that go beyond co-ordinating the scientific activities. You will also be required to monitor, co-ordinate, and organise administrative, financial, personnel and legal matters.
Project Desk can assign a project manager to your project to assist you in carrying out these activities. Tasks that can be carried out by Project Desk are listed below; the list is not exhaustive and tasks may vary according to the funding programme.
- Act as central liaison on behalf of the Project Co-ordinator within the project consortium.
- Facilitate communication within the project consortium, organise teleconferences and meetings of consortium bodies, take minutes and co-ordinate the follow-up of action points.
- Ensure monitoring and reporting of the scientific and administrative milestones and deliverables of the project, in close collaboration with co-ordinator, and the scientific and administrative team members involved in the project.
- Monitor the planned project activities, deliverables and milestones and ensure that these are implemented within agreed timelines.
- Ensure that internal and external reporting requirements are met within agreed timelines.
- Maintain a high-level overview of the project consortium budget and closely monitor the RSM project budget in co-operation with the Project Control team.
- Maintain an oversight of RSM project personnel, ensure they are eligible for funding and that correct employment contracts are in place.
- Approve project expenses, taking into account the available budget, eligibility of costs and ensuring optimal use of available funds.
- Ensure appropriate follow-up of all project-related legal and contractual issues.
- Maintain an electronic and paper project file according to RSM and grant requirements and maintain a shared consortium document system.
- Signal irregularities within the project, conduct risk analyses and communicate these to the project leader and co-ordinator.
- Prepare and co-ordinate financial audits.
Co-ordinating scientific and financial reporting
Every project that receives funding comes with specific reporting requirements. Project Desk will help you to interpret these requirements, so you can start with a clear understanding of the information needed at the end of a reporting period. You will therefore be able to collect and structure the correct information to minimise the effort required to draft reports. There is a distinction between “scientific” and “financial” reporting services from Project Desk.
Scientific reporting
The scientific report describes the scientific developments in the project. It usually requires a description of activities executed during the last reporting period, a list of deliverables which been produced, a list of articles that were published, plus mention of any changes that have been or will be made to the original project plan, activities or consortium – and the reason for the changes.
In some cases, the scientific report must be accompanied by a management report. This describes the participation of consortium partners, if the project is running according to plan and budget, if any issues or problems have come up and what you are doing to solve them.
If RSM is co-ordinating your project consortium then Project Desk can assist you in drafting this management report.
The scientific report is usually prepared by the researcher in charge. Project Desk can assist by drafting the non-scientific elements of the scientific report, such as planning of deliverables.
Project Desk will remind you when your report is due in good time, and will provide you with the correct templates for preparing your scientific report.
Financial report
The financial report explains and justifies the budget that has been spent during the reporting period. It lists purchases of equipment, travel tickets, hotel accommodation, publications, printing and personnel costs.
Time records are mandatory in many projects. Ask Project Control for the correct timesheet template required by your project funder. Financial reports provide insight in the number of hours spent on the project, the calculated hourly tariffs of project participants and an overview of spent direct costs like traveling and residence costs. Deviances from the budget plan sent with your original grant application must be explained in the report. The project controllers keep records of and administer all spending and will provide essential financial information for the financial report. This means the financial report will, in most cases, be drawn up by Project Control in co-operation with Project Desk. The researcher usually needs only to give authorisation.
Amendments to the grant agreement
If there are any major changes in the project; for example a new partner joins the consortium or a partner defaults and leaves the project, then you must show this by making an amendment to the grant agreement. Project Desk can provide legal assistance for this process if during the project, the grant agreement or consortium agreement should be amended, for example because a drastic change in the project took place such as the withdrawal of one or more partners.
