Workshop on the European Social Fund Maribor 20 th – 21 th April 2006 “The ESF Application...

Workshop on the European Social Fund

Maribor20th – 21th April 2006

“The ESF Application Procedure”

South – East Regional AuthorityÚdarás Réigiúnach an Oir-Dheiscirt

Structure of Presentation

• The Application Procedure

• Completing the Application Form

• Examination of Applications

• General Principles of the Application Form

• Points to Remember/Conclusion

The Application Procedure

• Call for proposals by the European Commission

• Operation/Project Idea

• Brainstorming Session with Key Stakeholders


Current Call for Proposals 2004 – 2006

• Management of Demographic Change– Supporting EU initiatives to promote active ageing

– Raise the employment level of older workers

• Management of Restructuring– Supporting innovative solutions to restructuring by

enhancing the capacity for adaptation and anticipation of workers, enterprises and public authorities


Activities Funded• Establishment of networks for cooperation

• Exchange of experience including presentation visits, seminars, studies, exchanges of staff, websites

• Support studies and demonstration projects


• Aim to solve the gap that the EU has identified

• Educate the evaluator – have your facts and figures on your situation and how they relate to the gap

• Guidelines tell you what they want – you need to know why? - relevance

Completing the Application Form

Sections of the Application Form• Theme & Priority to be addressed

• Details of the Applicant Organisation– Finance, staff, equipment, experience of

similar projects, etc.

• Details of the Partner Organisation


Sections of the Application Form• Project Description

– Summary

– Main objectives of the project

– Background to the project – facts, figures, issues

– Innovative elements of the project

– Dissemination & Mainstreaming of the results & Outputs

– Sustainability of the project & partnership


Sections of the Application Form• Project Description (Cont.)

– Ongoing Monitoring & Evaluation of the projects activities (strategies)

– Expected benefits, immediate effects, outcomes, performance indicators

– Description of the work packages/project components (usually 2 year project)

– Timetable & Budget

Know SelectionCriteria

• Study Programme Documents• Study Selection Criteria• Discuss Selection Criteria with Partners• Ensure Value for Money• Self – Assess your proposal critically

Relevance Coherence & Approach

Results Management

Partnership Budget & Finance

Work Package Descriptions

• Break the project down into Work packages (WP) or project components or personnel roles

• Identify WP leaders• Clarify individual roles and responsibilities• Identify project tasks/deliverables/outputs for

WP• Identify Constraints (time statutory)• Identify risks and their ownership• Apportion costs/funding to each WP

Examination of Applications

Steps of the Evaluation Process• Specific Evaluation Committee est.• Check the formal conformity of the

projects• Check the eligibility of the applicant• Check the eligibility of the proposal• Quality assessment of the eligible

proposal


Eligibility & Quality Assessment

• Relevance of the proposal

• Coherence of proposal & quality of approach

• Quality of results

Content – Related Criteria


Eligibility & Quality Assessment

• Quality of Management

• Quality of Partnership

• Budget & Finance

Implementation –Related

Criteria

Make Sure You Meet the Programme Goals!

• Is the issue addressed relevant to the programme objectives?

• Is there a link to the themes?

• Does the proposed project contribute to the solution of the problem being addressed?

Relevance of the Proposal

The Critical Triangle

Three areas underpin any application• Evidence of Need: demonstrate the need for the

activity, identify “gap in provision” and/or “barriers to participation”

• Beneficiary numbers: demonstrate that the project has realistic targets and are deliverable within the available resources

• Results of Project: demonstrate that the project activities will meet the identified needs

Ensure Consistency!

• Are outputs & results clearly described and meaningful

• Is the problem clearly stated and the overall proposal/work plan coherent and transparent

• Is the intensity of co-operation appropriate

Coherence of Proposal & Quality of Approach

Do not mix Outputs & Results!

Coherence of the Proposal & Quality of Approach

Results(Direct & Immediate Effect)

Increased knowledge/awareness, more efficient approach, etc.

Outputs(tangible goods or services)

Meetings/Seminars, Reports/Best Practice Manual etc.

Examples of clearly defined Outputs

Output: Meetings, training, seminar etc.

Type: Type of meetings (seminars, workshop, training, steering

group etc.

Quantification: No. of meetings/participants

Other Info: Target group, topic, duration,

Examples of clearly defined Results

Planned Results• Increased knowledge/awareness of participants• Increased expertise

Results Indicator• Number (#) of successful trainees• Reduced duration of administrative tasks (hours)• Increased number (#) of citizens participating in decision making process

Quality of Results

Make Sure your Results are Innovative!• Process Oriented Innovation – dev. of new tools,

concepts, methods and approaches and the improvement of existing methods

• Goal Oriented Innovation – formulation of new objectives incl. Sustainability, Equal Opps etc.

• Context Oriented Innovation – relates to political and institutional structures and systems development

Quality of Management

Make Sure your Management is Sound!

• Are Management, implementation and coordination procedures and responsibilities clear? Is the capacity of the lead partner sufficient?

• Is the Management structure clear? Are procedures for decision-making and monitoring transparent?

Quality of Partnership

Make Sure your Partnership is Meaningful!

• Are the appropriate partners involved to solve the problem?

• Are the problems/issues common to all partners?• Is the Partnership balanced?• Strongly involve your partners in the design of the

operation

Budget & Finance

Make Sure the Budget is Reasonable!• Is the overall budget reasonable compared to the

planned activities, outputs & results• Is the budget balanced?• Is the kind and amount of external expertise

justified?• Make sure the budget reflects all activities/outputs

in a realistic way

“10 Golden Rules”

Know Selection Criteria

Meet Programme Goals

Have relevant Approach

& Objectives

Define Visible and Tangible

Results

Be Clear in your Application

Be Consistent & Logical in

the Component Descriptions

Present Strong & Balanced

Partnership

Ensure Professional Management

Base your Budget on Activities

Avoid last minute mistakes

Be Clear in your Application

• Be clear and consistent about the why?, what?, how? And when? of your proposal

• Use clear and precise language & terminology throughout the application form

• Make sure your reasoning can be followed and your application understood

Be Consistent & Logical in the Component

Descriptions

• Provide clear component descriptions

• Present coherent activities

• Time & Sequence activities logically

• Provide as much detail as necessary• Remember the importance of monitoring

Present Strong & Balanced Partnership

• Develop operation jointly with Partners• Reflect their needs, interests and

experiences• Define roles clearly and balance inputs• Involve regional/local authorities that are

able to use and/or implement results achieved

Ensure Professional Management

• Foresee clear management structures• Ensure systematic cooperation through joint

work groups and implementation structures• Have professional management team• For outsourced management: ensure Liaison

Person is always fully informed and responsible

Base your budget on activities

• Ensure value for money• Link costs to activities and outputs• Present transparent and realistic budget• Distribute resources according to

estimated cost of activities• Make sure activities/outputs in

components are coherent with budget-breakdown


Evaluation Summary Report

INTRO Proposal

• Relevance to the Call for Proposals (0.5)

• Quality of the Support Action (1.5)

• Potential Impact (0.75)

• Quality of Management (1.5)

• Mobilisation of the Resources (0.75)

General Principles of Applications

Priority given to proposals based on the following:

Innovation & Experimentation

– Seek to promote new approaches & identify examples of best practice to improve implementation of the structural funds



Support to the Mainstream Programme

Linkages with Monitoring Committee & Managing Authority to maximise outputs



Concentration

Transparent & simple management focusing efforts on defined number of thematic fields & projects



PartnershipDifferent Actors– Public Authorities– Private Sector– Social Partners– Voluntary/Community Sector



Continuous ImprovementBuild on lessons learnt

Equal OpportunitiesApply principle of Equal Opps. for

Men & Women



Transnational Cooperation & Networking

Brings added value to projectsProvide the opportunity to test innovative approaches to pilot the transfer of innovation

Transnational Projects

• Aimed at large projects – multiple partners• Research focused - is this what you want?• Co-ordination a difficult job• Identify areas which might be of interest• Become part of

– Network of excellence, Thematic Networks

– Integrated Projects (as small partner)

• Talk to those who have done it!

Finding partners

• Join relevant European Research Associations• Existing co-ordinators of EU R&D contracts• Thematic Networks/Concerted Actions• Members of assessment/monitoring/evaluation

panels• Writers of EU Studies and Reports• EU Conferences and Seminars

Networking Process

• Share & Exchange ideas, experience & information

• Demonstrate know-how & good practice• Foster transnational links & collaboration• Establish formal comparative framework• Raise awareness• Improve evaluation exercises• Identify future partnerships



Capitalisation, Dissemination & Evaluation

Capitalisation & Dissemination of the project results and lessons learnt


EvaluationProject subject to ongoing & Ex post evaluation

Measures:– Impact– Innovation– Effectiveness– Transferability of the results obtained

Benefits of Participation

• Access to funding• Direct access to EC• Exposure to other systems, experiences, practices• Opportunity to pilot initiatives• Match-funding not a major barrier• Not usually a big cash contribution required• Staff time allowable: primarily means of meeting

match-funding

Attach Necessary Documents

• Co-financing statements

• Letters of support

• List of Staff and daily rates

• CVs of key staff

• Details of sub-contracted elements

• (See List of documents required by call)

Final Production

• Cross T’s and Dot I’s

• Reference No.’s

• No. of copies to be submitted

• Formatting, checking budgets, cross checking against guidelines

• Include all requested documentation

• Respect the deadlines, they are set in stone

Conclusion • Proposal writing can be a bit of an art• Requires timing and organisation• Need to be thorough in your planning and

preparation• Make sure that the idea/concept you have ‘fits the

bill’• Get partners that you can rely on• Consider employing a proposal writer for a % of the

fund

Workshop on the European Social Fund Maribor 20 th – 21 th April 2006 “The ESF Application...

Documents

Transcript of Workshop on the European Social Fund Maribor 20 th – 21 th April 2006 “The ESF Application...