2015 call start-up presentation (vet & adult education)
TRANSCRIPT
2015 Key Action 1 Start up Seminar
Purpose of the Seminar• Go through stages of the project lifecycle
• Understand rules and requirements of the
Erasmus+ Key Action 1 Programme
• Opportunity to network with other delegates
• Ask questions to the National Agency / Project
Officer
Morning Agenda10:00am Welcome and Introduction
10:20am Ice Breaker
10:30am Managing your Grant
11:10am Coffee Break
11:25am IT Tools
12.05pm Monitoring
12.25pm Quiz
12:45pm Lunch and Networking
Afternoon Agenda1.30pm ECVET
1.50pm Reporting
2.10pm Coffee Break
2.25pm Panel Q&A
3.00pm Impact, Evaluation & Dissemination
3.30pm Overview & Close
3.35pm Project Officers Meet and Greet
What’s New in 2015• Launch of the Online Language Service (OLS)
• Non- hosting receiving organisations
• VET Mobility Charter
• Learning Networks and Sector Consultative Groups
The Role of the NA• To promote the Erasmus+ programme in the UK
• To provide information, advice and guidance
• To manage project assessment and selection
• To make payments to projects and conduct audits
• To undertake on-going monitoring of projects
• To disseminate and exploit results
The Role of the Beneficiary• Responsible for project implementation, monitoring,
reporting
• Ensuring a strong, committed partnership in place
• Ensuring placement content is relevant and objectives
defined
• Ensuring appropriate participant selection, preparation,
support, and contractual systems in place
• On-going evaluation
• Dissemination of results
Icebreaker• 10 minutes to answer the the following questions:
• What is your name, and your organisation’s name?
• Do you have any previous EU funding experience?
• What is your project title, summary and who is your
target group?
• What do you aim to achieve from your project?
• What is a random/interesting fact about yourself?
Managing your Grant
Overview
• Grant Agreements
• Grant Agreement Annexes
• Contract Amendments
• Eligible expenditure & Ineligible costs
Grant Agreement
Grant Agreements
Types:• Mono-beneficiary agreements
• The applicant becomes the single beneficiary of the agreement
• Multi-beneficiary agreements • All partners of the consortium become beneficiaries of the agreement
Structure:• Part I: Special Conditions (Tailored)• Part II: General Conditions (Fixed)• Annexes (Integral part of Grant
Agreement)
Grant Agreement Annexes
Grant Agreement Annexes
Annexes:
• Annex I: Description of the Project
• Annex II: Estimated budget
• Annex III: Financial and Contractual rules
• Annex IV: Templates beneficiary/participant agreements
• Annex V: – Mandates
• Annex VI: – List of other beneficiaries
Part 1: Special Conditions
Specific Articles of the Grant
Agreement
Article I.3.2 – Budget Transfers
• Not considered as an amendment of the agreement.
• Transfers to/from budget categories of unit contributions are percentage based.
• Unit contribution rates apply after budget transfer.
Budget Transfer ExampleAwarded Budget
Organisational Support Budget
€22750 Special Needs Budget €0
No of participants 65
Unit contribution per participant
€350
Transfer based on budget transfer allowance (b)
Transfer from Transfer to % or amount New estimated budget after transfer for: Organisation Support
New estimated budget after transfer for: Special Needs
Organisational Support Special Needs €500 €22250 €500
Application of Unit contributions after transfer for organisation support €22250/€350 = 63 Beneficiary can only claim organisational support for 63 participants.
Article I.4 – Reporting and Payments• 1st pre-financing payment within 30 days of signed contract
• Payment of the balance/refund within 60 calendar days on receipt of the Final report
Article I.14 – Supporting ParticipantsBeneficiaries can provide support for the budget categories: travel, course fees, linguistic support and individual support as outlined in Annex I and IV for participants in three ways:
1.Full transfer: the beneficiary transfers the full funds to the participants to make suitable arrangements
2.Contribution in kind: the beneficiary makes suitable arrangements on behalf of the participant
3.Form of a refund: the participant makes suitable arrangements themselves without pre-financing and then reimbursed by the beneficiary
Part 2: General Conditions Specific Articles of the Grant Agreement
• Beneficiaries are obligated to acknowledge the contribution of the European Union programme funding.
• Two Commission documents with guidance on displaying the European Union emblem.
• Example of standard text for a Disclaimer: “This publication has been produced with the support of the Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of <name of the beneficiary> and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the NA and the Commission."
Article II.7 Visibility of Union Funding
General provisions:
• Activity within eligible period - project start & end
date
• Necessary for implementing the Project
• No overlap between unit costs and actual costs
Article II.16 – Eligible Costs
Article II.20 Checks and AuditsArticle II.21 Monitoring and Evaluation
• Beneficiaries subjected to technical and Financial checks or audits in relation to the use of the grant. (by NA, EC, mandated bodies, OLAF)
• Beneficiaries obligated to keep documents for:• 5 years if grant amount more than €60,000 • 3 years if grant amount not more than €60,000
Amendments
• Amendments can be broken down into 2 groups
Amendments to the Agreement
Minor Changes Significant Changes
Change of contact person Change of organisation name
Change of legal signatory Change of European partner
Change of bank details Change to UK consortium
Change of participant/ accompanying person flows
Eligible & Ineligible Costs
Eligible Expenditure Eligible cost Financial
headingAmount
Travel Unit costs Distance calculator dependent €0 - €1100
Individual Support Unit costs According to country of destination, duration of placement and activity type
Organisational support
Unit costs €350 per participant up to 100 participants€200 per additional participant (above 100 participants)
Linguistic support Unit costs Mobilities separated into 3 strands – placement description, requirement and unit cost
Special needs support
Portion of eligible costs
Exceptional costs Reimbursement of portion of eligible costs
Adult Education
Eligible costs Financial heading Amount
Course fee Portion of eligible costs
100% of eligible costs
Ineligible costs
• Activity outside the contract period
• Losses on exchange rates
• Bank charges and interest
• Placements to countries not participating in the programme
• Activities not covered your contract i.e. target group, partners
• Double funding
Things to consider
• Participants
• Partners, roles and responsibilities
• KA1 Handbook
Coffee and Networking Break
IT Tools
Participant Portal
Participant Portal• Single-entry point for participation and
administration of projects in Erasmus+
• Accessed through ECAS
• Requirement for all project partners
• May need to be updated throughout project lifetime
Mobility Tool+
What is the Mobility Tool+?Mobility Tool+ is an online system for management of mobility projects that received an EU grant under the Lifelong Learning and Erasmus+ Programmes.
Updating the Mobility Tool+ is a contractual requirement for all Erasmus+ Key Action 1 projects.
Allows you to manage your mobilities and project budget.
Allows the National Agency to monitor your project.
MT+ and your responsibilitiesYou will need to use the Mobility Tool+ to:
• provide information about project
• identify participants and mobilities
• complete and update budget information
• monitor participants reports,
• generate and submit beneficiary reports to the National Agency.
AND it’s your responsibility to make sure you can access the Mobility Tool+!
Accessing the MT+• Accessed through ECAS
• The ECAS account needs to be registered to the project contact person’s email address
• You will receive an e-mail from the MT+ and then you can log in with your ECAS password at https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/eac/mobility
Home
Search = Ctrl-F
Project Details
Organisations
Contacts
Mobilities
Mobilities
Participant Reports
Mobilities: Import - Export• Large amounts of data can be input efficiently• Uses .CSV file format – similar to Excel • Information is coded – refer to Mobility Tool Data Dictionary
Import• You can add or update mobilities information• You cannot delete information
Export• Contains information about any mobilities input into MT+• You can use this file to import information back to MT+
Import – Export
Budget
Reports
Beneficiary Report
Online Linguistic Support
What is OLS?
Who is OLS for?• VET learners of long-term mobility activities i.e.
mobilities from 1 to 12 months
• Non-native speakers using English, French, German, Italian, Spanish or Dutch
• Linguistic support requested in KA1 VET Application
How does OLS work?
OLS Access and Licenses
NA
• Allocates OLS assessment and/ or OLS course licences to beneficiaries (BEN)
BEN
• Allocates OLS assessment and/ or OLS course licences to learners
Learner
• Complete OLS assessments and/or language courses
OLS Access and Licenses • Assessment outcome
from level A1 – C2
• Optional allocation of language course licences
• Second language assessment following mobility
System Walkthrough• Access the OLS and log into the back-end
• Virtual tour of system backend
• How to allocate assessment licences to Participants
• How to allocate assessment courses to Participants
• How to monitor Participant use
Access the OLS
Login
Virtual Tour of System
Virtual Tour of System
Allocating Assessments
Allocating Assessments
Allocating courses
Allocating courses
Allocating courses
Allocating courses
Allocating courses
Allocating courses
Allocating courses
Monitoring license use
Monitoring license use
Monitoring license use
Helpdesk
Your Responsibilities• Distribute licences to VET learners
• Where relevant, decide which VET learners should take the language courses
• Monitor license consumption
• Ensure full uptake of licences
• Report on license use
Tools, help and references• http://www.erasmusplusols.eu
• Beneficiary user guide and Technical Q&A
• Online technical helpdesk
• Guides, videos and forums for learners
Monitoring Activities
Overview of Monitoring ActivitiesNational Agency monitoring
• MT+• Monitoring calls• Audits, checks & monitoring visits
Your responsibilities• Project monitoring• Project evaluation
Monitoring CallsThe purpose of the calls is to:• monitor project progress against the planned
objectives, activities and outputs mentioned in the application form and grant agreement
• ensure that proper project and financial management systems are in place
• provide advice and support to beneficiaries• gather information on the impact of projects on
the participants and organisations involved• identify examples of good practice and potential
case studies to promote the Erasmus+ Programme
Monitoring Visits & Audit Checks• Four types of audit checks: Monitoring Visits, On the Spot
Checks, Systems Checks and Audit Visits
• Monitoring Visits are carried out by the National Agency to monitor progress and to support and advise the beneficiary
• On the Spot Checks are carried out while the project activities are on-going and require the National Agency to check the project’s financial records
• Systems Checks are carried out only on KA1 VET projects in receipt of a grant worth €200,000 or more
Monitoring Visits• Sample of projects selected at random
• Reviews the progress of the project against the original objectives set out in the application
• Covers key areas of the project implementation
• The NA will provide support and collect examples of best practice
On the Spot Checks• A random sample of monitoring visits will also
include an on the spot check
• Financial checks on project activities
• Verify amounts claimed for mobilities are supported by relevant documentation
Your responsibilities• The project partnership
• Participants
• The mobilities
• The budget
• Ongoing evaluation
Quiz!
1) Which of these unit costs should be used to cover all costs directly linked to the
organisation, management and implementation of mobility activities?
a)Individual Supportb)Organisational Supportc)Linguistic Supportd)Travel
2) How long do participants have to complete the participant reports sent by the mobility tool+ at the end of their placement?
a)1 monthb)1 weekc)2 weeks
3) Which of the following requests are significant changes to your grant agreement and will require approval from the National
Agency?a) Change to the participant/accompanying person flowsb) Change to European Partner (VET only)c) Change to UK Consortiumd) All of the above
4) What is the name of the accreditation an organisation can apply for if they have
completed 3 successful VET mobility projects?
a) Erasmus Charterb) VET Mobility Charterc) Online Linguistic Support
5) True or false: all VET Learners are required to sign a learning agreement.
a)Trueb)False
6) How will the National Agency regularly monitor everyone’s projects?
a) Using monitoring callsb) Through monitoring visits to your organisationc) Using the Mobility Tool+
7) If your project is selected for Monitoring Calls, how frequently will you receive calls from the NA during your project’s lifetime?
a) Every monthb) Every quarterc) Twice a year
8) Which of these budget transfers is not possible?
a) Transfers from unit to unit costsb) Transfers from unit to actual costsc) Transfers from actual to unit costsd) Trick question, they’re all possible!
9) When can you request Online Linguistic Support?
a) Once the grant agreement has been receivedb) At any time during the projectc) At application stage
10) True or False. You must retain evidence of any payments made to participants for
Individual Support.
a) Trueb) False
ECVET
ECVET is a system for the transfer, recognition and accumulation of the learning outcomes achieved by an individual with a view to achieving a qualification
What is ECVET?
EnhancingQuality
Agreed Learning
Outcomes and a
Shared Understanding
Added Value of
Learning Abroad
RecognisingLearning
geographical mobility
AccumulatingLearning
Changing Pathways
Formalising LearningOutcomes
Supporting Progression
lifelong learning
Why use ECVET?•acknowledgement and recognition of achieved learning outcomes (knowledge, skills, competence) giving value to all learning experiences•improved employability
Benefits for Learners
•capacity-building for staff: insight into different teaching delivery and assessment techniques in other European countries•improved profile and greater visibility through participation in European VET partnerships
Benefits for VET Institutions
UK VETProgramme
NL VETProgramme
Mobility: The Big Picture
Other assessment evidence(as required by the awarding body)
Memorandum of Understanding(agreement between competent
institutions)
Learning Agreement(based on units of learning
outcomes for individual learners)
Personal Transcript(for example Europass Mobility)
Validation of Assessed LOsRecognition of Assessed LOs
Accumulation of Assessed LOs
Assessment of LOs
ECVET.
Before Mobility
ECVET.
During Mobility
ECVET.
AfterMobility
Mobility: Core Phases
ECVET
Before Mobility Establish Partnership Prepare Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Identify Units of Learning Outcomes (LOs) Discuss Assessment Agree How to Document Learners’ Achievement Clarify Validation and Recognition Sign LearningAgreement (LA)
ECVET
During Mobility
ECVET
AfterMobility
Mobility: Core Phases
An agreement between organisations that formalises the ECVET Partnership and which outlines (or confirms):
• qualifications, sectors and programmes associated with planned mobility programmes - with direct reference to qualification levels and using the EQF as a tool for comparison and translation
• targeted learning outcomes
• assessment, validation and recognition processes (and roles)
• acceptance of existing quality assurance processes and criteria of awarding bodies
Memorandum ofUnderstanding (MoU)
Learning Agreement (LA)An individual document for each learner that explains (or confirms):
• Information on a specific mobility period
• Learning outcomes that the learner is expected to achieve
• Details on planned assessment mechanisms (confirming tools and approaches, timing and required documentation)
• Details on the partner roles and responsibilities confirming
Who will assess and where and when
• What evidence is required to ensure recognition on return home
Partnership ResponsibilitiesIn an ideal world …
• The RECEIVING ORGANISATION will deliver the agreed training and may assess and measure the achievement of learning outcomes
• The SENDING ORGANISATION will validate assessment processes and results and launch procedures for more formal recognition as part of a qualification or learning programme
… You may have to work towards this gradually
ECVET
Before Mobility Establish Partnership Prepare Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Identify Units of Learning Outcomes (LOs) Discuss Assessment Agree How to Document Learners’ Achievement Clarify Validation and Recognition Sign LearningAgreement (LA)
ECVET
During Mobility Provide Agreed Learning Activities to cover Learning Outcomes Carry Out Assessment Document Assessment Results e.g. Personal Transcript
ECVET
AfterMobility
Mobility: Core Phases
Learning Delivery
Where can they take place?
What do they comprise?
How do we plan them?
What activities are your learners involved in during mobility that can contribute to their assessments?
Assessing Learning Outcomes (LOs)
Can be assessed using a variety of methods and approaches
Both partners should reflect on the feasibility of assessment
Consider whether there may be existing assessment requirements that need to be met
Sending organisations should consider the appropriateness of assessment methods, tools and approaches
Recording Assessment Results
Requirements for assessment documentation should be clearly detailed, for all parties, in the Learning Agreement.
Learners must have a record or personal
transcript of learning outcomes they have
achieved.
• Europass Mobility is recommended for this purpose
• www.naric.org.uk/europass/organisations/documents/mobility.aspx
There may be a need for additional
documentation to meet the needs of the sending organisation
•Completed assessment grids•Written assessment•Portfolios
ECVET.
Before Mobility Establish Partnership Prepare Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) Identify Units of Learning Outcomes (LOs) Discuss Assessment Agree How to Document Learners’ Achievement Clarify Validation and Recognition Sign LearningAgreement (LA)
ECVET.
During Mobility Provide Agreed Learning Activities Carry Out Assessment Document Assessment Results - Personal Transcript
ECVET.
AfterMobility Validate, Verify and Recognise (assessed) Learning Outcomes Evaluate Processes and Results (added-value)
Mobility: Core Phases
Validation & RecognitionVALIDATION: the process by which the sending institution confirms that the assessment meets their needs and expectations.
Primarily the responsibility of the sending organisation (In the UK could be described as Internal Verification)
RECOGNITION: a more formal process allowing inclusion of assessed learning outcomes as part of or in addition to an existing learning programme or qualification.
Carried out in connection with awarding bodies. (In the UK could be described as External Verification.)
Reflection on Current Mobility Practice?
How much is already in place:
• Partnership Agreement?• Training Agreements?• Assessment tools and
mechanisms?
What needs to take place to make these ECVET relevant?
Current Best Practice in ECVET
• Memorandum of Understanding and Learning Agreements have developed over a period of time
• Sending and Receiving organisations working together on assessment
• Review and evaluation of ECVET impacts
Case studies
ResourcesTEMPLATES:• Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)• Learning Agreement (LA)
EXAMPLES:• Completed Memorandum of Understanding• Completed Learning Agreements (e.g. DECViP Project)
GUIDANCE MATERIALS:• Getting the Credit your Learners Deserve• ECVET Explained: Guidance for Awarding
Organisations and their Recognised Centres
CASE STUDIES:• Increasing examples of good or interesting practice from UK
practitioners making use of ECVET
SupportEVENTS:• Targeted workshops held in England, Northern Ireland,
Scotland and Wales• National ECVET Conference
INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT:• Onsite support visit from one of the UK ECVET Experts• Telephone/Skype/Facetime support provided by one of the UK
ECVET Experts
FURTHER INFORMATION AND SUPPORT:
www.ecvetexperts.org.uk [email protected] www.erasmusplus.org.ukwww.ecctis.co.uk/europass
Any questions?
Reporting
Forms of Reporting• All Erasmus+ projects must report to their National Agency
during their project lifecycle.
• Enables the National Agency to check that the project has been carried out in line with the original application and as per funding rules.
• Contractual requirement under Article 1.4 of the Key Action 1 VET and AE grant agreement.
• Submission of participant reports and a final report through the Mobility Tool+. Some projects are also required to submit an interim report.
Interim Reports • Projects requiring additional monitoring must submit an
interim report, which represents a request for a 2nd pre-financing payment.
• Report currently in Word document format but in the future will be submitted through the Mobility Tool+.
• Due six months or a year after the start of your project depending on project duration.
• Must cover all project activities up to two months before the report is due – please refer to your grant agreement for deadline dates.
Final Reports• Final reports must be submitted 60 days after the project
end date.
• Electronic submission, with signed Declaration of Honour attached.
• Generated and submitted electronically through the Mobility Tool+ using information inputted into the tool. You should not generate it until all your mobilities have been entered and completed and all budget information has been entered correctly.
• The National Agency will not accept any final reports submitted before the deadline date.
Final Report Content• Information on the participating organisations, the
participants and the final grant amount is pulled through from the Mobility Tool+
• You will also need to include qualitative information on the following topics:
• Project summary• Description of the project objectives• Practical arrangements of the project• Project activities• Learning outcomes• Impact• Dissemination of project results
Supporting Documents
• Evidence of individual support payments to project beneficiaries, such as signed receipts or bank transfer documents.
• Evidence that each mobility placement took place in the form of a declaration of attendance signed by the sending organisation, receiving organisation and the participant – please refer to the Key Action 1 Handbook for full details.
• All VET learners are required to sign a learning agreement.
• Further guidance on how to complete the report will be published in due course.
Participant Reports• All VET learners and staff and adult education staff must
complete a participant report after the mobility.
• Failure to submit 100% of participant reports will result in a reduction to the final grant.
• Accompanying persons do not need to complete the report.
• Automatically emailed to participants the day after the mobility end date entered into the Mobility Tool+.
• In the form of an online survey hosted by EUSurvey that asks the participant to rate their mobility experience.
Quality Assessment• Scored out of 100 points in line with common quality
criteria.
• Assessed on the extent that the project was implemented in line with original application, the quality and impact of the completed project.
• Late, poor or partial implementation of the project will result in a grant reduction applied to organisational support and exceptional costs of between 25-75% depending on final report score.
Financial Assessment• Budgetary information included in the report will be
assessed to ensure that stated costs are eligible and do not exceed those in the grant agreement and annex I and II of the grant agreement
• The travel distance bands selected for each mobility will be checked against the European Commission’s distance calculator and if costs are overstated the final grant amount will be reduced accordingly.
• Please refer to the KA1 Guides for Applicants and KA1 Handbook for the link to the distance calculator or you can access it here: http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/tools/distance_en.htm
VALOR• Web-based dissemination platform for Erasmus+ and
Creative Europe.
• Aims to provide an overview of all projects funded by Erasmus+, heighten visibility of funding, showcase project results and highlight success stories.
• Further information will be made available ahead of the platform’s launch in autumn 2015.
• You may be asked to provide information about your project results on VALOR.
Tips for Completing Your Final Report
• Update the Mobility Tool+ on an ongoing basis and check that all information has been entered correctly and completely.
• If there any changes to you project contact your Project Officer as the NA may need to update the Mobility Tool for you.
• Make sure that all the required documents for each learner (e.g. evidence of individual support payments, declaration of attendance, participant report) are completed in good time before report submission.
• Plan ahead now to ensure that your report is submitted on deadline day!
Coffee and Networking Break
Panel Discussion
Impact, Evaluation and Dissemination
Impact
• What are your intended results?
• What are your planned activities?
• Using a logic model
Resources /
Input
Activities
OutputsOutcom
esImpact
KA1 Grant
VET Placemen
tNew Skills
Enhanced CV
Secured Employabi
lity
Planned work Intended Results
Evaluation
• What are you measuring?
• How will you measure this?
• Who should be involved with evaluation?
Promotion
Recruitment &
Selection
Preparation
Work placeme
nt
Final Evaluati
on
Dissemination
Dissemination
• What are you disseminating?
• How will you identify appropriate
audiences?
• What dissemination activities should be
undertaken?
National Agency Dissemination Tools
Promotion and dissemination• Congratulations on
starting your successful project
• How we can help?• National Agency
communications resources and activities.
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