part 6 dtp applicants manual guidance on how to develop a successful project

PART6:GUIDANCEONHOWTODEVELOPASUCCESSFULPROJECT

ApplicantsManual–Part6 1

ApplicantsManualfortheperiod2014‐2020 Version1


editedbytheManagingAuthority/JointSecretariat

Budapest,Hungary,2015DisclaimerThisdocumentwasendorsedbytheDanubeProgrammingCommitteeon14thAugust2015.However,pleasenotethatitisstillsubjecttofinalapprovalbytheMonitoringCommitteetobeestablishedwithinthreemonthsofthedateofnotificationoftheEuropeanCommissiondecisionadoptingtheCooperationProgramme.



PART6:GUIDANCEONHOWTODEVELOPASUCCESFULPROJECT

I. Projectgenerationandsupportfromtheprogramme 3II. Howtosetupthepartnership 5 III. Howtodeveloptheinterventionlogic 7IV. Howtocontributetotheprogrammeoutputindicators 12V. Howtosetupanefficientprojectcoordination 16VI. Projectcommunicationstrategy:keyforthesuccessofaproject 19VII. Environmentalsustainability 23



I. Projectgenerationandsupportfromtheprogramme

Projectgeneration

Developmentofatransnationalprojectisademandingandchallengingprocesswhichstartsfromtheneedtoproduceachangeinacertainfield.

Aftertheprojectideaisformed:

Thefundinginstrumentistobesearched(andnotviceversa–firstfindingthefinancinginstrumentandthendevelopingoftheideabasedonitsobjectives)

Thelinkwiththeprogrammespecificobjectivesneedstobechecked

Theaddedvaluethattransnationalcooperationbringstosolvingtheidentifiedproblemistobecheckedaswell

The programme requirements in terms of eligibility need to be checked in order tounderstandiftheprojecthaspotentialtofulfilthem

Theprogrammerecommendsthat theresultsof thepreviousprogrammingperiodaretaken intoconsiderationinordertobuildonexistingresultsand/oravoidduplication.Therefore,resultsoftheprojectsfinancedfromSEEandotherEUprogrammesshouldbecheckedbeforegoingfurtherwiththedevelopmentoftheprojectidea.

In order to build a strong partnership, the network ofNational Contact Points should beused. They can offer first hand support in project development, besides advising onpotentialinterestedandcommittedpartnersintheircountries.

Theprojectideaispresentedthentotheidentifiedprojectpartnersandfurtherelaboratedto includetheir feedbackandinputwhileobservingProgrammerulesandguidelines. It isthereforerecommendedtofollowthestructureofapplicationforms(i.e.EoIandAF)togetanideaoftheinformationtoberequestedandnottomissoutanyrelevantissues.

Pleasebeawarethatinordertohavethefullcommitmentofallpartnerstheirinvolvementintheprojectdevelopmentiscrucialsincetheyhavetheownershipofresults.

TheLeadPartneroftheprojectshouldbeagreedatanearlystageandshouldbeacommondecisionof thepartnership.TheLPwill be theone steering theprojectdevelopment andwillprepareandsubmittheapplicationform.

Last but not least, the Joint Secretariat can be consulted during project development inordertohaveafirstfeedbackontheprojectidea.

WhendevelopingtheprojectideaintoanApplicationFormpleasehaveinmind:

Territorialanalysisisnotonlythefirststeptobemadebutalsooneofthemostimportantones.Inordertoestablishmostcoherentandcomprehensiveobjectives,youneedtoclearlydefinethemaincharacteristicsoftheterritoryinquestion,whichyourcompetencesand



expertiseare,whichthegeneralcontextinthespecificfieldis,whathasbeendonesofar,arethereanyon‐goingprojects.

Setalimitednumberofspecificobjectives,whichhavetobeononeside,clearlylinkedtothe programme specific objectives, and on the other side realistic and achievable in theprojecttimeframe.

Buildingon alreadyexistingproject results is verymuch appreciated (ashighlightedalsoabove) as well as finding synergies with other on‐going projects and initiatives, butattachmentofan innovativecharacter toyourproject isessential inorder tostrengthenthe impact of activities and avoid duplication of efforts and production of almost similarresults.

In order to accomplish planned results, you need to define necessities in terms of bothhuman and financial resources. Depending on the planned activities and envisagedresults,workingteamscoveringbothmanagementandcontentexpertpositionshavetobesetupaswellasarealisticbudgetinstrictcompliancewithprojectactivities,durationandeligibilityrules.

Durationoftheprojectandcalendarofactionsaretobeset incloserelationtoprojectactivities and other external factors, if the case (e.g. seasonal works, appropriatemeasurementstimesetc.)

Durability of the results needs to be ensured. Transnational cooperation should have aleverageeffect,meaningthatishastogivethepossibilitytomultiplyitsresults,butalsoakick‐offeffect(forfurtherdevelopmentsandimprovements).

Projecttriangle

SupportfromtheprogrammeThe DTP shall assist and support potential applicants throughout the development of projectproposalsandsubmissionofEoI/AF.

During theprojectproposaldevelopmentphase, the Joint Secretariat (JS)with the support ofNationalContactPoints(NCPs)shall:

OBJECTIVE

RESOURCES TIMEFRAME

Project



Organise thematic workshops during the annual conferences related to Programme’spriorities to disseminate information on funding opportunities, objectives, indicativeactivitiestobefinanced,allocatedbudgets

Provideconstantinformation,onspecificCallsforProposals,includingspecificitiesthereof(typeofcall,submissionprocedureanddeadlines,availablebudgetandco‐financingrates,eligibleapplicantsandpartners,contactdetailsforadditionalinformationandsupport)

Provideindividualconsultationstogetinitialfeedbackontheprojectideaandadvicetobeconsideredwhenpreparingtheapplication

Provideusefultoolstofacilitatepartnersearch/organisepartnersearchevents

Provideguidanceforprojectgeneration

DuringtheApplicationFormsubmissionphasetheJointSecretariat(JS)shall:

OrganisetrainingseminarsforLeadApplicantsinordertointroducethemintothedetailsoftheelectronicsubmissionoftheApplicationForm

Offerapplicantstechnicalassistanceandsupport

Throughoutthetwophases,theDTPshallensurefulltransparencyandnon‐discriminatoryaccesstosameinformationtointerestedpartiesregardlessoftheirlocation.

II. Howtosetupthepartnership

Setting up a relevant and solid partnership is an indispensable precondition both for successfulproject application and implementation. Getting competent, reliable and committed partners onboard is a challenging and time‐consuming core‐task of project preparation. It is stronglyrecommended to actively involve project partners already into project development and toestablishdirectandpersonal linksamongthematthatearlystage.Furthertothat–andthelegalobligationsoutlinedinsectionII.2–thefollowingcritical factorsshouldbeconsideredforsettingupaDTPprojectpartnership.

Generalcharacteristicsofasuccessfulpartnership

Thequality of a project depends largely on an integrated composition of its partnership.A goodpartnership shouldpool all competences and capacitiesneeded to address theproject objectivesand toachieve thesetoutputsandresults.Thus,apartnershipshouldcomplywith the followingbasiccharacteristics:

Theproject partnership shouldbesetup inastrategicmanner andwell adapted to itspurpose



The composition of partners should be closely linked to theprojectobjectives and allpartnersshouldberelevantforreachingtheprojectoutputsandresults

Thepartnershipshouldbebalancedregardingthenumberofactorsinvolvedpercountry,distributionofprojectactivitiesandresponsibilitiesaswellasrelatedbudgets

Policyrelevance:decisionmakers(e.g.ministries,etc.)shouldbeeitherdirectlyincludedin the partnership or involved as ASPs, or project partners should have the capacity tocreatestronglinkstorelevantpolicydrivers

Thepartnershipsize shall reflect the transnationalcharacter of theDTP, yet having alarge partnership shall not be the ultimate goal. Too large, a partnership might causesignificant organisational, communication and coordination problems and thus be costinefficient,thusthesizeofthepartnershipshouldbemanageable.

Multi‐levelgovernance:Inordertoapplyintegratedterritorialapproachthepartnershipshouldnotonlyconsistoforganisations fromonesector(e.g.environmentalassociations)oroneadministrativelevel(e.g.local).Theprojectshouldbuildoneffectivelinkagesacrosssectors(e.g.triple/quadruplehelixapproach)andgovernancelevels(verticalcooperation)

LeadPartneridealprofile

LeadPartnersarethedriversofaproject.Thoughboththedevelopmentaswellasimplementationofaproject issubstantiallybasedonteamwork, theperformanceofaprojectveryoftendirectlylinkstotheoneoftheLeadPartner.LeadPartnershavetocopewiththischallenge.Therefore,LeadPartnersshouldhavethefollowingprofile:

Solid experience in the management of EU funded projects; experience in themanagementoftransnationalcooperationprojectsisrecommended

Sound institutional capacity, sufficient financialandhuman resources; awareness ofthehighadministrativeburdenwhichimpliestheLeadPartnerrole

In‐depthknowledgeoftheDTPProgrammerules

High levelof commitment of both Lead Partner organisation (note that a Lead Partnercannot be changed between the first and second step of an application procedure!) andprojectmanagementteam

Intercultural sensitivity and pro‐active management approach of the projectmanagementteam

Thematicexpertisewithregardtotheprojecttopic

ProfessionalexperienceintheDanubearea

Mostoftheabovementionedrequirementsarealsoapplicabletoprojectpartners.



RequirementsforProjectPartners

Though project partners should be generally involved in a balancedway, the concrete role of apartnercanvarydependingonscopeandkindofactivitiesassigned(e.g.partnerscanactasworkpackages leaders), their capacity and/or level of experience. Before joining a partnership thefollowingshouldbetakenintoaccount:

Project partners should be committed to the project implementation and this can beconsideredthemainassetwhendecidingtoinvolveacertaininstitutionasprojectpartner

Project partners have to be acquaintedwith DTP rules. They shall have an in‐depthunderstandingoftheprojecttheyintendtobepartof,ideallybyhavingbeeninvolvedinitsdevelopment

Eachprojectpartnershouldbefullyawareofthespecificrolewithintheprojectandtheinstitutional,managerial and administrative capacity needed to fulfil this role. StaffinvolvedhastobeabletospeakandtowriteinEnglish

Since no pre‐financing is provided, project partners should have theadequate financialcapacity to pre‐finance their implementing activities, keeping in mind the time‐lapsebetween the payment of project costs and the reimbursement of these costs through theDTP

Newcomers are recommended to contact the respective DTP National Contact PointsbeforejoiningapartnershipandtoconsiderpartnershipswithanexperiencedLeadPartnerand/orprojectpartnersfordoingtheir“firststeps”

Theinvolvementofpermanentstaffoftheparticipatingorganisationshelpsthenetworktostayoperationalafterclosureofprojectactivities.Italsoensuresthatknowledgegainedduringtheprojectimplementationremainswithintheorganisations

The involvementofexternalexpertise shouldbeconsideredtocomplementandbridgethematic gaps, technical constraints or administrative /managerial bottlenecks. Externalexpertscanplayanimportantsupportiverole–especiallyforprojectpartnersstillmissingexperienceintransnationalprojects

III. Howtodeveloptheinterventionlogic

The core principle of Danube Transnational Programme is result‐orientation, the basis for theresult‐orientationapproachbeing the “change”. Therefore, all theprojects thatwillbeapprovedand implemented need to embrace the same principle. The intervention logic should reflect thepathoftheprojectandthenecessarystepsthatwillleadtochange.Itshouldbeclear,simpleandeasytomonitorandimplement.



The coherence of the project intervention logic (projectsmain and specific objectives, activities,outputs and results) with the programme intervention logic (specific objectives, outputs andresults)isapre‐conditionforaprojecttobefundedunderDTP.Projectsnotshowingaclearlinktoaprogrammespecificobjectiveand/ornotcontributingtotherespectiveprogrammeresultswillnotbefundedintheprogramme’sframework.

ATTENTION: Projects can choose maximum 5 programme output indicators to which they cancontributeto.

Projectshavetocontributetoatleasttwoprogrammeoutputsindicatorstobeconsideredeligible.

The project intervention logic is a tool that needs to show how the change will be achieved,thereforeitshoulddefine:

A clear status quo related to the project context (What is the problem?), including thecausesthatinfluenceit

Thechangethattheprojectwantstoachieve

Thespecificobjectives

Theactionsandtheoutputsthatareneededinordertoachievethechange, includingthedefinitionofstakeholdersandtargetgroups

Theresultsandtheirdurability



Projectinterventionlogic:

Whendevelopingtoprojectinterventionlogicthefirstquestionthatshouldbeansweredis:“whatpositivechangetheimplementationofmyprojectwillbring?”Theanswertothisquestionshouldgivetheprojectdirection,basedonwhichthespecificobjectivesandtheresultscanbedefined.Astheprojectspecificobjectivesandresultsshouldbeinlinewiththeprogrammeones,theapplicantsshouldchooseoneProgrammespecificobjectiveanditscorrespondingresulttowhichtheirprojectiscontributingthemost.OnlyprojectscontributingtotheprogrammeobjectivesandresultswillbefundedbyDanubeTransnationalProgramme.

status quo

change

specific objectives

actions

results

Which is the problem?

What we want to change

Which are our aims?

How do we achieve our

aims?

Which are our results? How do we sustain

them?



Howtobuildtheprojectinterventionlogic?Defineproject overall objective and result and link them to theprogramme interventionlogic Specifyprojectoverallobjectiveandprojectresult. Choose a programme priority specific objective to which the project contributes and

describe how it will contribute. It is important to secure consistency between projectobjectivesandprogrammespecificobjective.

Choose a programme result indicator corresponding to the chosen programme priorityspecific objective to which the project will contribute. A quantification of the projects’contribution to the programme result indicators is not required ‐ the programme resultindicator shall not relate only to programme beneficiaries, but to the whole targetpopulation. It's also not feasible, because results often materialise only after the projectclosure. However the project shall demonstrate the direct link between programme andproject result,possiblyalso indicating towhatextent itwill contribute to theprogrammeresult.

Defineprojectspecificobjectives Theprojectshouldspecifyuptothreespecificobjectivestostayfocused. The project specific objectives need to show direct contribution to the project overall

objective. It should be possible, at least to some extent, tomeasure achievement of project specific

objectiveswithprojectmainoutputs.Ideallydirectlinkshouldbeestablished.Defineprojectoutputsandlinkthemtotheprogrammeoutputindicators Project outputs aredefined in theworkplan andonly then linked to objectives, therefore

first the workplan must be drafted. Not every work package must have a/several mainoutputs(infact,aprojectmayhaveonlyonemainoutput).

A project output is one that can be captured by a programme output indicator and thatdirectly contributes to the achievement of the project result. Project output andprogrammeoutput indicatorneed tohave the samemeasurementunit tobeable toaggregatethem.

Anaggregationofprojectoutputsbasedonprogrammeoutputindicatorsisessentialfortheachievementofoutputtargetssetontheprogrammelevel.Projectspecificoutputindicatorsarenotaccepted,becausetheyfalloutofprogrammeinterventionlogicandthereforedon'tcontributetotheachievementofprogrammeobjectivesandindicators.

Developworkplan Projectobjectives,resultsandoutputshavetobelogicallylinkedtoprojectworkplan(work

packages,activities,timeplan).Theprojectworkplanshallexplainwhatneedstobedonetodeliverprojectoutputsandachieveprojectspecificobjectives.

Theworkplanisdividedinseveralworkpackages,whicharebrokendownintoactivities.Thenumberofworkpackagesshouldbelimitedtofivetoencourageprojectstobefocused.Thenumberofactivities,however,isunlimited.

Aside‐productoftheprojectthatcontributestothedevelopmentofaprojectoutputcanbelistedasadeliverableofanactivityintheworkpackage,howevernoteveryactivityhastohaveadeliverable.



Programmeandprojectinterventionlogic

Projectinterventionlogicglossary

ProgrammeinterventionlogicterminologyisexplainedintherelevantECregulationsandguidancepapers.

Term DefinitionProjectoverallobjective

Describesthestrategicandlongtermchangethattheprojectseekstoachieveforthebenefitofthetargetgroups.

Projectspecificobjective

Describesthespecificandimmediateeffectsoftheprojectanditcanberealisticallyachievedwithintheimplementationperiod.

Projectresult Constitutestheimmediateadvantageofcarryingouttheproject,tellingus about the benefit of using the project main outputs. It shouldindicatethechangetheprojectisaimingfor.

Projectoutput Ittellsuswhathasactuallybeenproducedforthemoneygiventotheproject. It can be captured by a programme output indicator, anddirectlycontributestotheachievementoftheprojectresults.

Projectworkpackage

Represents a group of related project activities required to produceprojectmainoutputs.

Projectactivity Describesspecifictaskperformedforwhichresourcesareused.Itisaworkpackagecomponentwhichmayormaynotresultinadeliverableoranoutput.

Projectdeliverable

Is a side‐product or service of the project that contributes to thedevelopmentofaproject’smainoutput.



IV. Howtocontributetotheprogrammeoutputindicators

The Programme achievements will be measured by result indicators in terms of intensity ofcooperationoftheProgramme’stargetgroups,aswellasbyoutputindicatorsquantifyingproductsof the projects and relevant target groups. The information about the output indicators will becollecteddirectlyfromtheprojects.Therefore,theprojectoutputindicatorsmustbelinkedtotheprogrammeoutput indicators. Projectspecificoutput indicatorsarenotaccepted,becausetheyfalloutofprogrammeinterventionlogicandthereforedon'tcontributetotheachievementofprogrammeobjectivesandindicators.

Horizontaloutputindicator:

Thecross‐cuttingelementoftheDTPisincreasedinstitutionalknowledge.Therefore,ahorizontalindicatorthatcapturestheprogressthattheprojectsarecontributingtointhisarea,wascreated:“documented learning interactions”. The term “documented learning interactions” can bedefined as the process of acquiring/ enhancing institutional knowledge in transnationalcooperation context through joint work aimed at a practical solution, transfer of know‐how,capacitybuilding,exchangeofexperience,peer‐reviewsoranyothertypeoflearningprocesses.

Please note: It is expected that each project develops, implements and documents three jointlearninginteractions.

The indicator ismandatory; thereforeeachprojecthas to contribute to itandwill have todefineitsowntarget.

Whatisa‘documentedlearninginteraction’?

DTP isaprogrammestronglysupportingcapacitybuilding,knowledgetransferand learning.Theway in which the indicator is formulated, the ‘learning interactions’ stands for a process ofacquiringinstitutionalknowledgeinthetransnationalcontextthroughjointtesting,pilotingoranyothertypeofdemonstrationactivitiesrelatedtonewlydeveloped,transferredoradaptedservices,products,structures,processesorstrategicdocuments.Whereas‘documented’meansthatphysicalproofsthatsuchalearningprocesshasbeenimplementedhavetobeinplaceandavailabletoanyinterestedparty.Intheapplication,applicantshavetodescribetheirplannedlearninginteractionin a similarway to the example below.Theprojectmustdefineaminimumofone learninginteraction.

Examples:

A project is developing an action plan for the implementation of a strategy in the field ofvalorisationofculturalheritagesites.Theactivityimplies,amongotheractivities,alsothe



training of the target groups in implementing the action plan.The training represents thedocumentedlearninginteraction.

A project is developing an e‐learning platformwhich is a tool.When delivering the actualtrainingore‐coursesthroughtheplatformthenthelearninginteractiontakesplace.

A project is developing a new service to be introduced on the market. The service itselfrepresentsatoolandthetestingoftheservicerepresentsapilot.However, if insidethepilotthere is a transfer of knowledge of the results of the testing then the activity should beconsideredlearninginteraction.

Specificprogrammeoutputindicators

Inordertoallowanaggregationofoutputsatprogrammelevelandmonitoringoftheprogrammeachievements, the Danube Transnational Programme has developed a typology formain projectoutputsbasedonthemissionoftheprogrammeandthemainactionsthataregoingtobefinanced,accordingtotheCooperationProgramme

Typeofoutputs

Strategy

In the contextof transnational cooperation,defininga strategy shouldhaveas startingpoint, a definition of joint problems/ challenges of the participating countries/regions. The strategy should set up clear mid and long term objectives and prioritiesreflecting also the common vision of the Danube Region in the specific field. Theinvolvement of the relevant stakeholders is crucial, since the strategy should be areflection of their needs and ensure its sustainability and future implementation.Strategiesshouldaimatpolicy integration in theDanubearea in theselected fieldsandactaspolicydriversbelowEUlevelbutabovenationallevel.

Anactionplanshouldbreakdownthestrategygoalsandobjectivesintospecificactions.Itshouldincludethesequenceofstepstobetaken,oractivitiesthatmustbeperformed,forastrategytosucceed.Therefore,itshouldincludeatimeline,thefinancialresourcesandadefinitionoftheresponsibleactors.

Thistypeofoutputcanrelateeithertothedevelopmentofneworfurtherimprovement,revision and/or update of existing strategies/policies/ action plans as well as theirsubsequentimplementation.

Each developed strategy/action plan, whether implemented or not, should be onlycounted once under the respective output indicator. Project management andcommunication‐relatedstrategiessuchase.g.theprojectcommunicationstrategyshouldnotbeconsideredunderthisoutputindicator.

Example: A project is developing a transnational strategy in the field of innovationnetworks.Inthisrespect,eachpartnerhastodeliveracountryreport.Thecountryreportsrepresentthedeliverables(orintermediatesteps)necessaryinordertodevelopthestrategy(theoutput).



Typeofoutputs

Tools Atoolistobeunderstoodasthemeansforachievingaspecifictask.Toolsshouldbejointly developed at transnational level and be innovative. Tools can be tangible(physical or technical objects) and intangible (methods, concepts or services). Theycompriseamongstothersofanalyticaltools,managementtools,technicaltools,softwaretools,monitoringtools,decisionsupporttoolsetc.

Tobeeffective,atoolmustbetailoredtoendusers’needsandtherespectiveframeworkconditionsandhastobecomprehensiveanddurable.

This type of output relates either to the joint development of new or furtherimprovement and/or adaptation of existing durable tools as well as their subsequentoperationalimplementation.

Eachdeveloped tool,whether implementedornot, shouldbeonlycountedonceunderthe respective output indicator. Project management‐related tools internalcommunication platforms and templates should not be considered under this outputindicator.

Example of tools: data bases, financing schemes, innovative platforms, ICT tools,managementconcepts,guidelinesetc.

Pilotactions Apilotactionistobeunderstoodasapracticalimplementationofnewlydevelopedsolutions (e.g. services, tools, methods or approaches, even an investment). A pilotaction has an experimental nature which aims at testing, evaluating and/ordemonstrating the feasibility and effectiveness of a scheme.Therefore, it covers eitherthetestingofinnovativesolutionsordemonstratingtheapplicationofexistingsolutionstoacertainterritory/sector.

Theresultsandpracticesofpilotactionsshouldbeexploitedonandtransferredtootherinstitutionsandterritories.

A pilot action is limited in its scope (area, duration, scale etc.) and must beunprecedentedinacomparableenvironment.

Examples of pilot actions: pilot implementation of innovativemanagementmodels, pilotimplementationofschemes,pilotapplication/testingofnewtechnologies,servicesetc.



Exampleonhowtolinktheprojectinterventionlogictotheprogrammeinterventionlogic

Programme Project

ProgrammeOutputIndicatorsProjectOutputs

Programme Specific Objective S.O. 2.2 Foster sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage

Project main Objective

- Improve the effectiveness of heritage sites

management as a lever for development

Project Specific Objectives

‐ Employing an innovative holistic approach capable of valorising the Danube cultural heritage ‐ Advancing institutional capacity in managing and promoting cultural heritage ‐ Increasing tourist attractiveness of targeted sited including income generation

Programme Result Indicator Intensity of cooperation of key actors in the programme area in order to strengthen sustainable use of natural and cultural heritage and resources (survey based composite indicator)

Project Result

‐ Improved management of the cultural heritage sites

‐ e‐learning course for site‐managers and stakeholders: 1

‐ Study visits to relevant pilot sites: 4

‐ No. of documented learning interactions in finalised operations

‐ Number of strategies for preserving and management of natural and cultural heritage and resources developed and/or implemented

Number of tools for preserving and management of natural and cultural heritage and resources developed and/or implemented

‐ Number of pilot actions for preserving and management of natural and cultural heritage and resources developed and/or implemented

- Actions plans for site management: 4 (for 4 pilot sites)

Project Outputs

‐ Data base for cultural heritage sites: 1

‐ Innovative management plan for the 4 pilot sites: 4

‐ ICT tool for increasing the visibility and attractiveness of

heritage sites: 1

Project Outputs

- Pilot implementation of innovative management models

for historic sites: 4



V. Howtosetupanefficientprojectcoordination

Managementstructure:

Setting up an efficient project coordination is mainly related to internal project organisation interms of structure, assignment of responsibilities and clear decisionmaking procedures so thatsmoothimplementationoftheprojectisensured.

Indefiningthemanagementstructureoftheproject,theLeadPartnerprincipleistobeconsideredmeaning thatone institution isdesignatedasLeadPartner (LP) inaccordancewithProgramme’srequirements.TheLPwillactasaninterfacebetweentheProgramme(MA,JS)andthepartnership.Besidesitsresponsibilitieswithregardtotheimplementationofcontentrelatedprojectactivities,the LP is also responsible for establishing and maintaining a sound management andimplementationof theproject (dependingon the capacities of theLP this canbe externalisedororganisedinhouse).TheLPistheonesigningtheSubsidyContractwiththeMAonbehalfofERDFandIPApartners.

ThedocumentgoverningthelegalaspectsagreedbypartnersisthePartnershipAgreementwhichhastobesignedbyallpartnersbeforehandandsubmittedtogetherwiththeAFandwhichlays down the relations of the LP with the project partners, such as responsibilities andcontributions to the work plan and activities, reporting requirements, financial provisions andothers.ThePartnershipAgreement enters into force andproduces legal consequencesonlyoncethe Subsidy Contract is signed. The DTPwill make a Partnership Agreement template availablebeforethelaunchofthecallforproposals.

Sizeandcompositionofthemanagementteamcanvary,yetthefollowingthreekeypositionsshallensureaproperimplementationoftheproject:

Project Manager (PM): in charge with the overall management and coordination of theproject implementation, daily monitoring of project progress with the support of WorkPackage Leaders and Activity Leaders, compilation of the content parts of the ProgressReports and timely submission thereof, achievement of project objectives within theplanned period of time and quality control of delivered outputs. He/ she also acts as aninterfacebetweenJointSecretariatandthepartners

Financial Manager (FM): responsible for permanent monitoring of all financial aspects,including internal management of funds, expenditures, spending rates, budget shifts,financialreporting,publicprocurements,collectionofdocumentsfortheControllers

Communication Manager (CM): responsible for developing and implementing projectcommunicationstrategy,definingcommunicationobjectives,approaches,activitiesandkeymessages to be sent out, preparation of information materials and promotion items,preparation anddistributionof newsletters andpress releases to identified stakeholders.TheCommunicationManagerwillalsocoordinatecommunicationwithinthepartnershipbysettingupinternalcommunicationrulesandmonitoringtools,updatingtheinformationontheprojectsectionintheDTPwebsiteetc.

Thecoremanagementteamwillalsoactaspermanentcontactforexternalactors.

Similar positions as the onesmentioned above should also exist at partner level so that specificissuescanbedealtwithinamoreefficientway.



Decisionmakingstructure

In order to establish a clear decisionmaking structure, a SteeringCommittee needs to beestablishedfromthebeginningoftheproject.

TheSteeringCommitteewillmonitor,steerandtakestrategicdecisionswithregardtoprojectadjustments in case of unforeseen situations. All project partners are represented in theSteeringCommitteewhichmeetsregularly(e.g.once/twiceayear).

MaintasksoftheSteeringCommitteeinclude:

CheckingifprojectimplementationisinlinewiththeactivitiesandoutputsforeseenintheAF

Validatingtheprogresstowardstheachievementofprojectoutputs Reviewprojectperformanceintermsofimplementedactivitiesagainstspending Takedecisionswithregardtoprojectmodifications(e.g.content,partnership,budget,

duration),ifapplicable,approvalforwhichwillberequestedfromrelevantProgrammebodies

FortheSteeringCommitteetoact inaccordancewith itstasks,rulesofprocedurehavetobeestablishedandagreedfromthebeginningoftheprojectimplementation.

In its activity, the Steering Committee will be supported by the management team able toprovidedetailsonspecificissuessothatthedecisionmakingprocessisfacilitated.

Lead Partner PM, FM, CM

Project Partner 1 PM, FM, CM

Project Partner … PM, FM, CM

Project Partner 2 PM, FM, CM

STEERING COMMITTEE

review, validation, decision

PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT

SUBSIDY CONTRACT

MA/JS



Qualitymanagementstructure:

Thesuccessofaprojectreliesheavilyonitsinternalqualitymanagementwhichisasinequanon condition for the delivery of qualitative and sustainable outputs. Quality managementproceduresshouldbeestablishedalreadyintheapplicationphaseandtheymustinclude: Setting up an internal quality management structure consisting of designated

individual(s) in charge with proofreading, analysing and reviewing project outputsfrom the qualitative point of view and submission of quality reports (as part of theregularprogressreports),especiallyrelatedtomainoutputsoftheproject(forfurtherdetailsonthistopic,pleaserefertoPart7–ReportingoftheApplicantsManual)

Additionally, external written validation of project outputs (e.g. by EUSDR PACs,relevant professional organisations or associations, expert working groups etc.),besidesbeingconsideredaplus,mightalsoberequestedbytheJSfollowinganalysisoftherespectiveoutput

VI. Projectcommunicationstrategy:keyforthesuccessofa

project

InordertocomplementandstrengthenthemeasuressetupintheprogrammeCommunicationStrategy,animportantrolewillbeplayedbytheprojectsthemselves.Communicationactivitiesare an important and integral part of the project implementation, and thus require a goodplanningaswellasadequatefinancialandhumanresources.Alreadyattheapplicationstage,projectsareexpectedtodemonstratehowcommunicationwillhelpto implementtheprojectsuccessfully.When developing project communication objectives it is important to consider that theseobjectives have to be linked to the specific project objectives. When deciding on whichcommunicationobjectivestochoose,projectswillfirsthavetoidentifytheirkeytargetgroups.Once theprojectcommunicationobjectivesandtargetgroupsareclearlydefined, itbecomesimportant to think about how the project communication will achieve its goal and throughwhichactivities.Intheirproposals,applicantsareexpectedtodescribethegeneralgoalandobjectivesfortheirproject’scommunication,thetargetgroupstobeaddressed,themaincommunicationactivitiesto be implemented, the related budget, aswell as how the project partnerswill coordinate,communicate and share the tasks among themselves. All activities foreseen in the projectcommunicationstrategymustbeconsistentwiththeotherprojectactivitiesandtheyshouldbeausefultoolforthepartnershiptoreachthemainprojectgoal(s)andforultimatelyinforminginallthepartnerregionsabouttheirsuccessesandachievements.The rules and recommendations included in this chapter aim to help projects plan andimplementtheircommunicationsuccessfully.Onlytherelevantinformationfortheapplicationphasehasbeen included.Once theproject isapproved, the JointSecretariat (JS)willprovide



communication training, a toolkit and templates for projects as support for theircommunication.ProjectCommunicationPlanThe Communication Plan aims to coordinate the effective implementation of thecommunication activities and to support the achievement of project objectives. Therefore aCommunications Plan must be developed by the projects once approved in order to havestandardisedprojectcommunicationpractices,andusethemeffectivelythroughoutthewholeproject implementation. Thinking about the Communication Plan already in the applicationphase will help to have a more realistic approach on how to carry out the projectcommunicationandwillfacilitateitssmoothimplementationoncetheprojectisapproved.Theproject’sCommunicationPlanneedstobedevelopedinclosecooperationwiththeprojectcoordinator and project partners. Communication is an essential element of a successfulproject,soallpartnersmustbeinvolvedandcommittedinthecommunicationactivities.IndevelopingtheprojectCommunicationPlan,it isimportanttodecidewhatcommunicationtoolsandmethodswouldbeappropriateforspecificprojectandcommunicationobjectivesandforspecifictargetgroups.Itmustincludeatleastthefollowingsections: Project communication main goal and objectives: What to achieve with the

communicationactivities? Targetgroup(s):Thesuccessofprojectcommunicationdependsonestablishingand

developing continuous relations with the key audience (target groups previouslyselected)duringthewholeprojectduration,engagingsomeofthemtocontributetotheproject implementation and reaching all of them when informing about the projectachievements

Main messages of the project to be communicated through the communicationactivitiesandtobetailoredfordifferenttargetgroups

Tools and methods to achieve the objectives: explanation of the foreseencommunication activities, the time plan and which activities will be tailored todifferenttargetgroups’needs

Evaluation measures: Regularly checking whether – and to what extent ‐ theactivities are reaching the communication objectives, allowing revision andreadjustmentifnecessary

Budget:reasonablefinancialresourcestobecommittedfortheprojectcommunicationactivities and to be planned already in the application phase (thinking for instancewhether,forsomeactivities,theexpertiseofanexternalserviceproviderisneeded)

ResponsibilitiesThe obligations of beneficiaries regarding information and communicationmeasures for thepublic are included in: Annex XII, section 2.2 of EC Regulation 1303/2013: http://eur‐lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=OJ:L:2013:347:0320:0469:EN:PDF



All informationandcommunicationmeasuresprovidedby thebeneficiaryshallacknowledgeand promote the EU support received from the Danube Transnational Programme bydisplayingtheDTPlogo,togetherwithareferencetotheFund/ssupportingtheoperation.Each project partner has to plan enough staff and resources for the implementation of thecommunication activities. To ensure consistency, the Lead Partner should appoint acommunication manager. The communication manager should be a qualified person inchargeoftheplanning,coordinationandimplementationoftheproject’sCommunicationPlananddistributionandinvolvementofallpartnersincommunicationactivities.ThispersonwillbeaswelltheliaisonwiththeJointSecretariatonprojectcommunicationissues.InternalcommunicationThecommunicationwithinthepartnershipshouldbeplannedandbudgetedfromthestartoftheprojecttoensureengagementofallpartnersandthesmoothimplementationoftheproject.Theinternalcommunicationneedstosupportthemanagementoftheprojectwithmeasurestoensurefluentcommunicationamongpartners.The success of programme communication depends both on good project results and goodcooperationbetweentheprojectsandtheMA/JS.TheJSwillbeincontactwiththeappointedcommunication manager regularly, and it expects projects to actively participate inprogramme’scommunicationinitiativesbydeliveringcontentandphotosfordigitalandprintmaterialsandinvolvingtheJSinmajorcommunicationevents.ProjectacronymWerecommendusingprojectnamesthatareshort,easytopronounceandassociatedwiththeproject’s theme(usingalreadyexistingbrandsandtrademarks ifnotdirectly linkedwith theproposalshouldbeavoided).Theyshouldbeable tobeclearlycommunicated to thegeneralpublicandeasilydisplayedontheprojectcommunicationmaterial.Alongerexplanatorynamecanbeusedforcertaincommunicationpurposes.ProjectwebsiteswithintheprogrammewebsiteTheDanubeTransnationalProgrammewebsitewill includeandhostonewebsiteperproject. The integrated system of programme and project websites will facilitate themonitoringofprojectactivitiesanditwillsavefinancialandhumanresources.Nocostswillbeneededforcreatingandmaintainingtheprojectwebsitesincetheseserviceswillbeofferedbytheprogrammefreeofcharge.The Joint Secretariat will give projects access information (username and password) andguidanceonhowtoproduceanduploadcontenttotheirwebpages.Theprojectwebpageswillhave the same structure for all projects allowing some flexibility to create new sub‐sectionsaccordingtotheprojects’requests.Allprojectsneedtoupdatetheirwebpagesregularlywithcontentdesignedtoattractnewvisitorsduringthewholeprojectimplementation.



Themicro‐siteswillinclude: Pre‐filledinformationfieldswithdatafromtheapplication form:partnership,budget,

etc. Dynamic information to be filled in manually by projects: project summary, project

results,newsandevents,etc.

Projectsmightstilldevelopaseparatewebsitefortoolsorproductswithalifereachingbeyondthe project and being a project output itself and not a simple communication tool. Thedevelopmentofsuchaseparatewebsitewillbesubjecttoapprovalduringtheassessmentoftheprojectandaspecificjustificationwillberequired.Intheeventthatthisseparatewebsiteisapproved,theprojectwillberequiredtofollowtheprogramme’scorporatedesign.Beyondthebasicwebsite, theprogrammeencourages theprojects todevelop theirpresenceonline through socialmedia and to use digital communication tools, when relevant to theircommunicationobjectives,targetgroupsandtheCommunicationPlaningeneral.LogosandvisualidentityTheRegulation(EU)No1303/2013(AnnexXII,Article2.2)requiresallbeneficiariestofollowanumberofrulesregardingtheuseofthelogooftheEuropeanUnionandtherespectivefund.Thelogomustalwaysbevisibleinaprominentplaceandofacomparablesizetootherlogosused. The Danube Transnational Programme logo already respects all the programmerequirements, and all approved projects are obliged to use it on all their communicationmaterials(bothhardcopyandelectronicaswellastodisplayitinevents).DTPprojectsarenotallowedtodeveloptheirownprojectlogo.Developingalogoiscostly,ithasalimitedlifetimeandsomanylogosbringconfusiontotheaudience.Forthisreasonandin order to limit costs, projects will share the programme’s brand just adding the projectacronymbelowinthecoloursofthepriorityeachprojectbelongsto.A specific logomight exceptionally be considered for an output/resultwith a lifetime goingbeyond the project if well justified in the application form and approved by the JointSecretariat.TheDTPwillprovide a visual identitymanualwith rules and related templates fordifferentmaterialstobefollowedbyallprojects.ThesedocumentswillbedownloadablefromtheDTPwebsite.TheJSwillhelptheprojectsinfulfillingtheserulesandsupportthemconstantlyinalltheircommunicationactivities.PosterWithinsixmonthsaftertheapprovaloftheproject,eachprojectpartnerhastoplaceat leastone poster with information about the project (minimum size A3), including the financialsupportfromtheEU,atalocationvisibletothepublic,suchastheentranceareaofabuilding(Regulation(EU)No1303/2013,AnnexXIIArticle2.2paragraph2.b).



Theposterneedstostayvisibleforthewholedurationoftheproject.Theproductioncostsoftheposterneedtobebudgeted.EventsAt least two major events must be organised by the project to create awareness anddisseminatetheprojectresults.Akick‐offeventshouldbeorganisedwithintwomonthsafterthe beginning of the project implementation and a final dissemination event should beorganisedattheendoftheimplementationperiod.To these events, not onlyprojectpartnersbut key stakeholders/final beneficiaries/decision‐makersshouldattendandtheaudienceshouldbeaswideaspossible.Sometips forabetterorganisation of the events will be included in the Communication Toolkit addressed to theapprovedprojects.Duringtheevents,projectsareencouragedtoplacetheEUflagandensurevisibilityoftheprogrammelogos.Other activities/events can be organised by the project or the partners can decide toparticipateinanactivityorganisedbysomeoneelseifrelevantfortheprojectimplementation.Projectsareencouragedtothinkaboutthecapitalisationopportunitieswithotherprojectsandthe related costs already in the application phase (joint publications, joint events, etc.). TheDTPCapitalisationStrategyisaimedtopromotesynergiesbetweenprojectsonsimilartopicsandincreasethevisibilityandimpactoftheirresults.TheDTPencouragesprojectpartnersto incorporateseveralotheractivitiesorganisedbytheprogrammeintheirbudgetplanning(anaverageparticipationoftwo‐threeeventsperyearistobebudgeted).Eventsmayinclude: Leadpartnerseminar(onlyonceaftertheproject’sapproval) AnnualDTPevents(onceperyear) Communicationtraining(onceperyearaccordingtotheneeds) Thematiccapitalisationevents(from2017onceperyear)

VII. Environmentalsustainability

Thetotalsetsofgreenhousegasemissionscausedbyanorganisation,event,productorpersondefinetheircarbonfootprint.Changes in our lifestyles, attitudes and behaviours towards more environmentally soundchoiceswillprovideacontributiontoreversethissituation.The Danube Transnational Programme, covering a wide area of 14 countries and over 114million of inhabitants that agreed to interact and work together for the next years, has aconsiderable potential carbon footprint. However, in line with Art 8 of Regulation (EU) No



1303/20131,theDTPwouldliketoattempttoreduceanypotentialincreaseofcarbondioxidederivedfromtheimplementationoftheDTP.Experienceoftransnationalprogrammeimplementationshowedthattwomainfactors,amongothers,directlycontributetoincreasingthecarbonfootprintofaprogramme:1.excessiveuseofprinteddocumentseitherforformalorinformaluse;and2.extensivetravelsoftheinvolvedactors.Theactionsplannedtodecreasethecarbonfootprintof theDTParetwofold.Ononehand,areduction of the printed paper needed for the implementation of theDTP and, on the otherhand offsetting the CO₂ emitted during the travels of all actors involved in the DTPimplementation.

Reduce–reuse–recycleprincipleThe first step towards a greener direction should be taken during the procuring process:wheneverprocuringforactivitieswhichwillproducedocumentsandpublicationsingeneral,aclearrequestofusingonlyrecycledpapershouldbeindicatedintherelatedToRs.Consideringthesignificantnumberofeventsplannedandexpectedtobeorganisedthroughouttheprojectduration,itisstronglyrecommendedtoavoiddistributingpapercopyofmaterialsusedduring the events (e.g. agenda, printout of PPTs, discussiondocuments in general) andmakeappropriateuseoftheelectronicsupport.TheDTPensuresaconsiderablereductionofrequestofpaperdocumentsfromtheprojectsinallstepsofimplementation.

1. Application phase: expressions of interest, application forms and all supportingdocumentswillberequestedinelectronicformatonly.Thesignedpaperversionwillberequestedonlyforthesignatureofthesubsidycontractsofapprovedproposals.

2. Reportingphase:progressreportsanddeclarationsofvalidationswillberequestedinelectronicformatonly.Applicationsforreimbursementwillonlyneedtobesentinthesignedpaperversion.Copiesofdeliverableswillberequestedinelectronicformatonly.

Weencourageusingbestpracticeprocedures thatstress thereductionof theusedpaper, itsreuseandtherecyclingthroughappropriaterecyclingbins.Reduce: The circulation of printed documents should be reduced by using email wherever

possible

Itisadvisedtoalwaysusebothsidesofpaper.Printersandphotocopiersshouldbesettocopydouble‐sidedasdefault

1 “The objectives of the ESI Funds shall be pursued in line with the principle of sustainable development and with the Union’s promotion of the aim of preserving, protecting and improving the quality of the environment, as set out in Article 11 and Article 191(1) TFEU, taking into account the polluter pays principle.[…]”



Reuse: Wastepapershouldbeusedandassembledintonotepads

It is advised to use designated containers to collect part‐usedwaste paper. This canthenbefedbackthroughfaxes/printersorusedforroughworking

Recycle: Confidentialdocumentsshouldbeshredandsentforrecycling

Allotherusedpapershouldbesentforrecyclingwherepossible

CarbonoffsetAccording to a rough estimation that considered the experience of the past programmingperiod,aminimumof9,400travelsareexpectedduringtheDanubeTransnationalprogrammeand project implementation. Therefore, it can be expected that travelling forprogramme/projectpurposeswillsubstantiallyincreasethecarbonfootprint.TheDTPstronglysuggeststheprojectpartnerstopreviouslyassesstheneedfortravelandtoexplorethealternativeoptions,suchasconferencecalls,onlinemeetings,etc.Asoftentravelscannotbeavoided,theDTPproposestofirsttryingtoreducetheimpactofthetravel by combining events together (e.g. project steering committeemeeting with workinggroupmeetingandkick‐offevent)and/orbyselectingthevenuetakingintoconsiderationitsaccessibility(e.g.locationeasilyreachablebytrain).Anotheroption that theDTPoffers is theoffsettingof thecarbonemissionsproducedby theprogrammeactors(programmebodiesandprojectpartners)whenflying.Carbonoffsetsareachievedthroughfinancialsupportofprojectscarriedoutbyorganisationsthat act as service providers of CO₂ compensation that reduce the emission of greenhousegasesintheshort‐orlong‐term.Costs for compensating the CO₂ emissions are eligible for co‐financing atprogrammelevel.Projectactorsareadvisedtoreadcarefullythechapterontheeligibilityofexpenditurestomakesurethatprogrammerulesarefollowedwhenpurchasingcarbonoffsetting.

part 6 dtp applicants manual guidance on how to develop a successful project

Documents

programme requirements

strong partnership

terms of eligibility

hand support

joint secretariat