Working as consultants for different organisations, perhaps located in different countries, might have exposed you to slightly different approaches in relating to executive authorities during project implementation. When programs are centralised and the appointed authority counts for each European project coordinator the issue is less perceivable. When the referent executive agencies are appointed on a national basis, see the case of Erasmus+ KA 1 and KA, 2some minor differences might be detected. A wise project manager should be able to address the specific expectations of each agency.
Which could be specific elements that might marginally differ?
It has to be stated that all National Agencies follow common rules and guidelines which have been issued by the referent DG or the higher authority, therefore we are not referring to differences in rules or procedures. National Agencies might stress, more than others, elements related to the national context, to the amount of projects submitted and running every year, to national policies both on financial and on a topic level. In our experience as project managers, we have seen this applied to the detail of the reporting narrative, the handing over of deliverables and working material (beyond the expected project results or outputs), the number of annexes to be attached to reports, some travelling rules (see the example below), the intensity of communication to be maintained with the project officers, the promptness in dealing with communication and problematic issues.
In the case of staff mobility for project partners’ meetings, we have experienced agencies that do not accept travelling for a transnational meeting destination and, from there, instead of returning home, to move on to another meeting destination of a different project. In some cases, it has been mandatory to make a return home after the first gathering, thus showing a round trip flight ticket (home, meeting destination, home) while in some others this was not an issue as long as trips were clearly heading towards the meeting destinations. The reason why some agencies are asking for a specific behaviour is the avoidance of double funding of the travelling.
How can a project manager any possible specificity of a national agency or the executive agency governing a program?
We can suggest three channels. One refers to the preparatory info days which, in general, agencies offer before the submission deadlines of a specific call. During these open meetings, agencies share specific attention to be given in times of project writing, with special regards to priorities, writing styles, expected results. A second channel is the kick-off meeting which every agency organises for winning projects coordinators. During these encounters project officers go specifically into details on rules, outlooks, deadlines, or use of specific tools to be addressed. This meeting is the chance for project managers to ask explicitly how the agency expects to be addressed and what are particular elements to carefully be taken into consideration. A third channel is the ongoing communication with the project officer during the project implementation period. This continuous interaction shall offer to the project manager feedback on what the agency expects, which is the preferred working methodology to be put in place, frequency, reaction, and duration of the communications, and all other matters which can describe the most impactful and effective interaction between the project coordinator and project officer.
What is important, to make this relationship work and be beneficial for the project, is to address the overall agency’s methodology as depicted in the above-described channels. It might not be necessarily the way we like it, but it is definitely the way it works.
As Saint Ambrose answered to Saint Augustine “when in Rome, do as Romans do”, we shall say that following the specific habits and working approach of your agency project referents will offer the most successful environment for your coordination, for the project implementation, for its impact on beneficiaries and target population.