Improve the performance of Higher Education Institutions and their international relations offices in participating in European funding programmes, in particular the Erasmus+ Programme, and in managing approved projects.
Context
Starting from the partner universities, the project highlighted the difficulties and different experiences existing in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) with respect to the processes and mechanisms of participation in funding programs and management of European projects. The project aims to facilitate access to the opportunities provided by European funding programs for universities, in particular those offered by the Erasmus+ programme, by improving the knowledge of the programs and the requirements necessary to access them and improving the ability of academic and administrative staff to manage the approved projects. On the one hand, the project explores the functioning of internal organizational processes related to project management and provides solutions to improve and simplify them. On the other hand, it provides the members of the university community, especially the less experienced, with the basic skills and tools so that they can develop competitive project proposals, access the funding opportunities put in place by the European Union (in particular the Erasmus+ programme), manage the approved projects following the University’s internal procedures and respecting the rules and conditions of the funding bodies. The Outputs developed within the project are transferable to other HEIs that intend to work more easily in the field of European funds and the Erasmus+ programme.
Objectives
- To increase international projects management competencies of administrative staff, academics and Ph.D. students in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs).
- To identify main problems and challenges in HEIs regarding the processes and mechanisms for preparing and managing UE-funded projects and offer practical solutions.
- To facilitate the exchange of best practices associated to international project management processes among institutions and redesign of processes.
- To identify good practices and support tools for smooth and efficient communication with project partners.
Activities
- Needs Analysis of processes of international project management in HEIs involved.
- Optimization of the international project agenda processes in universities international offices.
- Development of a Toolkit to facilitate EU-project management, addressed to potential manager or coordinators of international projects in HEIs.
- Development of guidelines for effective communication and networking strategy among institutions.
- Training for the academic and administrative staff on the use of process mapping software and process management methodologies.
- Training on key aspects of design, planning, implementation of EU-funded projects and on the use of the Toolkit.
Resources
- Analysis of processes of international project management in institutions involved.
- Optimization of the international project agenda processes in project centers/offices of HEIs based on needs analysis results.
- Erasmus+ Project Management Toolkit for Higher Education Institutions.
- Guidelines for effective communication and networking strategy.
Impact
- Improved management capacity in the field of international project management as well as governance, innovation and internationalisation of the HEIs.
- Optimized the work processes linked to project design, implementation and evaluation.
- Reinforced the networks of collaboration among European HEIs.
- Facilitated the access to the opportunities offered by European-funded programs for universities, improved knowledge of the programs and requirements necessary to apply and manage them.
Partners
- Prague University of Economics and Business (Czech Republic, coordinator)
- University of Ljubljana (Slovenia)
- Humak University of Applied Science (Finland)
- CESIE (Italy)
