European projects: a nightmare in managing

Many (most?) European cooperation project developed with European Union funding (for example the old Leonardo da Vinci and Socrates and the recent Lifelong Learning programme) result in a nightmare in managing. The main reason is in every project there are three main targets to be achieved:

• 1. respect of deadlines. All the deliverables have to be produced before the end of the project
• 2. high quality of products
• 3. maximum agreement between partners.

The context of European cooperation projects doesn't help:

• 1. The partnership is usually formed by organisations of different countries that have never worked together before
• 2. Most of cooperation is carried out at a distance. Usually only one face to face meeting a year is organised
• 3. Is very difficult (almost impossible) for the coordinating organisation to reduce the budget or exclude by the partnership partners that dont’ work properly
• 4. Is very difficult (almost impossible) to switch significant amount of budget between different cost categories

So the three main targets result often conflicting and one or more of it must be abandoned.

Basic rules for cooperation in European projects

It is worth to insert some basic rules for cooperation in contracts with project partners and/or in the project management handbook. Most of us take these basic rules for granted, but unfortunately they aren’t.

• 1. when during a discussion your opinion is requested, please express it clearly. If you realize your opinion has not been fully understood, please clarify it immediately
• 2. if you don't agree with some decision, tell project coordinator and others project partners immediately
• 3. once a decision has been taken, comply with it and stop complaining
• 4. if you think project meeting minutes miss some point, signal this immediately to project coordinator and to others project partners
• 5. when your feedback on a document is requested, please give it in time, in detail and express clearly your preferences.