Coordination and project management

Objectives

To coordinate, administer and manage the various project activities to ensure that they are carried out effectively and successfully.

Partners

P1RuG, P2UCLAN, P3UL, P4LSC, P5BBU, P6UiO, P7ULE, P8LIF, P9UU, P10UGOE, P11USFD, P12LUH, P14FMUNIBA, P15UoM, P16UNIVIE, P17MU, P18ECU, P19INTERPOL

Description of work

Task 1.1         Project start-up

The project coordinator will

  • Prepare a memorandum of understanding (MoU) governing the Consortium activities, the roles and duties of Consortium partners, the decision-making processes, project oversight and quality control and the process for the resolution of conflicts between partners
  • Organise the project start-up meeting where the Steering Committee will be assembled and the MoU will be agreed and signed by the partners;
  • Assist the Steering Committee in selecting members of the External Advisory Group consisting of key technology providers, telecommunications specialists, digital forensic scientists, sociologists, privacy/IT lawyers and users with police and counter-terrorism expertise.

Task 1.2         Coordinating and leading the Steering Committee

The project coordinator will lead and coordinate the activities of the Steering Committee including:

  • The regular dissemination of information about the project;
  • Liaison between the Steering Committee, and the WP coordinators; and
  • The organisation of plenary project meetings of the Steering Committee at annual intervals or more frequently, where appropriate (some of these meetings may be held via video-conferencing while others would be held in a particular location).

Task 1.3         Selecting and liaising with members of External Advisory Group

The project coordinator in conjunction with the Steering Committee will make initial contact and continue to liaise with members of the External Advisory Group.

The External Advisory Group will consist of key technology providers, telecommunications specialists, digital forensic scientists, economists, sociologists, privacy/IT lawyers and users with police and counter-terrorism expertise. Among other things, the External Advisory Group will work closely with WP11 and 12 and act as an external and on-going evaluation team using a Panel Review approach.

The project coordinator will also draft terms of reference and contracts for any external experts and consultants.

Task 1.4         Scientific and operational management

The project coordinator will coordinate the production of the Project Plan containing detailed descriptions of all the activities of the project (including networking, scientific communication activities, etc.). It will be approved during the first Steering Committee meeting, which will be preceded by an exchange of points of view on a draft of the proposal among the partners, who will provide their own suggestions;

Task 1.5         Preparation of Interim Reports

The Project coordinator will prepare the Interim Report setting out progress made by the RESPECT project at the halfway stage.

The Interim Report will be agreed upon by the members of the Steering Committee.

Task 1.6         Development of a Strategy for the Dissemination and Communication of Research Output

In close cooperation with WP17, a plan will be developed for the way in which the research output generated by the RESPECT project can be used and further exploited in the future. The Dissemination and Communications Strategy will include, among other things:

  • A description of the tools to be used to achieve the dissemination objectives set out in WP17, including
    • flyer of the project including a description of the project at a glance which identifies the key-messages of the underlying policy and the research problem addressed by the project;
    • publications of short reports and policy briefs in accordance with the guidelines produced by the Commission;
    • development of the project website and its maintenance during the term of the project and beyond;
    • development of communications material tailored to different audiences including the research community, policy makers, industry and civil society organisations;
    • presentation of research output at conferences, workshops and other appropriate events;
    • establishment of relationships with the media;
    • establishment and use of networks in research, civil society, industry and policy/regulatory communities.
    • An outline of the target groups at which individual deliverables and other dissemination activities are directed.
    • Plan for building up a project communications team (Communications Team) with one contact person from each participating country

Task 1.7         Project office and secretarial activities

The project coordinator will:

  • Supervise the provision of project secretarial duties by his staff relating to both the administration of, and the scientific operations carried out during, the project (e.g. written exchanges between partners, committees and the project coordinator; taking and disseminating between the partners minutes of meetings, etc.);
  • Coordinate the circulation of materials and information, among all partners, relating to individual project activities and research outputs in order to facilitate the acquisition of comprehensive knowledge about those activities and outs, thereby minimising the risk of misunderstanding, misinterpretation and conflict between partners;
  • Prepare the Final Report, a draft of which will be presented during the conference organised as part of WP17. The Final Report will be agreed by the Steering Committee after the conference.

Task 1.8         Relation with European Commission

The project coordinator will act as the official representative in the relationships with the European Commission and DG Research. In this framework, he will exchange information both at the formal and the informal level. The project coordinator will provide short progress reports (including policy briefs) to the European Commission at six-monthly intervals.

Task 1.9      Synergies and Cooperation with other projects selected under the Coordinated Call

The project co-ordinator will, through an appropriate number of co-ordination and dissemination initiatives, attempt to achieve synergy and complementarity with other research projects in the field of surveillance and privacy including but not limited to the PRESCIENT, SAPIENT, CONSENT, SMART, IRISS, SURPRISE and SURVEILLE projects. Insofar as those projects under the co-ordinated call of 2010-2011 are concerned and specifically RESPECT, SURVEILLE and IRISS, the co-ordinator shall liaise with those other projects in an appropriate manner including participating in their Kick-off meetings, inviting their co-ordinators to the RESPECT Kick-off meeting,  and dissemination activities such as policy workshops and co-organise a final conference together with those projects in Brussels in autumn 2014. The three projects will exchange Tables of Deliverables, Descriptions of WPs and bios of participants in view of better identifying synergies and monitor agendas so that attendance to each other meetings can be organised as appropriate. Where useful, the issue of sharing datasets will be addressed in compliance with ethical as well as IPR and confidentiality issues – in principle data should be made accessible in view of cumulation of knowledge and open access policy. Co-ordination between the project co-ordinating persons for RESPECT, SURVEILLE and IRISS may be carried out through e-mail, on-line video conferencing or face-to-face meetings as may be appropriate and as decided at the sole discretion of the respective co-ordinating persons.

Task 1.10       Quality assurance

The project coordinator will:

  • Gather and disseminate between the partners information on the progress achieved and on the possible difficulties and opportunities arising during the project activities. Communication with partners will be on a monthly basis or more frequently where necessary or appropriate;
  • Provide no less than every six months information and materials documenting the progress achieved to WP16 and the External Advisory Group for review and comment;

Process the information gathered together with any comments received from the External Advisory Group and WP16 in order to define any necessary measures, including, for example, adjustments to the MoU, the Project Plan, or the Evaluation Plan and Evaluation Criteria. Any adjustments will be agreed upon by the members of the Steering Committee.