WP 1| Project Management & Coordination
WP1|Project Coordination
Leading Partner : FARA
Supporting Partners : ISRIC, CIRAD, CABI, ETH-Z, IITA, AFAAS and all consortium partners.
Start Month: 1
End Month : 60
Summary
The overall objective of WP1 is to ensure efficient and timely project implementation
Objectives
Manage Activities
facilitate smooth project implementation and compile periodic activity reports.
Streamline Issues
oversee financial, legal, and Intellectual Property (IP) matters, ensuring technical and financial reporting to the European Commission (EC).
Optimize Communication
manage communication between project partners and the EC.
Monitor Progress
track project performance and ensure timely submission of deliverables within budget.
Ensure Responsible Data Management
address data protection, social inclusion, and legal and ethical issues.
Description of Work
Task 1.1 Project management, monitoring, and reporting, M1-M60
Lead FARA, with assistance of ISRIC as scientific co-coordinator, support from ISRIC, CIRAD, CABI, ETH-Z, IITA, AFAAS. and all consortium partners.
This task will include the following:
-Project manager and scientific coordinator: The project manager and scientific coordinator (both appointed by FARA) will track the progress of project activities with support of ISRIC and assistance of the WP leaders. ISRIC will assist the scientific coordinator from FARA to track progress in the implementation of the scientific work, especially on development on AUSO. The project manager will serve as direct contact point for the European Commission to ensure timely communication with the EC Project Officer.
-Advisory Panel: Establishment of an external expert panel to evaluate scientific and technical progress every year. The regularity of meetings will be discussed and confirmed in the Consortium Agreement.
-Meetings REA: regular informal exchanges between REA and FARA (e.g. every 6 months a short meeting) to track implementation of the project on REA side.
-Risk management: For the duration of the project, the mitigation measures to minimize the critical risks for implementation will be managed and implemented. The list of risks that the project could face will be continuously reassessed and updated during the project to identify and implement timeous mitigation measures.
-AUSO website: A basic AUSO website will be developed to host information for the AUSO project (D1.1) which will be continuously updated during the project cycle.
Task 1.2 Administrative, Financial and Legal Management, M1-M60
Lead FARA, with support from all consortium partners.
This task includes:
-Consortium Agreement (CA): Prior to the signing of the Grant Agreement, FARA will draft CA and get it signed by all partners before the start of the project to outline managerial structures and decision-making processes, including provisions for Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Access Rights, Confidentiality, Liability, and Indemnification, in compliance with EU regulations.
-CA monitoring: Implementation and adherence to the CA will be continuously monitored to ensure effective coordination and compliance where required.
-Financial management: Ensure sound financial management throughout the project cycle by collating and reviewing financial reporting by all partners and provide support to all partners during the reporting periods.
-Legal management: Ensure compliance with all legal requirements throughout the project cycle, including the protection of sensitive information where applicable.
-Management strategy: During the inception phase, FARA will develop a project management structure and internal communication strategy, utilizing a shared virtual workspace for document sharing and organizing consortium and stakeholder meetings.
-Ethics mentor: To ensure compliance with ethics, FARA will appoint a mentor to advise the project participants on ethics issues and to keep records on file. The mentor will advise and share experience and knowledge on how to properly
identify and address ethics issues.
-Project reporting: Reporting to the EC at the end of each reporting period (M1-20; M21-M40; M41-M60) and Reporting
on cumulative expenditure at the end of each calendar year (31 December) (M5, M17, M29, M41, M53).
Task 1.3 Data Management, M1-M60
Lead FARA, with support from CABI and all consortium partners.
During the inception phase, FARA will develop a Data Management Plan (Deliverable D1.2) aligned with local legislation, focusing on data protection, cybersecurity, AI regulation, and IT laws, using methodologies developed by CABI. The Data Management Plan (DMP) will ensure that data collected and managed throughout the project adheres to best practices in data stewardship, aligning with FAIR principles.
It will govern the internal project data lifecycle, ensuring consistency in documentation, security, and ethical considerations.
The DMP will be updated at the end of each reporting period to address user concerns and incorporate lessons learned (D1.3 and D1.4).
To ensure an effective contribution to the EUSO, the consortium will identify in the DMP which relevant data, maps, knowledge and information might be of relevance to the EUSO and appoint a contact person to participate in discussions on data and knowledge management happening in the frame of the Data and Knowledge Management Cluster with the JRC’s EUSO and the project SoilWISE