Work Package 5
Management
Guarantee a sufficient level of project management and smooth communication between beneficiaries and partner and with the Research Executive Agency. Control work progress in accordance with the schedule of secondments, milestones and deliverables. To achieve all indicated results of the ORBIS project risk management and contingency plan will be an important activity.
ORBIS will be directed by Coordinator (CS) supported by Administration Staff (AS). The Project Coordinator consists Chair (PC) and Co-chair (CC). PC will manage overall goals and will be the main contact person with the REA. The PC will proactively monitor the general outcomes of the action, ensure correct flow of funds and ensure the overall financial management. The PC will follow up on the progress of the project in relation to the project timeline, milestones and the expected deliverables. The Co-chair (CC), will promote information exchange, coordinate reports and deliverables for REA, facilitate dispute resolution and implement the web page. The CC is well experienced in directing large research and training teams as he has served as research director of PRI for three consecutive terms. The AS will assemble agendas of meetings, distribute minutes, disseminate information to participants, coordinate the progress review of seconded persons, ensure that records are maintained and circulate reports. Two committees will care for the action areas in more detail to ensure structured reporting to the CS.
General Assembly (GA) is the ultimate decision-making body of the Consortium. GA shall consist of one representative of each Party (General Assembly Member) and one administrative person responsible for taking minutes, but without authorisation to vote. The General Assembly shall be free to act on its own initiative to formulate proposals and take decisions in accordance with the procedures set out the Consortium agreement.
Steering Committee (SC), supporting the CS as a monitoring and advice body. The SC is the executive body with overall responsibility for completing of all WP1-WP7 tasks. It will be endorsing the main decisions and planning using the Activity Reports. It will be responsible for regular monitoring of the progress of scientific achievements of the project, impact and dissemination, reaching the milestones, submitting deliverables and reducing possible risks. It will be responsible for keeping the deadlines and timely delivery of all documents, reports and scientific, training and dissemination project deliverables annually. Any deviation will be reported to the PC, possibly implementing the contingency plan.
Training Committee (TC) will be responsible for monitoring of all aspects related to secondments, delivery of trainings activities and knowledge transfer. The TC will be responsible for collation of reports from participants and current control of the entire action.
The ORBIS communication system will include reporting of the TC directly to the CS with the information shared with the SC. In parallel, the SC will be reporting to the CS, sharing the information to the TC. The CS will be reporting to the REA and distributing the received information to both Committees. All ORBIS participants will have equal rights and obligations and are represented in both Committees. Additionally, two ESR representatives will participate in SC activities for better communication of the SC with all ESRs and as a part of their management training. All of them will be involved in decision making procedures based on a common consensus.
Intellectual Property (IP) rights and joint ownership of collaborative research will be governed by the TC according to the Consortium Agreement (CA) and Code of Conduct for Researchers. Representatives of all participating organisations will sign the CA before signing the Grant Agreement. The CA will regulate IP issues, including handling of confidential information by participants, IP usage rights, IP protection and licensing out. The CA will mainly regulate the ownership of IP rights, confidentiality and disclosure. In principle, IP will be shared among inventors directly involved in IP generation based on mutually acceptable dedicated agreements and not among all the participating organisations. Licensing out of IP will be based on a formal contract agreed between the interested parties.
Financial management strategy, as detailed in the CA, defines resource planning as well as allocation and distribution of finances to all participants. According to the CA, the financial resources will be allocated transparently and timely across the consortium and will be directly linked to the contribution of each participating organisations to the action.