ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING EXCHANGE INITIATIVE FOR SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY SMEs IN THE BALKAN-MEDITERRANEAN REGION

Transcription

1 Page1 ENTREPRENEURIAL LEARNING EXCHANGE INITIATIVE FOR SUSTAINABLE HOSPITALITY SMEs IN THE BALKAN-MEDITERRANEAN REGION Subsidy Contract No. BMP1/1.3/2616/2017 KICK-OFF MEETING 17 November 2017, Varna, Bulgaria Minutes Meeting hosted by Participants Varna University of Management (VUM) 1. VARNA UNIVERSITY OF MANAGEMENT Leading partner (BG) - Tzvetalina Genova - Vessela Panova - Elena Kostadinova 2. UNIVERSITY OF THESSALY-DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT (GR) - Anna Zygoura 3. ALEKSANDER MOISIU UNIVERSITY OF DURRES (AL) - Lindita Mukli - Eris Zeqo 4. UNIVERSITY OF SHKODRA LUIGJ GURAKUQI (AL) - Lidia Laca - Ylvije Kraja 5. "MACEDONIAN-BULGARIAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE" (FYROM) - Elizabeta Ristovska-Petrovska - Lile Todorovska 6. CULINARY ARTS AND HOSPITALITY ASSOCIATION (BG) - Pavlina Alexieva - Valenitna Surneva Agenda: Presentations of the project partners Presentation of the Project Project Management and Evaluation (WP1) Financial Management and Accounting (WP1) Dissemination (WP2) Deliverables

2 Page2 Action Plan until next meeting and closure Details Presentations of the project partners Each partner institution was presented in details including: Year of establishment Departments and faculties Programs for education/types Number of students/members/staff Project and initiatives Main research and expert competences regarding the HELIX focus as well as possibilities for the implementation of upgrade and sustainability actions Connections with other stakeholder organisations which may add value to the project dissemination objectives The presentations are shared on Google Drive, where a common project space was created. Presentation of HELIX Project The presentation of the project focused on: Background of the project Duration: 24 months / / Main specific objectives Approach Activities distributed in 6 WPs Deliverables Target groups Indicators Responsible partners (role) Expected results Specific attention was devoted to the state of provision of VET at the secondary and tertiary level in the field of tourism in the BalkanMed region, to the specific regional needs regarding the training in tourism-related subjects and innovations management, sustainability, complementarity between the partners expertise and applied research focuses. Project Management and Evaluation (WP1) Time-schedule of the project In the BalkanMed Programme, reporting takes place at project level. There are two types of reports to be compiled at this level: (1) the Project Progress Report at project level 4 such reports are developed for the project and submitted before January 31, and July 31 in 2018 and 2019; (2) the Final Project Report at project level coincides with and replaces the final progress report. The compulsory reporting templates are provided by the JS and

3 Page3 are available in the Programme website. Each progress report includes an activity, financial and publicity chapter. The partners are expected to provide their progress report to the LP at least 15 days before the reporting deadlines e.g. before January 15 th and July 15 th, 2017; No advance payments under INTERREG programs as a general rule financial reporting is to occur on 3-month bases and the consequent reimbursement of the costs takes up to another 3 months; Within the project life-time the partners can claim up to 85% of their applicable grants Final report (last 15% of expenditures) 8 months after the project end date. Changes in project AF and Budget - Adjustments /with JS confirmation/ and modifications /addendum needed/ Work plan, procurement plant and budgets estimations are editable but subject to confirmation from JS. Reference documents and templates to be uploaded on Google Drive in the created HELIX space Communication channels: Project management info system /MIS/ Clarification of the procedure for the obtaining of the body codes for the e-mis system All body codes need to be the LP and JS respectively The LP shall upload the AF and budget in the e-mis in order to obtain the MIS code for HELIX Legislation differences in the partners countries to be estimated! The current time-schedule of HELIX is shared in Google Drive. In case of updated versions the LP undertakes to introduce the relevant changes in the shared project space. Financial Management and Accounting (WP1) Overall presentation of the financial rules of the programme Co-financing: 15% self-funding /or national funding/ Period of eligibility expenses 3 months after the end of the project. Tendering procedures and legislation in the partners countries. The initial public procurement plans were updated and shared on Google Drive for consultations with partners legal advisors and FLCs if the case. In every country the Process of verification of expenditures Technical requirements Staff rate changes in the following year! /subject of

4 Page4 Topic verification/ Dissemination HELIX dissemination follows the elaborated communication plan of the project. Templates for posters, banners and other promotional materials are available also on the platform of INTERREG BalknMed Programe Templates for a project Facebook page in different languages is to be created /shared administrative access/ The online audience of the HELIX dissemination channels needs to reach min visits/visitors within the project lifetime Suggestions for reaching the target groups via posting in national languages, on-line event announcements, local channel, internal communication channels of the partner organisations, membership audience Rules of communication Each partner institution s website shall contain information and link to the project Media campaign: indicators /12 press releases per country/; media presence at all project events; Awareness rising events universal agenda to be developed Project result brochure printed and electronic /in all partner s languages/ towards the end of the project. Deliverables The first project activities and deliverables to be implemented are developed are in WP3: 1. Surveying the country- and region-specific needs of hospitality SMEs regarding competitiveness and sustainability => Regional Needs Assessment Report. 2. Creation of a database and implementation roadmap with competitive sustainability solutions and innovations for hospitality in the Balkan-Med area (focus on resource efficiency, business organization, community valorization) = > Good/Best Practices Database and roadmap 3. Elaboration of a Regional Action Plan/RAP for encouraging SMEs' competitiveness in hospitality via improving sustainability = > RAPs WP4 needs to completed until as to the current project schedule. Templates for the elaboration of all 3 deliverables were proposed by the LP and discussed accordingly. Development of the NAR the template needs to enriched with an interview questionnaire for studying sectoral needs and innovation potential in the partner countries. From the point of view of the project the regional level is

5 Page5 above the national level e.g. region refers to the BalkanMed region. An agreement should be reached as to the number of interview questionnaires to be gathered in order to form a good scientific basis for the NARs 30 interviews per country but with representative organisations (chambers, branch organisations, universities, associations, business leaders, etc.) will provide a basis for the research; Due to time limitations the field research related to interviewing cannot be extended much in time and in scope The national awareness raising events an be used to distribute and fill-in the questionnaires through direct contacts with stakeholder representatives (Desk research is an alternative) Discussion of possible extension of the time of WP3 with 1 month until the end of April This will entail an extension of WP 4 since its deliverables depend on WP4 The research template for PW4 need to be agreed on by preferably Course curricula (WP4) designed so as to combine on-line and in-class learning activities following the priorities and skill deficiencies identified with the NARs and following the solutions mapped out by the RAPs The subjects/topics are about to be specified in according to the type of educational level they are aimed at (HEI/VET). They shall be aimed at the target group to which the subject is usually delivered to. Training for trainers pedagogy materials Sustainable tourism as example is not present in general pedagogy. Differences between general pedagogy and field of project s training; situation in the partner countries to be researched. Questionnaires for tourism pedagogy/help tools. Is there education in tourism pedagogy provided somewhere in the partner countries and the BalkanMed region in general situation in Cyprus. Each partner will review their national education offers on the issue. The LP will review the situation in Cyprus via an on-line research Interactive tools to be included in the training curricula and course materials to guarantee quality. Action Plan until next meeting and closure Summary of the day and clarification of any doubts regarding project administration and documentation; Meeting evaluation sheet filled in by participants Scheduling of the second project meeting in Volos, Greece in July 2018 Organisation of an on-line conference (via Video

6 Page6 Conferencing, Skype or GoToMeeting) to agree on the work on the development of the HELIX curricula and course (WP4) March 2018 Urgent obtaining of the MIS body and personal codes for the partners who have not done this yet Urgent revision of the Public Procurement Schedules by each partner and organisation of the contracting procedures (if the case) Submission of questions to the JS regarding: - Extension of WP4 by two months - Possibility of introducing changes in the units and unit rates in the budget lines related to staff if the overall amount of the budget line remains the same (in some case like in Greece - the salaries are determined via national rules and the daily/hourly rates become inconsistent with the budget following these changes. Advise is requested on this issue could be solved within the project and the rules of the program. Next Activities Responsible Deadline Revision of the templates for the development of WP3 Revision of the public procurement plans vs. nationally applicable legislation Obtaining all body codes for the e-mis All partners 27/11/2017 All partners ASAP All partners 30/11/2017 Uploading HELIX application in the e- MIS Organisation of first FLC and financial reporting Presentation of HELIX on all partners website s, including a link to the project web-site LP 30/11/2017 All partners 31/12/2017 All partners 15/12/2017

7 Page7 Launch of HELIX website LP 30/11/2017 Provision of main project information for HELIX web-site in all partner languages All partners 20/12/2017 First Progress Reports on a partner level and submitted to the LP First Progress Reports on a project level and submitted to the JS/MA Planning the on-line project conference in March 2018 Organisation of the National Awareness Raising Events All partners 15/01/2018 LP 31/01/2018 LP 10/02/2018 All partners 31/12/2017 Completion of NAR All partners 28/02/2018 Completion of Bestpractice database and Roadmap All partners 28/02/2018 Completion of RAPs All partners Dissemination of HELIX via partners social media channels All partners Continuous activity