International Project Administration, Reporting Team Management

Course summary (International Project Administration)

Objectives

• Project administration and contacting requirements.
• Managing consortia consulting teams

In this module we will study the different stages of project implementation, as well as how to control and follow up the project once awarded to a consortium or company. We will learn how to manage the work team in order to obtain the best results. Finally, we will see how to write reports and the different types of reports and presentations.

When a project is awarded after a tender of call for proposals, one of the 1st hurdles is the burden of the administrative control and reporting. That is the reason why it is important to prepare it appropriately.

The analytical stages for implementing an international project are usually of five main stages:

1. Analysis, redefinition of work plan and staffing and resources.
2. Possible problems and activities to obtain the desired results
3. Prioritizing activities. 1st results. Changes of approach / team
4. Intermediate results. Standardization and improvement. Improve efficiency
5. Final results. Final presentations. Approval and hand-over.

Usually, a team leader or international expert is in charge of checking and following-up all areas the project, with local experts and short-term international experts as support. This is based in 3 key issues in the handling of people:

- Management of expectations of the beneficiary (ies), as opposed to those of the Funding Institution.
- Management of the executives of the members of the consortium or subcontractors.
- Management of the work team.

Team management has on five fundamental aspects:

1. Management of the Project Leader and other long-term residents in the country.
2. Management of short and medium term international experts.
3. Management of local experts and companies.
4. Management of consortia/consultative committees.
5. Management of specialized subcontractors or suppliers.

During the Project implementation, 3 different types of reports must be presented:

1. Initial or Inception report: It redefines or confirms the results, work-plan and team, and is normally presented a month and a half to 3 months after beginning of project. It must contain the implementation plan for the entire project, as well as being flexible, in case that it needs to be changed. The contractor's project director/supervisor normally carries an important weight in defining it with the team leader.
2. Progress reports: It informs about carrying out project activities during a specific period of time (monthly, or quarterly). It presents the project activities and status for the period of time in depth and the expected next steps. The reporting period is usually from 3 to 6 months.
3. Final report: It must provide a comparison between the initial situation and the final situation and the Lessons learned. Both experts and project manager are usually jointly responsible.