Our Services
Role of PMO
We provide comprehensive project management to European funded projects. Our experienced team support UoG academics by providing bespoke project and financial management services to suit the requirements of the project. As experts in the management of European projects, we support project consortia throughout the implementation of their project, by setting-up the structures and processes needed to effectively manage projects, allowing academics to focus on important and ground-breaking research.
Who can benefit from our services?
The PMO provides support to academics who are coordinating collaborative European funded projects. Our services are funded through project income and will be costed into proposals according to the level of service required. When supporting a collaborative project, the PMO also provide support and guidance to the project consortium regarding the funding requirements. Support ranges from one day per week to a full-time project manager, dependant of the project’s requirements.
In addition, the PMO can provide services to academics who are Partners in collaborative EU funded projects, and who have been provided with a limited amount of funds for local project management.
Benefits
There are many benefits to enlisting the services of the PMO to manage your project, including:
- Experience, best practice tools and methodologies – The PMO have experience working on projects from many European Programmes and we understand the varying requirements. The team work closely to share expertise and have created processes and templates that can be adapted and implemented to suit project requirements. We are well versed in the reporting and financial requirements for European Research projects and are confident attending and presenting at project reviews with the European Commission. We also have access to the University’s finance system, allowing us to provide comprehensive financial management in EUR and GBP.
- More time for research – Dedicated resource for project management can help to take the administrative burden out of coordinating multi-partner international projects, allowing academics to focus on research.
- Greater efficiency – The PMO has the experience and tools to support all projects; such as full access to, and knowledge of the EC and the University’s financial and research systems and procedures. The PMO also work hand in hand with the Pre-Award, Post-Award finance and Contracts teams to ensure a seamless service.
- Reduced levels of risk and complexity – The PMO can proactively manage a project’s risk profile and help PIs keep on top of tasks, deliverables, milestones, reporting deadlines and events.
Services
Services
We provide PIs with a project management service suited to the needs of their projects. Please note that this is an elective service; the cost of which will need to be financed by project funding.
Our services include:
Financial management and reporting
- Regular and bespoke expenditure monitoring (in funding currency)
- Financial reporting to funder
- Guidance to collaborators on funding requirements
- Management of payments to collaborators
- Management of project audit (if required)
Reduces the risk of project over- and under-spends and ensures that project budgets are spent on eligible costs, in line with funding requirements.
Governance
- Legally defined governance structure, agreed by project collaborators
- Adherence with contractual obligations and decision-making process
Provides structure, processes and procedures to control project operations including escalation channels and change management.
Change Management
- Support the project to understand, plan and implement change to the project plan
- Lead change communication with the funder and manage process of update to necessary documents
Ensures change is appropriately managed, implemented and if required, reported to the funder.
Risk management
- Creation and monitoring of risk register to ensure effective risk identification, assessment and mitigation
- Reporting risks to funder
Ensures that each project follows a robust risk management process meaning that risks to delivery can be identified and mitigated earlier. Moreover, effective risk management can help to reduce the University’s risk exposure.
Stakeholder and communications management
- Key stakeholders identified and signed up to appropriate contract
- Implementation of preferred communication methods
- Act as main contact with funder
- Development of communication and engagement plan
Effective relationship management helps to ensure ongoing collaboration, and a good working relationship with the funder.
Knowledge management
- Share knowledge and expertise between projects and with collaborators
- Provide access to project management guidance and templates
- Apply lessons learned from previous projects to ensure best practise
Data and know-how is captured and retained beyond the life of each project. This not only meets our audit requirements, but also provides a key source of guidance & compliance for future projects.
Planning and reporting
- Develop project plan or process to actively track key deadlines, including tasks, deliverables, milestones and meetings
- Oversight of reporting cycle, manage timeline and provide guidance to collaborators
- Provide bespoke reporting templates
- Report deviations to the funder
Tried and tested processes and templates, as well as in-depth knowledge of reporting rules ensure compliance with funding requirements.
Meeting and event management
- Creation and tracking of meeting schedule
- Organisation, chairing and minute taking of management meetings
- Oversight of project reviews with funder
Effective meeting and event management ensures compliance with contractual obligations and accurate record of discussions and agreed actions and decisions taken at meetings.