Management and implementation of ESF in Flanders

1
Management and implementation of ESF in Flanders

• An overview of a system and procedures to manage
  the ESF programme and monitor and control
  projects

2
Subjects

• Principles
• Management
• IT systems
• Financial rules
• Call for proposals
• Selection of projects
• Payments
• Implementation, monitoring, evaluation
• Audit and control

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Principles that guide us

• Partnership
• Trust
• Open and Transparent
• Cost / benefit good housefather
• Rules established in advance
• Legal certainty
• Control and audit closes the circle

4
Management of the programme

• Bodies involved and their role

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Bodies involved

• Flemish Monitoring Committee (VMC)
• Horizontal commission
• Thematical commission
• Evaluation commission
• Commission of appeal
• Partnership principle

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Flemish monitoring committee VMC

• Articles 63-66
• Chaired by Managing Authority
• Composition
• Minister-president
• Ministers of Employment, Social Economy and
  Foreign Affairs
• Administrations of Employment, Social Economy and
  Education

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VMC

• - All social partners (3 TU, 1 LE, 1SME, 1F)
• Institutional training bodies (VDAB, Syntra)
• NGOs
• Local authorities
• European Commission with advisory vote
• Certifying and Audit Authorities with advisory
  vote
• Can invite experts
• ESF-Agency is secretariat

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VMC

• Mission
• Improve selection criteria and procedures
• Monitor implementation of programme via
  indicators
• Approve annual and final reports before sending
  to EC
• Evaluation of programme via external body
• Formulate adaptation of the programme

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VMC

• Meets at least twice a year
• Draw up its own rules of procedures within legal
  framework
• Has 4 commissions for the day by day work
• Decides by consensus

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Horizontal commission

• Policy forum chaired by MA - consensus
• Composed out of representatives of ministers,
  social partners, labor marked director and
  pilots
• Determines on yearly basis the large political
  lines to be used on Innovation and
  Transnationality
• Budget split on political lines on other
  priorities of the OP

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Thematical commission

• Defines concrete priorities per call
• Defines readers/annalists
• Takes the final decision in case of non-consensus
  among readers/annalists
• Composition varies according to subject of call
  (policy makers and potential promotors)
• Chaired by MA - consensus

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Evaluation commission

• Follow up of external evaluation
• Defines the specific themes and work programme of
  evaluators
• Every interested party represented in the VMC
  included the EC
• Chaired by Department of Work and Social Economy
• Advices the VMC by consensus

13
Commission of appeal

• Internal appeal open for promoters on payment
  decisions
• Hears all parties and studies the reports and
  decisions taken
• Takes the final decision in the discussion
  between ESF-Agency and promoter
• Composed out of people that were not involved in
  the decision making
• Chaired by MA - consensus

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IT systems used

• Systems to support and facilitate the job

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What for

• For the application of proposals and reports by
  promoters
• Created on request by external firm
• For registration of final beneficiaries
• CVS
• For bookkeeping
• PROACC
• For internal reporting
• ACCESS

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What for

• Communication between the different authorities
  and the EC
• SFC 2007
• Available only for selected and registered
  functions and persons

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Communication

• All systems work independently from one another
• Promoters have to register before they can enter
  the applicationsystem
• Promoters have to apply for the CVS at VDAB who
  manages the system
• ESF-Agency can abstract whatever report that is
  needed

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Financial rules used

• Though but transparent, made public and never
  changed in the live cycle of project

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Filosophy

• European rules and national bookkeeping rules
• Every cost necessary for the approved project
• Cost / benefit and principle of good housefather

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Public procurement

• Specifications need to be clear on what will be
  paid for
• Invoice need to demonstrate the concordance
  between services delivered and specifications
• Registration of delivered services is the main
  problem

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Real costs

• Staff costs
• Clients or participants costs
• Functioning costs including usage goods and
  development costs
• Indirect costs as a flat rate
• Transnational costs

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A. Staff

• Salaries
• Total costs including social security
• Work home transport
• Legal insurances
• Others to specify
• NO extra legal costs

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B. Participants

• Total salary cost, including social security
• Limited to 50 of total project costs
• Transport home-work
• Legal insurances
• Other to specify

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C. Functioning - development

• Every cost made with a direct link to the
  project, eg timber, stones, pens and paper
• Depreciations of eg machines, computers,
• Subcontracting necessary services - consultants
  (not the essence of the project) added value and
  marked price
• Dissemination

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D. Indirect costs

• 1. 3P-model
• 2. Maximum used
• 3. Kind of costs

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3Processes-model

• Dynamical approach of structuring organisations
• 3 main processes
• Client perspective

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3Processes-model

• Primary processes
• The hart of the matter, core business
• They show the transformation of input in output
  
• What a client sees directly and pays for
• Is related to the mission of an organisation

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3Processes-model

• Secundary processes
• Direct support for the core
• Specialised processes that are to be considered
  as subprocesses of the primary processes
• Clients can judge the quality and accepts paying
  for them

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3Processes-model

• Tertiary processes
• Necessary to support, facilitate the other two
  processes
• What has to be included in the price, but of no
  intrest to client

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Maxima

• Based on averages of 2000-2005 projects
• Projects related to unemployment, insertion,
  social inclusion
• 20 on staff and functioning
• Projects related to employed persons,
  adaptability, innovation and transnationality
• 15 on staff and functioning

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E. Transnational

• Coordination
• Travel and subsistence
• Subcontracting

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Call for proposals

• Defining policy and criteria, informing and
  supporting potential promotors

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Methodology

• Proposal drawn up in ESF-Agency using PCM
• Partnership discussion with labor market director
  and or pilot
• Finalizing proposal and submit to TC

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Defining policy and criteria

• Horizontal commission defines policy items
• Thematical commission defines per call
• The concrete issues
• Admissibility selection - priority criteria
• Budget
• Start and end of call period
• Running time for projects
• Other relevant issues s.a. thematical work,

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Precondition

• Organizations need to have started the procedure
  to get a quality label before they can apply
• They need to get the basic label before they can
  start the project
• Promoters need to maintain and improve the
  quality level of the organization or their
  project may be suspended or stopped

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Informing and supporting

• ESF-Agency opens call on the system
• Publishes call where needed
• Organizes information sessions
• Organize training in PCM
• Supports potential promoters in checking ideas
  versus policy and into projects and applications

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Supporting

• Act as free consultant for promoters but NEVER
  WRITE A (PART OF) PROJECT
• Multimedia and face to face
• WHY?
• Lets get to know each other and start building
  trust

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The end

• Promotor introduces the application in system
• Signed hard copy via post
• Respect dates set in advance

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Selection of projects

• Guaranteeing an objective and broad perspective

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Selection procedure

• Applications come in through electronic system
  and signed copies via post before end date
• Applications go to three different organizations
  that provide for annalists for parallel analyses
• All 3 annalists get the same instructions on
  criteria, scoring and procedure
• Annalist have access to electronic system and all
  use the same format

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Selection procedure

• Analyses are brought together in ESF-Agency and a
  proposal for decision is drawn up
• Annalists meeting discusses proposal for decision
• If consensus is reached, this is a final decision
  and report is made for the TC that checks
  procedures and criteria used

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Selection procedure

• Applications get no consensus
• TC takes the final decision
• Basis 3 analyses
• Promoters are informed of decision
• No appeal
• Contract is drawn up in ESF-AG and send to
  promoter to sign
• MA signs
• Project can start

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Administration

• All texts are uploaded in the electronic system
• Projects get an account for live
• Copy decision goes to
• Certifying Authority
• Bookkeeping
• Q audit team

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Payments

• Getting the money where it is needed most

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Getting ESF money out

• No advance payments but swift payments after
  decisions
• Intermediate payments
• After approval of intermediate report (desk or
  OTS)
• Amount approved in report, balanced with advance
• Within 14 days of approval of report

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Getting ESF money out

• Final payments
• After approval of final report (desk or OTS)
• Balance between initially awarded and finally
  accepted in final report
• Within 14 days of approval of final report

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Flemish cofinancing

• Advance payments
• 70 of the approved sum on annual basis
• Automatically within 14 days of the project
  approval
• Pre-finance on the actions
• Intermediate payments
• Final payments

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Implementation, monitoring and evaluation of
projects

• Supporting promoters in reaching the highest
  quality

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Implementation

• Designing account for live
• Info sessions on administrative rules and
  necessities
• Training in project management, financial
  management,
• Providing instruments for monitoring and self
  evaluation

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Implementation

• Coaching visits
• On the spot assistance in checking organization
  of administration, setting up of registration of
  services rendered, staff and final target group
• Positive support through point for improvement,
  no financial cuts
• Selection basis risk analyze - on request

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Monitoring

• Through reports (intermediate and end),
• Thematical work,
• Control visits
• Direct request
• Multimedia contacts

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Evaluation

• End report
• Product validation (intermediate and end)
• By peers and experts
• Condition to receive special budgets for
  dissemination

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Audit and control

• Partners have an open book for each other
• We can proof what we say

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Who and why

• MA Final Beneficiaries
• Approve and pay
• CA MA
• Certify and ask for refund at EC
• AA MA CA
• Certification and opinion to EC and MACA
• EC MS
• Get reasonable assurance

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MA versus final beneficiaries

• Audit
• Q-audit
• On paper with desk control (ex ante)
• Follow up visits on the spot (on going)
• Control
• Desk (on basis of report no invoices)
• 100 of the reports payment claims
• On The Spot (OTS) (check all proof)
• 5-10 of total cost on programme level

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Reports Payment claims What

• Content part
• Intermediate what differs from approved
  application on workprogramme and goals
• Final what did we do, difficulties encountered
  end result / product
• Financial part
• Intermediate and final accounts consisting with
  reality and in line with content

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Report Payment claim When

• Introduction by promoter via system
• After every calendar year (n)
• Delivered before end of march n1
• Processed by ESF-Agency
• 90 of claims checked within 90 days

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Report Payment claim Process

• DESK done by the account using criteria,. and
  COMMON SENSE
• Check contract with report
• Start with content, check criteria and special
  conditions
• Make link with finances
• Check respect criteria
• Draw up proposal for decision
• Submit to Programme manager

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Report Payment claim Process

• Letter send to promoter / copy to bookkeeping and
  CA
• Promoter can accept or
• file a complaint
• Complaint recheck by desk and decision by
  programme manager
• Appeal decision by commission of appeal

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Report Payment claim Process

• On the spot done by desk in collaboration with
  colleague, healthy mistrust
• Prepare like desk
• Agree date with promoter
• Check whatever is needed
• Agree if possible and sign
• If not, make report
• Send over to promoter for comments

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Report Payment claim Process

• Make final report and draw up proposal for
  decision, where needed inform of divers
  opinionscfr desk for complaint and appeal

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Questions

• Some will get a straight answer
• Some will be more difficult
• Some will need to look beyond the horizon
• Others will never get an answer
• BUT
• You must always ask them

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Thank you very much

• Louis Vervloet
• Director Programme manager
• ESF Agentschap Vlaanderen vzw
• Gasthuisstraat 35 5th floor
• 1000 Brussel
• 32 2 546 22 38
• 32 478 50 07 10
• louis.vervloet_at_wse.vlaanderen.be
• www.esf-agentschap.be