Open Proposal ASSET: Generic CLUSTERING Mechanism, Task, Budget & Impact

This Open Proposal "asset" is published with a CC-BY license, and available for "off shelf" use in EU Proposals seeking to cluster concurrent HorizonEU projects, with similar research, stakeholders engagement, outreach and impact objectives. 

The "asset" includes copy-paste Task description, a budget that can be adapted to needs, a ToR Terms of Reference and a suggestion of Standing Agenda priorities, as well as a mechanism for easy implementation as part of any WP WorkPackage on Coordination & Management contract. 

Success stories of the this CLUSTERING effort as implemented in support of the #AllAtlantic Ocean Research Alliance (Galway Statement, Belem Statement), will be added with time in follow-up versions of the document.

The overall objective of the CLUSTERING effort are: 

• OPTIMISE RESEARCH SYNERGIES at operational level (e.g. field campaigns, sampling, co-delivery of deliverables);
• COMBINE OUTREACH EFFORT & RESOURCES with stakeholder engagement, to increase awareness reach;
• REDUCE stakeholder FATIGUE by jointly targeting same stakeholders in a more coherent way
• Support the CSA Coordination Support Action that coordinates the cluster of projects.

TASK DESCRIPTION (off-shelf, copy-paste for any proposal): 
(see full Open Proposal MISSION ATLANTIC 10.5281/zenodo.4916510)

Task 10.4 Clustering Activities with Concurrent Programs
(insert under WP WorkPackage on Coordination & Management, as a separate task)

This task supports synergies across concurrent Atlantic projects to: reduce stakeholder fatigue, coordinate ship of opportunity; enhance dissemination and exploitation activities; align science priorities. In coordination with the specific CSA (Coordination Support Action), the task lead will create maintain an All-Atlantic CLUSTER of implementing project managers (role and ToR detailed in attachment) made up of project beneficiaries, volunteer experts from relevant concurrent projects funded by HorizonEU CLUSTER2, 5, 6 (and open to USA, Canada and South Atlantic national funded projects with overlapping research priorities on #AllAtlantic Ecosystem-Based Management, and IEA Integrated Ecosystem Assessment).

Additionally, the coordination team will engage concurrent projects Leads on Dissemination & Exploitation to join the project key Stakeholder Scoping Workshops, and the project's annual meetings to align DEP and exploitation strategies, and pool effort and resources to optimize achieving common Expected Impact on end-users of common interest. Partners involved in Shared Infrastructure consortia (list partners within transnational access to ships & research platforms) will assist in optimizing joint cooperation in field activities, common use of berth space, joint sampling activities and co-delivery of research deliverables (include relevant Letter of Support for credibility). 

Key Performance Indicator (KPI) for the task will be number of joint communication & exploitation products and activities, targeting end-users of common interest. Outcomes of all "clustering" activities will inform the Steering Committee and refine the Dissemination, Exploitation, Communication strategy. 

Lead Partner: 
Partners: 
Duration: Month1-60

MECHANICS of IMPLEMENTATION: 

The CLUSTER meets for 45 min online, once per month (adjust frequency as needed), and is ad-hoc attended by EC Project Officer and CSA AANCHOR Coordination Team (to be replaced by follow up CSA Team). A list of joint actions provoked by the CLUSTER is attached in the joined presentations to this document. All Minutes, ToR Terms of Reference, Presentations, Letters of Lobbying to concurrent ERA-NETS and Partnership are on an open shared drive.

BUDGET: 

Equivalent to 90 min per month, preparation and attendance, for the duration of the project, times the average monthly rate of the person representing the project in the CLUSTER. Implementaiton of joint actions, should already be budgeted with WP on Dissemination, Exploitation, Communication, or the R&D WorkPackages.