EEA Grants Norway Grants Annual Programme Report Template Trine Eriksen, Results and Evaluation Financial Mechanism Office 12 December 2013
Reporting cycle November Donors reports to EFTA October NMFA Annual Report to Parliament YEAR January FMO status reports (NMFA, EFTA) February 15 Annual Prog. Report March 31 NFP Strategic Report 31 March (except CY, MT & SI) June Donors Annual Report 2
Annual Programme Report Programme Operators are expected to produce concise, results-based programme reports that will give an account of progress and results that contribute to the expected outcomes and the programme objective. The main body of the report should not exceed 20 pages, excluding any attachments (ref Annex 9 in the Reg) 3
Highlight achievements 4
Timeline Annual deadline 15 February The FMC shall inform the National Focal Point and the Programme Operator of its opinion on the annual programme report within two months of the date of receipt. If the FMC does not respond within the time limit laid down, the report shall be considered to have been accepted (ref. Reg 5.11) 5
Report structure 1. Executive summary 2. Programme area specific developments 3. Reporting on Programme outcome 4. Reporting on Outputs 5. Project selection 6. Progress of bilateral relations 7. Monitoring 8. Need for adjustments 9. Risk management 10. Information and publicity 11. Cross cutting issues 12. Reporting on sustainability
Template 1. Executive summary This section shall provide a short summary of the principal findings and points of the report. Main trends that may have affected the context where the programme is implemented Key achievements towards the two overall objectives, using concrete examples from the programme / projects Key management issues Challenges (risks) and opportunities Write this section last.
Template 2. Programme area specific developments Describe important developments in the Programme area, also in respect of policy, financial or administrative changes. Please refer to the justification in your programme proposal and provide any updates in your programme area that may have an effect on the planned programme results. Include statistics and analyse trends in the sector and/or the programme area where possible. If conditions in the programme area have changed since you wrote the programme proposal (ref. chapter 3.3 of the proposal), consider if the changes might present risks to the achievement of programme objectives and how these might be handled.
Template 3. Reporting on Programme outcome Analyse how the projects and Programme s outputs [are expected to] contribute to the expected outcome(s) defined in the Programme proposal. For the analysis, use the indicators that have been agreed for the programme. Refer to possible baseline studies or provide a situation analysis aiming to describe the baseline. Include a brief summary of the main risks that the programme will not achieve its expected outcomes as well as the mitigating actions put in place/needed to address these risks. (This should be based on the risk assessment in section 9/attachment). Please remember to consider risks factors beyond the operational risks concerned with programme implementation, such as programme strategy, the economic or legislative countrycontext or institutional support. Progress on horizontal concerns Please also use this section to report on relevant horizontal concerns. To what extent does the programme address the horizontal concerns related to promoting tolerance, multicultural understanding, respect for the rights of minorities including the Roma, and combatting hate speech, extremism, racism, xenophobia, homophobia, anti-semitism, sexual harassment, violence against women and trafficking.
Template 4. Reporting on Outputs 3.1 Give a summary and analysis of how the selected projects have contributed or are contributing to each of the Programme outputs set out in the Programme proposal. Analyse progress towards the defined outputs, and explain any deviation from the plan. 3.2 Give a summary of the implementation of each pre defined project. When projects have been completed give a summary of their actual contributions to the output targets. 3.3 Give a summary of the implementation of small grant schemes. If this is a Final Report, provide a summary of their actual contributions to the Programme output. Assess the project selection and provide an analysis of how the selected projects are expected to contribute to the programme outputs set out in the programme proposal.
Template 5. Project selection With reference to the Programme proposal list the calls carried out during the reporting period. Include a summary of the call(s) and describe the level of interest. Please provide a brief analysis of where the interest during the call was with reference to achieving the expected outcomes and indicators e.g. to what extent are the projects proposed in line with the expected outcomes?
Template 6. Progress of bilateral relations Give a summary of how partnerships between the Beneficiary States and the Donor State(s) have been facilitated during the reporting period. In cases of donor partnership programmes, the cooperation between the Programme Operator and the donor programme partner shall be assessed.
The Annual Programme Report Bilateral aspects of programme Example of report elements Overall bilateral strategy: - What were the expectations/plans, what has been achieved (progress)? Bilateral indicators: - No. of partnerships established - Need for revision of indicators? Assessment of cooperation with DPP Assessment of bilateral cooperation at project level Use of bilateral fund at programme level - How were partnerships facilitated? - Who is supported? - Events Use of complimentary actions fund - Key meetings Bilateral thinking (Outcomes) Extent of cooperation Shared results Improved knowledge and mutual understanding Wider effects
Bilateral thinking Outcomes / types of results Extent of cooperation - Who cooperate? (types of institutions, sectors, etc.) - Level of cooperation and contact? - Nature of partnerships? Shared results - Are partners working together for joint results development of policies, laws, strategies? - Do partners share experience, knowledge, know-how and technology? Improved knowlede and mutual understanding (between individuals, institutions, states and the wider public) - Do partnerships lead to increased awareness about common challenges? - What do we learn about each other? (working methods, approaches, institutional structures etc.) Wider effects - Do partnerships lead to cooperation beyond project and programme spesific tasks?
Template Complementary action If funds have been set aside for complementary action use this section to provide a brief summary of results coming from cooperation and exchange of experience with others. What are the complementarities and how have the actions strengthened the programme?
Template 7. Monitoring With reference to the monitoring plan for the current reporting period, describe the monitoring activities that have been carried out and give a summary of the findings. Provide a monitoring plan for the next reporting period, following the format given in Chapter 7.3 of the Programme Operators Manual.
Template 8. Need for adjustments All planning is to a certain extent based on assumptions, and the assumptions made when designing a Programme plan might change over time. This might again imply a need to adjust the plan. If the Programme Operator has made use of a possibility to modify the Programme in line with Article 5.9 of the Regulations and the Programme Agreement during the reporting period, the modifications shall be described in this section.
Template 9. Risk management With reference to the risks identified in the Programme proposal (and in sections 2 and 3 above) give an analysis of the situation and any mitigating actions carried out or planned. If any new risks have been identified, then they shall also be discussed in this section. Please keep in mind that it is necessary to have a broad perspective when identifying risks. There will often be risk factors beyond the direct control of the programme such as policy, the economic or legislative country-context, institutional support or others. These may affect the achievement of the programme objective, outcome and outputs, and should be included in the risk identification, assessment and risk mitigation actions where possible. Identified risks should be clearly formulated and indicate how they may affect specific objectives/outcomes. The importance of individual risks must be assessed according to likelihood and consequence. Mitigating actions must not be presented in general terms, but relate to the specific risk they are intended to address.
Proposed risk assessment template Annex: Risk assessment of the programme Programme # Relevance to Grants (cohesion objective, bilateral objective, operational issue) Description of risk Likelihood [1-4] Consequence [1-4] Mitigation [1] The risks should be categorised in one of 3 ways, depending on whether it poses a risk to the cohesion objective, the bilateral objective, or is more of an operational issue. [2] 4 = Almost certain (75 99% likelihood); 3 = Likely (50 74%); 2 = Possible (25 49%); 1 = Unlikely (1 24%) [3] The aim is to assess whether the risk could make a particular programme fail to meet its expected results. The following scores and descriptors can be used with respect to consequence: 4 = severe; 3 = major; 2 = moderate; 1 = minor; n/a = not relevant or insignificant.
Template 10. Information and publicity With reference to the Communication Plan provided in the Programme proposal (ref. Chapter 3.13 of the Programme Operators Manual) give a summary of the activities carried out during the reporting period. Please provide a summary of the main activities here, rather than a detailed list/account of all.
Template 11. Cross cutting issues Describe how the Programme has performed (positively or negatively) in relation to the three crosscutting issues (ref. Chapter 3.11 of the Programme Operators Manual), and which measures, if any, that have been put in place to improve performance.
Template 12. Reporting on sustainability If this is a Final Report, provide an assessment of the extent to which the positive effects of the Programme will continue after the funding period.
Template 13. Attachments to the Annual Programme Report Monitoring Plan, see section 7.3 in the Programme Operators Manual Risk assessment of the programme
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