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COVID-19 and the measures set in place to combat the pandemic have changed the way we work and how we can implement projects. To assess the impact of the current situation on EU funded research, the EC has requested an assessment of any effects on the implementation of ongoing H2020 projects as well as a plan on how to handle these. Here are some tips to help you gather the necessary information.

1. Address key question to your project partners

For H2020 projects in which accelopment is currently a partner for project management, we have developed a questionnaire with about 15 questions to help us identify any deviations from the initial plan caused by the COVID-2019 crisis.  Here are a few examples:

Has the work of your organisation in this project been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak?

• Yes
• No

Access to labs / work places

• No access needed. All
  work can be done in home office or remotely.
• Normal access possible.
• Access would be
  required, but is limited.*
• Access would be
  required, but is not possible.*

*Please specify since when: ____________(dd.mm.yyyy).

Collaboration with other project partners

• All collaboration can
  be arranged remotely.
• Work would require
  physical meetings / staff exchange, etc. which are not possible.*
• Work would require
  exchange of samples / materials / equipment, etc. which is not possible or
  delayed.*

*Please specify since when: ____________(dd.mm.yyyy).

Staff

• All staff members on
  the project are able to continue working as usual.
• Working time of staff
  members is reduced (e.g. for care time and home schooling).
• Staff members are on
  “short-time work”
• Staff members had to be
  laid off

Costs

• No additional costs due
  to COVID-19 expected.
• Additional costs
  incurred due to cancelled meetings / events (e.g. travel costs and room rents –
  These can be claimed in case that the hotel, airline, etc. do not reimburse or
  accept cancellations.)
• Additional costs are
  incurred because staff has been recruited for the project that is continued to
  be paid during the lockdown. In the description, please indicate, whether these
  costs will have to be fully covered by the employer, or if there might be state
  support available in your country that could help to cover the costs.

Deliverables (from 2020 to the end of the project)

• Current status e.g. initial
  set-up in place, require additional xx months for testing, not yet started
• COVID-19 impact (Yes/No)

If yes:

• Estimated number of
  months required to complete and write the deliverable, i.e. how many months are
  required when work is back to normal (e.g. 6 months required)
• Justification (e.g
  Experiments cannot be started due to closed labs)

To make it easier for our project partners, we have included a list the deliverables,the lead partner and due date for each pending or upcoming deliverable until the end of this year

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2. Provide questions specific to Innovative Training Networks

For Innovative Training Networks (ITN), we have prepared some additional questions regarding Early Stage Researches (ESRs) and the training programmes. These include the following

Delays in ESRs individual research project

• No delays expected
• Delays in the
  individual ESR projects expected. Please specify and justify

Delays in Trainings

• No delays expected
• Delays or cancellation
  of training expected (please specify (local or network) and justify)

Delays in Recruitment

• No delays expected
• Delays expected (please
  specify and justify)

Delays or cancellations in planned secondments

• COVID-19 impact (Yes/No)

If yes:

• New proposed dates, duration
• Justification and comments

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3. Set a time plan

As many Universities (labs) and companies have been closed for several weeks now, we have decided to request this input until the end of April. Once received, we will compile all information and analyse the current situation. Although no deadline was set by the EC, we aim to prepare a formal notification, where necessary, in May and provide this to the Coordinator for submission to the EC Project Officer.

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4. Plan next project steps

Together with the Coordinators and the WP leaders of “our” consortia, we will then elaborate a plan for the restart of the project activities that are currently on hold, adapt the work plan and timings, if necessary, and develop several scenarios for the remainder of the project lifetime. Based on these scenarios, the project steering committees will then need to decide on the best way forward that will then be proposed to the EC.

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Further reading

Learn more on how to manage your project during by reading our other blog posts on the topic: H2020 project management during the COVID-19 pandemic and Managing MSCA-ITN project during the COVID-19 pandemic