Birds on Electrogrid

Project management

ACTION F.1: Project management by the coordinating beneficiary – Lithuanian Ornithological Society

Coordinating beneficiary – Lithuanian Ornithological Society (LOD) will be responsible for the overall management of the project – it will be responsible for the communication with the European Commission (reporting, answering queries, etc.), coordination of project activities through intensive and effective communication with other project beneficiaries, distribution of funds. LOD (project coordinator) will be responsible for the timely compilation of all the project reports (Inception, mid-term, progress, Final) as well as consolidated financial reports and payment requests. Beneficiary No. 2 (Associated Beneficiary) – Lithuanian electricity transmission system operator „Litgrid AB“, will be responsible for the implementation of the concrete conservation actions C.1-C.4, and will report (both on the progress of their actions and financially) to the LOD. Each of the project actions will be the responsibility of only one beneficiary. All the procurement will be done by individual beneficiaries for their implemented actions, as detailed in the project budget and project application.
For successful project management, both beneficiary organizations will nominate the project coordinators, who besides direct implementation of the actions also will be responsible for administration of the allocated partner budgets and management and reporting of the actions under which they have leadership/responsibility role. However, the associated beneficiary will entitle it as a project manager. Furthermore, accountants will take care of the project finances: at the coordinating beneficiary an experienced financial manager shall work to manage the project budget, to report on coordinating beneficiary’s budget, to supervise project partners’ expenditure reports, to provide baseline information for financial project reporting to the project manager and to communicate with the bank and auditors. The associated beneficiary will also involve its accountant to perform daily project accounting according national legislation and provide financial reporting to the coordinating beneficiary.
Lithuanian Ornithological Society will appoint full time of project coordinator, a half time of project assistant and project accountant and part time of biological expert and website administrator as well as temporary employed GIS expert and 4 fieldworkers for the implementation of all project actions, for which LOD is responsible or participate as a project partner. Project coordinator has extensive experience in managing projects (since 1997), funded from various Lithuanian and international sources (DANCEE, PHARE 2000, INTERREG III, Norwegian Financial Mechanism, LIFE and LIFE+), more than 30 projects in total. Additionally, a experienced technical project assistant who also has international project management experience (Norwegian Financial Mechanism, EU Structural Funds, LIFE+) will accompany the project manager during general project management: will provide support for administrative tasks, such as compiling documentation, conducting public procurements, drafting of the contracts, assistance in the reporting, dissemination of the project results, etc. Besides, the project manager and assistant will participate in the direct implementation of significant part of the project Actions as well.
At the very beginning of  the project (during the first month), the LOD will conclude with the associated beneficiary and co-financiers agreements, necessary for the completion of the work foreseen in this project. These agreements will clearly describe the tasks to be performed by the beneficiaries and define all the financial arrangements. The LOD will be the sole point of contact between the project and the European Commission, unless otherwise requested by the European Commission. Associated beneficiary will submit reports on their activities and financial reports to the LOD, while LOD will distribute finances to the associated beneficiary. LOD will communicate effectively with project partner, ensuring timely and accurate implementation of project actions. Communication between partners will be mostly done by e-mail, phone and teleconferencing.
The Steering Committee of the project will be established, consisting of two representatives (one from each project partners), three representatives from the different departments of the official nature conservation authority – MoE, as well as one representative of the national operator of the electricity distribution network “Lesto AB”. The Steering Committee will meet at least once a year to present the progress of the project and discuss any other issues, related to the implementation of their actions. If necessary, more frequent teleconferences (internet conferences) will be organized among the beneficiaries to discuss more urgent matters.
All the purchases and subcontracting by the Lithuanian Ornithological Society will be done following the public tendering procedures in compliance with the National and European law.

Projektą „Paukščių apsaugos priemonių įdiegimas Lietuvos aukštos įtampos elektros energijos perdavimo tinkluose“ (LIFE13 BIO/LT/001303) finansuoja Europos Sąjungos aplinkos finansinis mechanizmas „LIFE+“, LR Aplinkos ministerija ir projekto partneriai. Projekto pradžia – 2014 m. birželis, planuojama pabaiga – 2018 m. liepa.