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Report

Teaser, summary, work performed and final results

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - NCP_WIDE.NET (Transnational Network of cooperation for WIDESPREAD NCPs)

Teaser

The main aim of the NCP_WIDE.NET project is to create a transnational network of National Contact Points (NCPs) for Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation under Horizon 2020 in order to facilitate transnational co-operation between NCPs, with a view to identifying and...

Summary

The main aim of the NCP_WIDE.NET project is to create a transnational network of National Contact Points (NCPs) for Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation under Horizon 2020 in order to facilitate transnational co-operation between NCPs, with a view to identifying and sharing good practices and raising the general standards of support to program applicants. Special attention is given to help less experienced NCPs to wiring resources in the network, through mentoring visits, a learning platform for trans-national activities of the Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation NCPs, and to create a network of NCPs exploiting the synergies of distributed knowledge, collective development and trainings. The network develops high quality services provided to Widespread beneficiaries i.e. regional stakeholders participating in Teaming, Twinning, ERA Chairs and COST activities.

The overall structure of the NCP_WIDE.NET is divided into 5 Work Packages (WPs) which shall be implemented through the 60 months of the project’s duration. The WPs aim at receiving the impacts foreseen within the project and are as follow:
• WP1 is focusing on the management and coordination of the project.
• WP2 aims at improving the WIDESPREAD NCPs’ work effectiveness and quality of services, ensuring a consistent level of services provided across Europe. With this objective, special attention will be given to the identification of their needs, strengths and weaknesses in order to properly design the content of workshops, mentoring and training activities.
• WP3 puts emphasis on improving the expertise and knowledge base of success stories and best practices on Widespread activities such as Teaming and Twinning, ERA-Chairs, COST.
• WP4 corresponds to the need for effective collaboration with many different external partners and stakeholders for the sake of future applications under Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation scheme. In fact, the WP4 is aiming at improving, creating and coordinating collaboration opportunities.
• WP5 is dedicated to dissemination and promotion in order to increase the visibility of the Network and to raise the awareness of the opportunities offered by the Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation activities under Horizon 2020. The dissemination activities are proceed through various tools such as the Project Portal, promotional materials, social media and promotion during events.

Work performed

\"Within the reporting period the overall objective has been reached due to the facilitation of the NCP Forum and tailored measures targeted at improving and leveling of the NCPs capacities to deliver services of high quality standards, enhancing transnational collaboration between NCPs and applicants, delivering complex information on Widening activities and promoting the Network itself. Special attention has been given to help less experienced NCPs through mentoring visits.

Specific objectives of the NCP_WIDE.NET project are as follow and were reached due to the described actions:
NCPs capacity building and exchange of practices on high quality standards (2): 2 workshop on thematic issues (Widening package - stock taking and future orientation; Impact of Widening package & synergies), enhancing competencies and soft skills - 1 workshop on soft skliss - communication, as well as mentoring measures offered by experienced NCPs to the newcomers - 3 mentoring visits.
Supporting NCPs expertise on Widespread activities (3): promotion of the benchmarking of Centers of Excellence potential and development of a guide on how to support participation in Widening activities, which encloses a dedicated part for newcomers. Following publications elaborated within the project (i) Benchmarking Report \"\"Potential for Teaming and Twinning\"\", (ii) Guide \"\"How to participate in Spreading Excellence and Widening Participation activtieis\"\" avaliable at: at http://www.ncpwidenet.eu/publications/?cmd=downloads&sort=asc&order=name&type=5
Enhancing NCPs collaboration and fostering synergy for the sake of the Widespread activities and better quality of services offered (4): joint brokerage events with other tematic Networks and EEN and 1st joint workshop on synergies between ESIF and Horizon 2020, 1 workshop on ERA Chairs and mobility as well as cooperation with other networks and FP projects as e.g. NCP_Academy, the Enterprise Europe Network (common events).
Dissemination activities on the project and Widespread activities (5): update of the Project Portal: www.ncpwidenet.eu, social media - Twitter account: @NCP_WIDENET and LinkedIN account: Spreading Excellence| NCP WIDE.NET, promotion during other events, exchange of information between NCPs and supporting the best quality standards, launching Widening E-Bulletin released on a bi-annual basis.
\"

Final results

During the reporting period NCP_WIDE.NET project contributed to delivering of impacts at the NCPs level creating the space and effective tools for capacity building, enhancement and exchange of know-how and experience as well as ensuring consistent level of services offered by WIDESPREAD NCPs. Moreover, the project served as a networking platform for collaboration between NCPs from Widening and non-Widening countries. To reach the objectives, the Project Coordinator together with the SC members put a lot of emphasis on the communication process. Project has as well achieved foreseen impacts to Widespread stakeholders, applicants and newcomers, giving them the possibility to enhance their knowledge, exchange best practices and foster collaboration for future Widespread calls.
Customer satisfaction survey performed during the 2nd Reporting Period proved that the project is very well perceived by the NCPs and external stakeholders. 80% of the SEWP NCPs assessed the communication within the NCP_WIDE.NET project as very good/good/ sufficient. 88% of the group appreciated the Coordinator’s communication skills as very good/good/sufficient. The results proved that more than 85% of stakeholders assessed the collaboration with the NCP_WIDE.NET project and SEWP NCPs as very good/good/satisfactory.

As a result of the survey following activities has been susteined/ developed/ implemented to contribute to the progress beyond the state of the art. In the area of capacity building, mentoring activities have been sustained with a new focus on particular case studies, as well as tailored trainings part. Additionally, info sessions as side events to mentoring visits were implemented. Development of socialmedia channels: Twitter and LinkedIn accounts were kept updated on a more regular bases providing information on the project and other Widening activities, news, etc. E-Bulletin released on the bi-annual bases delivered to our stakeholders information on Widening instruments, statistics, case studies, update on events, publications etc.The project communicated the knowledge on Smart Specialisation Strategies process via active collaboration with the EC JRC in Seville. Collaboration with other relevant networks such as the Enterprise Europe Network, ERRIN or MIRRIS supported the information spread on Widespread activities. Project has reached its impact a due to activities that enabled wide dissemination of the project and Widespread activities, reaching stakeholders and other complementary communities.

Website & more info

More info: http://www.ncpwidenet.eu.