Periodic Reporting for period 2 - DiasporaLink (DiasporaLink)
Période du rapport: 2017-02-01 au 2019-01-31
A challenge that caused some of the delay is the issue of lack of secondments carried out by the Third Country - High Income – Partners. This challenge is naturally based on natural ground of not being eligible for EU-funding and since no grant is provided by the EU then there is no possibility for EU to sanction the above mentioned partners. These secondments represent 12% of the project’s total secondment activities which can be considered as a risk since there is no possibility to impose sanction on these partners. The issue was raised by the Coordinator at the “Mid-term Evaluation Meeting” and as a response to this challenge the Project Advisor informed us that this issue is not only a DiasporaLink specific issue but rather a common issue for many other RISE projects and known by REA.
Another reason for delay in some secondments has been withdrawal of staff members at various Consortium member institutions. This is a natural cause since researchers (and practitioners) move on in their careers; there will always be a fluctuation in workforce (further we can inform that in a couple of cases, DiasporaLink also faced two researchers who retired and one unfortunately passed away). Consortium members have made sure that appropriate actions have taken place in order to brief the newly hired/appointed project members. It is important to highlight here that when recruiting new staff member, based on RISE guidelines for seconded staff, the newly hired staff can only be seconded after being hired in 6 months, which a natural reason for further delay in some of our secondments. The newly hired staff at some of the Consortium member institutions will during the “second 2-year project period” be fully eligible to take part in secondments, and in this way we will be able to catch up with delay.
After the introduction of appropriate actions to avoid further delay and catch up with the previous delay, we have neither experienced any delays in the submission of the deliverables, implementation of the project, nor are any reasons apparent that will cause delays for the remainder of the project. Nevertheless, we will be vigilant and continually assess the progress of the project.
The secondment activities that have taken place indicate that the gender issue is in balance, although a few more secondments have been carried out by the Consortium’s male members. All Consortium members have clear policy to focus on gender equality in connection with conducting secondments, but due to unforeseen staff change a few changes have taken place. All Consortium members are dedicated to make sure to encourage their female staff to take more active role in future secondments. According to the plan and previously submitted Gantt chart, 41% of the total secondments should be carried out in the “second 2-year project period”.
Below a short overview on the status of WP’s - For further detailed insight regarding content of the WPs, detailed WP-activities/status etc., for further information please study the full report submitted to the Project Advisor.
WP 2: Dissemination, All tasks mentioned in Part B for this WP are completed and the submitted report(s) are approved.
WP 3: Establish a methodology for evaluating and monitoring entrepreneurship in migration corridors, All tasks mentioned in Part B for this WP are completed and the submitted report(s) are approved.
WP 4: Impact of transnational organisation, All tasks mentioned in Part B for this WP are completed and the submitted report(s) are approved.
WP 5: Diaspora super-diversity, All tasks mentioned in Part B for this WP are completed and the submitted report(s) are approved.
WP 6: Drivers of circular migration, All tasks mentioned in Part B for this WP are completed and the submitted report(s) are approved.
WP 7: - ICT as facilitator of TD, All tasks mentioned in Part B for this WP are completed and the submitted report(s) are approved.
WP8: Influence from International and national trade regulations, All tasks mentioned in Part B for this WP are completed and the submitted report(s) are approved.
WP 9: Monitoring and comparing migration corridors, All tasks mentioned in Part B for this WP are completed and the submitted report(s) are approved.
WP 10: Ethics, All tasks mentioned in Part B for this WP as well as the “POPD” report is completed and the submitted report(s) are approved.