WP1. Project Management
The main tasks carried out in WP1 from the beginning to the end of this period have been:
• Coordination and communication within the consortium;
• Organisation of Steering Committee and Project Management meetings;
• Preparation, dissemination and validation of meeting minutes;
• Monitoring of the project progress and budget;
• Coordination of deliverables’ validation procedure, submission of deliverables to the European Commission (EC);
• Coordination and submission of the second Amendment to the EC.
During the whole duration of the project, several meetings and conference calls were organised with the Flagships and representatives of the related European Research Area Network (ERA-NET) project, the FLAG-ERA, as well as between project participants.
WP2. Methodology
The methodology of the impact assessment was established. The framework of the assessment, all the data to be collected and required analysis were defined. Based on the assessment framework and methodology, a web-based impact assessment tool was created, with two separate platforms, one dedicated to HBP and the other to Graphene. This TAIPI impact assessment web based tool was developed to ensure the sustainability of the impact assessment method and its use after the end of TAIPI by both Flagships. This platform is designed to archive data, produce analysis and classify information. The tool provided input to the Flagships to improve their own platforms.
During the last year of the projet, seminars were organised with the Flagships in Brussels with the participation of the EC and the impact assessment framework was updated taking into account the feasibility of data collection by Flagships. This new framework contributed to the definition and update of indicators adopted by the Flagships themselves for their own impact assessment.
WP3. Impact Assessment
The overall achievement of this work package is a preliminary assessment of impact of both Flagships, based on data available at the time of the study implementation.
The methodology developed in WP2 was adapted to each Flagship and separate assessment reports were produced. To perform the assessment, previously defined data were collected from the Flagships, consolidated and analysed to measure their impact in different impact categories. This work was achieved ahead of schedule. Indeed, in 2015, the EC informed the TAIPI consortium that the interim evaluation of the Flagships, initially scheduled in 2017, would start at the end of Q2 2016. In order to comply with this request, the completion time of the impact assessment of HBP and Graphene Flagships was radically reduced, although both Flagships were heavily committed to the reporting of their ramp-up phase and the negotiation of their first Specific Grant Agreement (SGA) with the EC during that period.
During the last year of the project, a second impact assessment round of Graphene and HBP was undertaken based on data from their first SGA phase. For Graphene, the assessment included only a publication analysis for the first 12 months of SGA 1. For HBP, the assessment covered 18 months of SGA1 and far more comprehensive indicator set, as compared to Graphene.
A synthesis of both assessments was performed and main recommendations were provided to the EC.
WP4. Support to policy making
A Stakeholder Database was built and regularly updated during TAIPI. It contains more than 600 entries.
Furthermore, two surveys for collecting information and interviews on the Flagships were implemented, and the results analysed.
The WP4 also provided support to the Flagship interim evaluation. Erdyn and ZSI representatives participated in the kick-off meeting of the High-level Evaluation Panel and impact assessment reports for the ramp-up phase of Flagships were provided to panel members.
A final publishable document on impact assessment results was prepared. Finally, a recommendations report was drafted based on the experience of TAIPI in the impact assessment and in interacting with the Flagships and policy makers on these issues.
WP5. Dissemination and communication
A dissemination and communication plan with an exploitation strategy was developed.
The interactive web platform with Web 2.0 technology was set up to provide access to project information, activities and outputs. The web platform was constantly updated with information on project activities and Flagships’ reviews and evaluation by the EC.
Moreover, a presentation along with a training session was organised in Geneva to promote the web-based impact assessment tool and explore the possibility of its transfer to HBP. A training session via visio-conference was also organised with Graphene.
TAIPI organised dissemination events among the scientific community: consortium members participated in the Open Evaluation 2016 conference dedicated to the evaluation of policies in the field of research, technology and innovation, and organised a workshop on Flagship impact assessment in the frame of the annual science and technology indicators STI Paris 2017 conference. TAIPI also participated in FLAG-ERA workshops and an impact workshop organised by Graphene in March 2018.
A data management plan was prepared, and at the end of the TAIPI project, all data collected for impact assessment were compiled, controlled and prepared for storage according to the open data pilot.
Finally, a short info-brochure on impact assessment results was prepared.
