Project management best practice

1. MANAGING EXTERNALLY FUNDED
SPONSORED RESEARCH
BEST PRACTICE
Mark Hopwood, Assistant Director, Research Operations

2. ucl.ac.uk/research-services
Session Overview
Why is project
Management
important?
Roles and
Responsibilities
Project Initiation
Charging
Expenditure
Managing
Projects
Tools Available

3. ucl.ac.uk/research-services
Why is Project Management important?
 All funders expect recipient institutions of external research funding to
provide assurance that public funds are spent efficiently and in a cost
effective manner.
 Funders have increased compliance exercises (audits) to ensure the
above is adhered to and protect their organisation from any reputational
risks associated.
 Empowers departments to identify risk and potential challenges earlier
and take action.
 Enables full utilisation of awarded budgets
 Reduces risk of rejected expenditure after project end date

4. ucl.ac.uk/research-services
UCL Portfolio
Number of Applications 18/19: 4,610
Number of New Awards 18/19: 1,638 (£502,050,104)
Current Active Awards: 5,100
Number of Funders 1,255
0
1,000
2,000
3,000
4,000
5,000
6,000
£0
£500,000,000
£1,000,000,000
£1,500,000,000
£2,000,000,000
£2,500,000,000
£3,000,000,000
NUMBER OF AWARDS
£VALUEOFACTIVEAWARDS
Live Awards
Indirect Direct Count

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Roles and Responsibilities
Academic
Departments
Research
Services
UCL

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Roles & Responsibilities: Academic Departments
 Planning, monitoring and communication of research progress
 Applying for, and securing, all necessary ethical and other regulatory approvals
 Compliance with UCL Policies (e.g. financial regs, HR policies, research policies)
 Recruitment of research funded staff and students, and the management of any
associated timesheet requirements.
 Procurement, approval and compliance monitoring of all non-salary expenditure.
 Budget forecasting and management of under / overspends of funds.
 Regular account reviews of live projects.
 Identification and timely communication of requests for amendments.
 Identification and timely communication of matters with potential to adversely
impact the project’s progress and / or with potential for reputational damage
 Management of continuing obligations post end date (publications, reporting etc).

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Roles & Responsibilities – Research Services
 Review, negotiation and authorisation of the terms for sponsored research awards.
 Initial budget set up and subsequent updates to award details/status and budget
allocations on Worktribe and MyFinance
 Management of starting certificates and equivalent funder requirements.
 Financial approval of research funded staff and students to be charged to the award.
 Regular account review and reconciliations of awards.
 Management of indirect cost contribution.
 Preparation and submission of financial claims, invoices, expenditure statements in
the required funder format.
 Coordination and approval of collaborator / subcontractor payments.
 Oversight of research project financial audits, liaising with internal and external
auditors, ensuring clear audit trails and supporting data

8. ucl.ac.uk/research-services
When Receiving a New Award
 Notify Research Services of new award received where applicable
 Accept any sufficient financial variation (between application and award )
 Review terms and conditions and ensure your department can comply with
the requirements and put a action plan in place for any potential non-
standard terms
 Confirm relevant ethical approval in place (where required)
 Conduct 2nd stage Due Diligence on overseas partners as per UCL policy
 Request via Worktribe, research subcontracts, collaboration agreements

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Activating a New Award
 Notify External Funder/Research Services of any delay to the research
project starting.
 Procurement of Equipment required – UCL Procurement Policy
 Appoint staff – Ensure sufficient budget awarded.
 Confirm to Funder the project start date / Supply CV’s if applicable
 Inform Research Services to activate the MyFinance Project

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Charging Expenditure
 Charge Expenditure directly to the research project
 All Expenditure is charged in research project lifespan (travel purchased during
lifespan for travel dates outside are not allowable)
 All Expenditure is incurred in accordance with UCL Financial Regulations and
funders terms and conditions
 Procurement and tendering processes for goods and services are in accordance
with UCL/Funder policies
 Challenge any ineligible expenditure
 Completion of IDT/IDJ and ensure detailed description and back up
documentation is stored.
 Review of Research Partner invoices confirming research is progressing and
expenditure is incurred as expected

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Purchasing/Approving Best Practice
In addition to standard policies in order to justify any expenditure,
consideration should be given as to whether the cost:
 was included in the original Justification of Resources/Proposal?
 was subsequently awarded?
 is of direct benefit to the research and proper use of public funds?
 is actual, necessary and solely attributable to the project?
 is not deemed to be in any way excessive or reckless?
 is within the agreed budget awarded
 is between the actual project start and end dates
 is it in accordance with Procurement Requirements
 is it in accordance with Expenses Policy – Key Information

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Monitoring Budgets
Academic Departments
 Best Practice Monthly Reviews of live
Projects
 Minimum review obligations are
quarterly for public/charitable funders
 Annual Review acceptable for Industry
Funders
 Commitments reviewed quarterly
 Key focus on Equipment, Travel,
Internal charges, Other Non-Staff
expenditure
Research Services
 Regular account health checks
 Key Focus on salary charges, stipend,
collaborator claims, indirect costs
 Frequency dependant on claim
mechanism
 Specific target areas of previous non-
compliance
 High Risk areas

13. ucl.ac.uk/research-services
Reports Available
Axiom Reports
 Project Investigator Report: Provides a monthly report of the
expenditure against the budget awarded. A pdf version is also
emailed to PI’s monthly.
 Research & DTAs Report: Provides a budget v expenditure view of
costs to date with drillable transaction information.
 Transaction Reports: Provides a full transaction report of all
expenditure incurred
 Research Exception Reports: Provides a view of Equipment and
Staff Budgets which have not been fully utilised
 Research Expenditure Exception Report: Identifies material
budget v expenditure variations

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Exception Reports
Research Exception Report
 Equipment / Salary Budgets
 Budget Awarded for heading
 Expenditure (incl. commitments) to Date
 % Budget Used
 Months Elapsed / Months Remaining
 Use: To review and utilise equipment/salary budgets
Research Expenditure Exception Report
 Total Budget
 Total Expenditure (incl commits)
 Duration Elapsed %
 Budget Used %
 Difference
 Use: To manage significant variances and identified under/overspending

15. ucl.ac.uk/research-services
Managing the Unanticipated
 Communicate misconduct allegations/investigations (research misconduct,
fraud, bullying and harassment) as required.
 Communication of amendments to projects scope or resource requirements
 Notify Research Services of changes to project duration, budgets, outputs etc.
 Project Staff Leave/Changes (parental, long-term sick leave, carers etc.)
 Early communication of transferring staff / projects (PI/Co-Is)
 Continued due diligence on collaborating parties and deliver of milestones
 Manage project milestones and the communication of progress
 Notification of early termination.
 Keeping up to date with evolving funder terms and conditions and changes to
internal policies and procedures

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Reporting and Project Closure
 Clear outstanding expenditure commitments on MyFinance
 Complete full review of expenditure in accordance with funders t&c
 Research Services will submit final invoice/statement.
 When Final payment received and project reconciled department to
provide suitable non-sponsored research account.
 Research Services will close Worktribe/MyFinance accounts
 Department continue to monitor outputs requirements (Researchfish
etc)

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Guidance Available
Funders Terms and Conditions – Available on their website
Funder Golden Rules
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/research-services/about-us/funder-golden-rules-post-award
UCL Financial Regulations
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/finance/policies-corporate-info/financial-regulations
Expenses Policy
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/finance/policies-corporate-info/expenses-policy
Procurement Policy
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/procurement/policies-procedures
Research Services Post Award Team
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/finance/research/rs-contacts.php

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Questions?
Mark Hopwood
Assistant Director, Research Operations
m.hopwood@ucl.ac.uk