Value for money. Accessible funds. Simplicity. Results.
Simpler, more straightforward regulations and procedures have been introduced over the past years, across the new Common Provision Regulation, the Recovery and Resilience Facility and other Funds and regulations. These are measures to stop the buck and truly focus on what matters most – results that make the difference in people’s lives.
Simplified Cost Options are key in streamlining programme objectives with lean management and control. They are effective solutions to excessive paperwork, delays in decision-making and complex monitoring and verification processes. Shifting to SCOs creates a culture shock that changes systems into more flexibility and less rigidity. It truly redefines the roles of all stakeholders in the field.
An SCO specialist from a national Managing Authority teams up with a renowned EU expert in delivering this new course that will provide an updated review of all the simplified cost options, through practical examples and comparisons. We will explore how to apply the principles available and discuss how they truly contribute towards better results.
The training course will take place at the Dolmen Hotel Malta, in Qawra, St. Paul’s Bay. We are offering exclusive discounts to our participants who stay at the hotel. Kindly contact for further information.
Managing Authorities, First Level of Control Bodies, Intermediate Bodies, Certifying Authorities, Audit Authorities, Central Coordination Bodies, Methodology Departments, Central or Regional Ministries, officers/managers dealing with Simplified Cost Options.
Delivering knowledge, experience and good feelings!
Our Plan for day 1 - 3
Main facilitator for the day: An Expert from a Managing Authority of an EU Member State, with 10 years’ experience in the design and implementation of SCO.
Registration and distribution of training material
Introduction – Overview of the agenda and the objectives
SCOs – Back to Basics!
The seminar kicks off with a detailed overview of the principles of Simplified Cost Options (SCO) for 2021-27, explaining the characteristics of each option (inc. flat rates, lump sums, unit costs and financing not linked to costs) and comparing them with those available in the 2014-20 period.
Drawing up SCOs off the EC menu
Here we take a look at the process for the establishment of SCO, the off-the-shelf rates made available by the European Commission, SCO from existing national or EU schemes and other EU-level SCOs.
Workshop – Applying the principles and options available
A practical session in which participants will interpret a situation and apply the principles and options to simplify implementation, management and control.
Lunch
Using historical data and expert advice
Following the thorough discussion on the generic options in the previous session, our focus now shifts on how we can use SCOs for a project- or region-specific circumstance which needs customization. Here we discuss historic data, objective information and expert advice, drawing on examples.
Coffee Break
The case for Draft Budgets
The last session of the day focuses on the concept of draft budgets for smaller projects, referring to cases implemented in Malta and other Member States.
Concluding remarks and wrap-up of Day 1
Sharing of experience: Good and Bad Practices on SCOs
Today’s sessions are all about practice. Our facilitator will take us through his experiences on the implementation of SCOs by different Managing Authorities and Intermediate Bodies across the EU, discussing the good and bad examples he’s seen.
Findings from the Audit Authorities
This session addresses the audit of SCOs and some major findings reported by AAs in different Member States
Workshop 1: Designing and Implementing SCOs in practice
Participants will be presented with different cases to be discussed in groups, inviting discussion on daily problems with the implementation of projects based on real costs and SCOs.
Open discussion on the cases of Workshop 1
Workshop 2: Designing your own SCO structure for your needs
This will be an opportunity for participants to present their own particular case relating to their workplace and propose the SCO structure they would implement.
Coffee Break
Final discussion on the situations and proposals identified in Workshop 2
2022 Training Programme