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The tailor-made training sessions on the management of a European project

Welcomeurope has interviewed Ms Nielsen and Ms Spyriouni from the Greater London Authority, who attended a tailor-made training session.

1 . Ms Nielsen, Ms Spyriouni, you both work for the Greater London Authority. Can you describe in a few words your organization?


The GLA is the regional government for London. It is a strategic authority that supports the Mayor and London Assembly. The GLA support the work of the Mayor of London, helping his office to develop and deliver strategies for London. It also supports the London Assembly in their role of scrutinising the work of the Mayor and representing the interests of Londoners. While the Mayor and the London Assembly are elected by Londoners, the staff of the GLA are a permanent body that provides continuity in the ongoing development and delivery of strategies for London.




2 . Could you tell us about your role within the Greater London Authority?


We work at London’s European Office, which is the GLA’s office in Brussels. We’re making sure our interests are heard and taken into account by EU policymakers when new EU legislation and policies are developed. We also facilitate the access to EU funding by advising colleagues about relevant funding streams, the time scales and how to draft a good project application. We help fine tune project ideas with EU priorities and assist colleagues in identifying potential EU partners.




3 . Welcomeurope has provided you with a tailor-made training session on the management of a European project. What benefits did it bring to you?


We opted for a tailor made training session, as we wanted to clarify a number of issues around accessing funding as well as learning more about the actual management of projects. The tailor made option allowed us to focus very precisely on our learning needs and as such to have a very effective training course providing maximum value for money. By the end of the training day, we had been able to discuss all our queries, allowing us to improve the quality of advice we provide to colleagues.




4 . Given your experience in European projects, what advice would you give to project managers?


Know what you are getting into. EU funding is an important additional source of funding for organisations across the EU. However, it is vital to seek adequate advice before a bidding for and managing an EU funded project, to maximize the chances of winning funding and to successfully deliver projects.