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Useful trainings for everyone

M. Vellande Henri, Public service of Wallonia

1/Can you introduce your job? What kind of European funds are you more familiar with?

My activity is linked to Interreg and Leader programmes. In both cases, we release national counterparts for Walloon operators. For Leader, we also certify expenditures.

In details our activity is somewhat different, depending on the programmes. Concerning Interreg, an outer unit certifies the eligible costs on the basis of documents copie (paper or electronics) and we carry out the control of original pieces at the operators’. Concerning Leader programme, we certify the expenditures but we can also conduct spot checks. Those two programmes are those I am more familiar with as I continuously work on it.

2/According to you, which recurrent weakness occurs when you proceed to the programme evaluation?



Weaknesses are different depending on each programme.
Concerning Interreg, the main gap is the lack of coordination between partners which naturally affects the added value of the project. Actors often get the money back from the grant and start projects on their own to finally gather it in a final project. A consistent European project cannot be properly built up this way. A project is not made of small pieces put up together to produce something but it rather means acting together.
Concerning Leader programme, the tackled issue is different. As the undertaken activity is local, actors will form a provisional society during this time. The added value will also be local. The main objective is then to fit with local realities and governmental options even if it means to readapt the project.



3/You are responsible for evaluating proposals submitted by project leaders for your organisation. Why did you decide to attend a training about the accession to European fundings and European projects management?



I am not a project leader but our organisation tries to work upstream so that people consult us to resolve or avoid a problem. In this case, our activity is similar to coaching. We significantly improved trainings in order to provide better advices. The information we gathered are then given to the project leader who is thus for instance able to draft much more consistent project notes.



4/Will you adapt – or have you already adopted – a new method to evaluate European projects leaders’ work?



Definitely, yes. Our objective is to give a hand to those project leaders. We gathered new information thanks to trainings and trainers. We changed the way we work by providing help of a much better quality than before. I would like to conclude by saying that to be part of such a training refines the way we work.



5/As a conclusion, which major advice would you give to project leaders who wish to seek adventure in European fundings?



If I had to give only one advice it would be this one: just get in touch with someone as soon as possible, and above all, do not hesitate to ask for advices. This is not a weakness and no one will blame you for this. If you have any questions while drawing up your project or identifying partners, you have to look for some skilled organisation to help you. In this case, if you do it as soon as possible, this will be an advantage.