MSCA DN post-award project management expert

As Post-Award Project Manager of an MSCA Doctoral Network (MSCA-DN) funded project, I understand the complexity of this programme and the challenges involved in managing a collaborative consortium composed of different types of organisations, multiple countries across Europe, and diverse research profiles, including Doctoral Candidates, supervisors, academic beneficiaries and non-academic partners.

My experience covers the structuring, monitoring and consolidation of the information required for the effective implementation of MSCA-DN projects throughout their entire execution phase. This includes establishing the project management framework from the beginning, setting up shared repositories, calendars, templates and monitoring tools, and defining appropriate procedures for tracking deliverables, milestones, tasks, KPIs, risks and secondments.

I also provide continuous support for reporting coordination, including the preparation of instructions and pre-filled templates for consortium partners, collection and consolidation of technical and financial information, follow-up of progress against the Grant Agreement and gathering of the supporting evidence required for periodic reporting.

A key part of my work is ensuring the consistency and quality of the information provided by the consortium. I review technical, financial and planning information against the Description of Action and project work plan before its consolidation and submission, helping identify deviations, inconsistencies or missing information at an early stage.

I have experience supporting coordinators with the European Commission Funding & Tenders Portal and SYGMA, including reporting procedures, administrative documentation, communications with the Project Officer/REA, financial reporting and Grant Agreement amendments. In MSCA-DN projects, this also requires particular attention to programme-specific aspects such as Doctoral Candidate recruitment and eligibility, recruitment reporting, secondments, training activities, supervision arrangements and the monitoring of individual research projects.

Finally, I support internal consortium communication and document management by maintaining collaborative working spaces, organised project archives, contact lists, reporting records and access to relevant documentation for all partners. My objective is to provide the Coordinator with a structured management layer that keeps partner contributions, project implementation, reporting evidence and EC/REA-facing documentation aligned throughout the project lifecycle.