Work packages

Work Package 1

WP1 - Analysis of natural disasters needed to be managed in Western Balkan region

Analysis of natural disasters needed to be managed in Western Balkan region
Identification of natural disasters needed to be managed in WB and assessment of all risk management aspects will be done in WP1. The result of this WP will be report on natural disasters risks in WB.

Three-day workshop on curricula best practices in EU countries will be held at BOKU, where the most suitable programmes (or their parts) for application in WB countries will be identified, their principles and models will be discussed for possible incorporation in future master curricula in WB partner institutions.To the academic staff from the WB Universities will be presented all aspects of the EU partners institutions educational system, learning methods, courses, specific competencies and learning outcomes, with special focus on management of risks of natural disasters.

The general overview of existing successful models of education in the field of management of natural disasters of EU HEIs will represent the basic guidelines for the definition and development of the new master curricula in WB countries.

Type: Preparation

Lead organization: University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna

Start date: 15-10-2016
End date: 14-04-2017

Work Package 2

WP2 – Development of master curricula

The new master curricula will define precisely the teachers’ competencies, learning outcomes, course content and syllabi. It will ensure the viability and applicability in the period after the completion of the project. Within WP2 the WB teacher staff will be trained in EU countries for implementation of innovative teaching methods. Each of the WB HEIs will define the local working group which will be responsible for designing new master curriculum. Working groups will be under the supervision and control of the Project Management Committee. All preliminary reports and defined curricula will be prepared and analysed on the meetings and their short descriptions will be presented to the Steering Committee for the final review and approval.

WP2 will be completed by creation of book of courses within each master curriculum in the field of riskmanagement of natural disasters.

WP2 covers the set of the infrastructure required for the implementation of master curricula. The hardware equipment, software and literature will be purchased in order to provide to the students modern study programmes harmonized with EU best practices. The equipment will be installed in the laboratories in the WB HEIs. Some of the activities of WP2 will be performed parallelly with activities of WP4.

Type: Preparation

Lead organization: University of Messina

Start date: 15-03-2017
End date: 14-10-2019

Work Package 3

WP3 – Development of trainings for citizens and public sector

The analysis of citizens’ and public sector awareness will be done with the aim toidentify knowledge and organizational gaps and develop effective training programmesfor citizens and public sector in the field of risk management of natural disasters. Within the WP3 the transfer of knowledge and experience in the field of risk management of natural disasters for citizens and public sector will be conducted by EU to WB partners through the study visits and teachers’ trainings. The results of analysis will serve to decide which specific areas in the field of risk management of natural disasters will be covered by training programmes, considering specificity of each WB country. The selected teachers from WB HEIswill prepare programmes of the trainings that will be applicable on national level.Afterwards, each WB HEIselected teachers will conduct at least 2 trainings with participation of interested citizens, representatives of governmental bodies (30 participants per training).

Type: Preparation

Lead organization: University of Defence in Belgrade

Start date: 15-11-2016
End date: 14-02-2018

Work Package 4

WP4 – Implementation of developed master curricula and trainings

In this WP students will enrol to master studies in the field of risk management of natural disasters. The enrolment will be conducted according to the legal WB HEIs procedures with precise definition of the enrolment conditions. The studies will comprise teaching, learning, exercising, evaluation and examinations. During this process students will have opportunity learn in the newly formed and equipped laboratories. Certain number of students from each WB HEI will visit EU partner HEIs, attend lectures and compare their acquired knowledge with the knowledge and skills of colleagues from EU.
Self-evaluation on quality of master curricula will be regularly performed
To the newly enrolled students will be offered student internships at the WB partner institutions andwithin the entities from public sector. The number of ECTS for this activity will be harmonised with international recommendation and National accreditation body rules.
The educational trainings will be organized for citizens and public sector in the field of risk management of natural disasters with aim to raise awareness about risks of natural disasters. Self-valuation of the trainings’ quality is planned.The participants will be informed by online media and newspaper about the terms and contents of trainings. The trainings for citizens and public sector in NDRM will be delivered in the centers for lifelong learning at universities (where it is applicable) and the certificate of acquiring the key skills in NDRM will be issued at the end of training completion.

Type: Development

Lead organization: University of Sarajevo

Start date: 15-12-2017
End date: 14-10-2019

Work Package 5

WP5 – Quality assurance and monitoring

The NatRisk project quality control monitoring will be performed as follows:
1) Internal quality assessment will include peer reviews performed by the Quality Assurance Committee (QAC) consisting of members from following partner HEIs: MU, BOKU, OE and UNI. Reports on the project quality progress will be delivered by all project participants, twice a year.
2) External quality assessment will be enabled through continuous presentation of the project activities and deliverables on the project website, as well as their publishing in public media (newspapers, journals, electronic media etc.). Annual Project Progress Reports will be prepared by the QAC and presented to Erasmus+ national offices on regular monitoring meetings. According to the internal and external monitoring and quality control, the QAC (if necessary) will take measures to improve the quality of the project realization. Quality control and monitoring results will be available in the Annual Project Progress Reports. The external monitoring and peer reviews, as well as the annual project reports, will be available on the project website.
3) Inter-project coaching will be implemented i.e. Consortium Universities will contact the members of running and/or completed Erasmus+ projects in similar fields in order to use their accumulated expertise and to undertake a peer review.
Quality control meetings will be held twice a year with the participation of representatives of all Consortium members.Reports from quality contol meetings will be included in the relevant annual Quality reports.

Type: Quality Plan

Lead organization: Middlesex

Start date: 15-10-2016
End date: 14-04-2017

Work Package 6

WP6 – Dissemination

Project dissemination will involve institutional, national and international activities. It will be focused on promotion the project and its participants and to raise awareness of the public about the potential benefits of the project results. One of the first tasks in this WP is creation of the project website, which will present all activities related to the project. Special attention will be devoted to the promotion of the project on social networks such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter. The awareness campaign will include advertising on TV, radio and newspapers.
Special attention will be paid to promoting new master curricula in WB HEIs and developed educational trainings for citizens and public sector. It will be organized promotions for WB non-partner HEIs in order to promote master studies in the field of risk management of natural disasters. Promotions in HEIs will perform teachers and students. All events will be documented and displayed on the project website.
Dissemination of the project outcomes will be carried out also through the postgraduate NatRisk students, well educated in risk management of natural disasters.
In the long term perspective of the NatRisk project it is necessary to increase the public and state authorities’ awareness for the significance of the management of natural disasters. This goal will be achieved mainly through the distribution of brochures, leaflets and booklets aimed to provide all relevant project information to interested stakeholders, as well as to publish information about NatRisk in mass media.

Type: Dissemination & Exploitation

Lead organization: University of Niš

Start date: 15-11-2016
End date: 14-10-2019

Work Package 7

WP7 – Exploitation

The accreditation procedure of one master curriculum per WB HEI, in the field of management of natural disasters will be conducted (except UNI-2 master curricula). In the accreditation process, Bologna requirements will be acknowledged, as well as national, regional and international standards, procedures and recommendations. Academic and financial sustainability plans will be created to support projectsustainability after its completion. Also, student and staff mobilities will be achieved. Students who will perform international mobility will be especially important for dissemination and exploitation of the NatRisk WeB objectives.
The sustainability will be expressed through the following:
1) WB HEIs will continue to implement the developed master curricula. The NatRisk master studies will be financed both by the public sources (national budgets for education) and private sources (students fees), as well as the eventual scholarships offered by interested companies.
2) The formed educational courses will be offered to all interested stakeholders. The participation fees paid by the interested stakeholders (public services, companies, individuals) will cover costs for the courses, after the project completition.
3) WB HEIs will continue to maintain the formed laboratories and the new teaching environment. NatRisk HEIs will use their own budgets in order to maintain the laboratories and the new teaching environment, after the project is finished.
After year 2019, the WB HEIs will enhance the quality of the education to the EU level and will be well prepared for further international scientific, educational and research programmes.

Type: Dissemination & Exploitation

Lead organization: University of Niš

Start date: 14-03-2017
End date: 14-10-2019

Work Package 8

WP8 – Project management

The NatRisk project leadership will be ensured by the Legal Representative of the Project Coordinator - University of Nis.

The Project Management Committee (PMC) will be established on the kick-off meeting and will lead all project activities and be responsible for the achievement of the project outcomes. UNI will coordinate PMC activities, with participation of 8 Work Package Leaders. PMC will be responsible for full enforcement of the project activities and it will coordinate day-to-day management with contact persons from consortium members HEIs. In this way it will be possible to achieve appropriate balance between delegation of responsibilities and maintaining overall control of project staff performance. Also, at the kick-off meeting the Steering Committee will be established which will be consist of one representative from each of the EU HEIs, and one representative from each of the WB HEIs. SC will adopt contingency plans and adjustment mechanisms for the project activities. SC will be one hierarchical level above the PMC. At the end of each project year, the Steering Committee will meet to evaluate implemented activities and outputs and make more detailed plan for upcoming period and ensure exploitation and sustainability of project outcomes.

The project coordinator will have the key role in all NatRisk activities, and will be responsible for the achievement of the project deliverables. He will be responsible for integrated equipment purchasing and monitoring of public procurement procedures. Each Consortium member will be expected to establish its local support group responsible for administration and smooth implementation of actions, project related administration and financial issues, as well as submission of internal reports.

Special attention in project implementation will be given to risk management. Risks will be identified, prioritised, managed and controlled in every phase of the project. Thus, the guidelines on the project management and reporting will be developed.

This WP also includes reporting and communication with the national and international ERASMUS offices.

As the summarized management activities, two reports (interim and final) will be submitted to the international ERASMUS office.

Type: Management

Lead organization: University of Niš

Start date: 15-10-2016
End date: 14-10-2019