Organizing and implementing projects and the Horizon 2020 financial framework is most certainly a very difficult and complicated process. The partners working on the projects need to be able to perfectly coordinate for all the project activities to be completed on time.
However, quite often consortia find themselves in a stalemate. Partnerships break up and sometimes even before the project starts. Now, if we take under consideration that we are talking about Horizon 2020, a massive framework that has a very high budget as well as a very low success rate due to the difficulty of the framework alone we can understand exactly why our fail consortium to have a much greater impact on an organization.
Let's break things down and try to find the root of the problem. The different reasons why consortia tend to fail when implementing the Horizon 2020 proposals.
Communication problems
This is the first and most common problem that we need not just on Horizon 2020 consortia but, consortia of every programme. It is also the kind of problem that can occur during the proposal writing phase as well as the implementation phase of the project. If communication is not established from the very beginning then, it is most likely going to be one of the main reasons why the consortium might fail. It is not a bad idea to create a communication schedule and some communication principles.
Unfortunately, most consortia do not work based on communication principles which leads to misunderstandings, lost data, and eventually, the failure of the consortium. If you want to avoid such a problem make sure that you are going to set up your communication policy and principles right from the beginning of the project. Perhaps, even during the proposal writing phase. This will give you enough time to get to know your project partners and learn how to work with them.
Unfamiliar partners
Building from the communication problem, unfamiliarity with partners is also a very important reason as to why consortia fail. We are not, of course, suggesting you knowing your partners on a personal level. However, if you are not completely aware of the professional activity of the partners that are part of your consortium then, that could also lead to miscommunication.
In many different cases, partners tend not to appreciate one another simply because, they do not know what the other can bring to the table. Each partner will be responsible to complete specific processes and activities within the project. Get to know your partners before the project starts to establish good communication with them.
Expertise that does not exist
This is unfortunately quite a common phenomenon for a lot of European projects. Partners claim that they can perform one specific action all take over the entire part of the proposal only to become part of the consortium. Unfamiliarity with your partner's professional course can lead to that problem.
Before setting up the consortium make sure that you are going to have a portfolio to show your partners. A portfolio that will prove your expertise on specific matters of the project. Request the same portfolio from every partner. Unless you have actual proof of expertise you might want to think twice before adding a partner to a consortium just so that you can apply for the call to action. There is no point in creating a consortium that was later on fail.
Writing the excellence part of the proposal
The excellence part of a Horizon 2020 proposal is very important. The proposal writer who will take on this difficult task will need to be an expert on their field as well as experienced in proposal writing. It is quite common for a lot of proposals to fail due to the inability of the national agency to understand the excellence part of the project proposal. And yes, this is a common reason as to why Horizon 2020 consortia fail.
These four reasons can be considered the most common ones as to why a Horizon 2020 consortium might fail. However, if the consortium manages to move past them then, creating a funding worthy proposal and implementing the project is going to be a lot easier.
Now, during the implementation of the project, there are a few problems that might occur. These problems are most likely not going to fail the project itself however they could hold back the process which could have a bad impact on the reputation of the partners and the project. These are some things consortia are going to want to watch out for during the limitation of a Horizon 2020 project.
Completing administrative processes
In a Horizon 2020 proposal, we can find multiple partners. Unlike other European programmes, Horizon 2020 can include partners from multiple different fields. In most cases not just organisations or research centres. It is quite common to see businesses and companies taking part in Horizon 2020 projects.
A problem that can occur in this particular case is the inability of those companies to complete administrative tasks connected with the implementation of a European project. Everything from creating reports every two months to keeping specific data. These partners will require help from the experts of the consortium to complete administrative processes. To some, gathering the paperwork might seem like the easiest part of the project. For others, it might not be. The consortium needs to know the weaknesses of each partner as well as the strongest points.
Budget misallocation
Perhaps the most awkward problem that could occur during the limitation of a European project is the allocation of the budget. The leader of the project hence the leader of the consortium is also responsible to allocate the budget when it arrives for the project to be completed.
If the budget does not arrive on time, if there are problems during the allocation process and the rest of the consortium is forced to use their budget to implement the project expecting the project budget to come, later on, could create quite a problem between the partners.
Budget handling needs to be one of the very first things that will be determined during the first communications of the consortium. Money problems can cause a Horizon 2020 consortium to fail and it is the kind of problem you will want to put off the table from the very beginning.
If you decide that you want to take the next step in the European project implementation environment and start entering Horizon 2020 proposals as a partner you will want to know your strong points and weaknesses. Work on your weaknesses and enhance your strong points as much as possible.
Create an effective portfolio that will show off your expertise and experience. Make sure that you will follow the communication plan of the project to the letter. Many problems might occur during the proposal phase or the implementation phase. Proper communication and good collaboration are the keys to overcome those problems and help the consortium be a success.
