atlatszo.hu 2014.06.27. 6. oldal by the
Draff report - only for discussion
The findings and descriptions of processes in this report are based on information provided representatives of the Fund Intermediary and its Partners involved in the implementation of EEA Grants in Hungary, namely the Hungarian Environmental Partnership foundation ( Ö k o t á r s A l a p í t v á n y ) , Foundation for Development of Democratic Rights (Demokratikus Jogok Fejlesztéséért Alapítvány, Demnet), Autonómia Foundation ( A u t o n ó m i a A l a p í t v á n y ) and Carpathian Foundation (Kárpátok A l a p í t v á n y ) . The main document defining the EEA Grants management and control system is the Implementation Agreement signed on February 4, 2 0 0 8 between the Financial Mechanism Office and the Hungarian Environmental Partnership Foundation (with annexes and addendums) which lays down the responsibilities of the Fund Intermediary/the Operator and defines the Fund set-up.
We were informed that there were no particular procedures developed for the purpose of EEA Grants implementation in any of the Partners ( Ö k o t á r s , Demnet, A u t o n ó m i a , Kárpátok) apart from the Implementation Agreement and guidelines developed by the FMO and the Operator and its Partners and provided to sub-project applicants and evaluators (described in the following chapters of the r e p o r t ) .
Grant Management Information System (GMIS) In their bid to EEA/Norwegian Financial Mechanism the Operator and its Partners ( O k o t á r s , Demnet, A u t o n o m í a , and Kárpátok) committed themselves to use Grant Management Information System (GMIS). GMIS is a web-based tool (available on www.norvegcivilalap.hu) in which data regarding sub-project applications is recorded, analyzed and processed. The Operator developed an online application form for the potential applicants to fill in and submit online to the Operator and the Partners. The application form could also be printed and submitted in hard copies. We were informed that the online application form contains inbuilt controls, e.g. to check whether the applicant meets the minimum requirements, and the system does not allow for applications to be submitted after deadlines. GMIS contains i.a. information on when the application was submitted, information about the applicant, evaluators' data, results of evaluators' assessments, an evaluator's conflict of interest, and articles related to the application rounds/calls for proposals, FAO, list of granted projects, premonitoring questions. Access to GMIS is possible for registered users (requires login and password). All of the above mentioned data is available in the online system only for "admin users" (users appointed from the Operator and the Partners). The "admin users" have access to all data and can input and modify all the data (including evaluators' scores, lists of evaluators who participated in the evaluation, status of projects - rejected/granted). Furthermore, the evaluators have limited access to the system - they can only access the application and their own evaluation sheets. If an evaluator was marked in the system as not independent from an applicant, the system does not allow him/her to access the evaluation sheets for that application.
Selection of external experts to assess the sub-project applications In accordance with Article 4 of the Implementation Agreement: -
"the Operator shall appoint four selection committees,
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one in each thematic area
(...),