WHEN?

January 17-19, 2018.

WHERE?

OpenAIRE-Advnace Kick Off meeting will take place at the new premises of the National Library of Greece (NLG) at the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Cultural Centre (SNFCC), the new landmark arts, education and entertainment complex of Athens. 

How to get there? 

Conference Venue Map

Hotels nearby the Venue

Coral Hotel - 2,5 km distance from the Conference Venue (Stavros Niarxos Foundation Cultural Center), 35 km from the Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”

Poseidon Athens Hotel - 3,5 km distance from the Conference Venue (Stavros Niarxos Foundation Cultural Center), 32 km from the Airport “Eleftherios Venizelos”

ACROPOLIS AREA

Heridion Hotel - In the heart of the city, a heartbeat away from Athens iconic landmark, the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum.

Royal Olympic Hotel - The hotel is located just in front of the famous Temple of Zeus and National Garden. We are underneath the Acropolis and only 2 minutes walk to the new Acropolis Museum.

Philippos Hotel - Situated in the heart of the most elegant and residential blocks of Athens on the doorstep of the new Acropolis Museum.

In order to support the cooperation among the members of a widely distributed consortium such as OpenAIRE-Advance, a comprehensive and complementary set of tools is offered to project members. These tools cover the needs from mail and synchronous communication to issue reporting and tracking.

1. User Identification- LDAP

The LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is applied in all OpenAIRE tools and ensures security and user identification when logging to project tools.

For registration or support: Claudio Atzori (claudio.atzori@isti.cnr.it) or Eleni Koulocheri (ekoulocheri@di.UOA.gr)

2.  Ticketing System - Redmine

The Redmine Ticketing System has been effectively used in OpenAIRE. Now, using the same setup, the “OpenAIRE-Advance” subproject has been created under “OpenAIRE” Project.

For new Redmine accounts or support: Claudio Atzori (claudio.atzori@isti.cnr.it) or Eleni Koulocheri (ekoulocheri@di.UOA.gr)

URL: https://issue.openaire.research-infrastructures.eu/projects/advance

3  Synchronous Communication - Gotomeeting

Gotomeeting is a powerful and easy to use online system for synchronous communication and collaboration. A registration to Gotomeeting for OpenAIRE is already valid and will be used for tech/net/WP Leader meetings. The credentials have been shared with OpenAIRE-Advance WP Leaders who are advised to book slots by themselves and share the meeting details accordingly.

Internal Rules for Gotomeeting use

Some basic rules have been agreed so as to ensure that Gotomeeting is used properly.

Link: https://global.gotomeeting.com

4.  File sharing system – Box

Same as for Redmine, in OpenAIRE’s file sharing system, a new folder “OpenAIRE_Advance” has been created. Using Box, useful project content is stored in the Cloud and it is easily accessible. Users can find project templates, contractual documents, dissemination material, logos, WP related stuff, etc. Partners are invited to use it so as to upload/download all sharable content, e.g. review-ready deliverables, internal reports etc, with respect to folders structure.

It is vital for the project to ensure transparency during the project lifetime, hence Box is one of the most crucial tools towards it.

For access or questions: Pedro Principe, pedroprincipe@sdum.uminho.pt.

Link:  http://box.openaire.eu/  > OpenAIRE_Advance

5.  Communication Threads - Slack

Slack is used for informal communication among the members of various working groups of the project. Within the Openaire instance of Slack, multiple threads, dedicated to a specified topic of the project can be created, keeping thus, an archive of discussions.

For new accounts, invitations or support: Eleni Koulocheri (ekoulocheri@di.uoa.gr)

URL: https://openairegroup.slack.com

6.  Collaborative Writing – Google Docs

Aiming to an efficient and effective teamwork among the partners, it is important to set up collaborating writing environment. For that purpose, a Google Drive folder has been set up and will be accessible by WP Leaders and Regional Coordinators. This folder can also be used for uploading stuff that should be internally visible to the partners, if necessary.

For access or support: Eleni Koulocheri (ekoulocheri@di.UOA.gr)

URL: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1CtIO7huXyf0-o-uKmLUxOnTMA8T5Jo6_?usp=sharing

7.  Presentation Enhancement Tool – Mentimeter

Mentimeter is a powerful tool for the enhancement of presentations, It ensures interactive presentations offering the audience the opportunity to participate in real-time activities.

For access: Eleni Koulocheri (ekoulocheri@di.UOA.gr)

URL: https://www.mentimeter.com

8.  Ticketing System for Management - Asana

Asana is a tracking easy to use system that has been selected for the needs of the management team.

For new accounts, access or support: Najla Rettberg (najla.rettberg@sub.uni-goettingen.de)

URL: https://app.asana.com/0/dashboard/19802525418277

1.1.General Assembly

The General Assembly is the ultimate decision making body of OpenAIRE-Advance. It is designed to provide high level supervision of the project activities and to promote and assess the scientific quality of the project. The General Assembly is consisted of one representative of each partner.

The Coordinator (UOA) shall chair all meetings of the General Assembly. The Coordinator is the legal entity acting as the intermediary between the Parties and the European Commission.

The following decisions shall be taken by the GA:

• Proposals for changes to the Description of Work to be agreed by the European Commission
• Changes to the Consortium Plan (including the Consortium Budget)
• Entry of a new Partner to the Consortium and approval of the settlement on the conditions of accession of such a new Party
• Withdrawal of a Party from the Consortium and the approval of the settlement on the conditions of the withdrawal
• Declaration of a Party to be a Defaulting Party
• Proposal to the European Commission for a change of the Coordinator, to submit of all or part of the Project, to terminate the Grant Agreement.

1.2 Project Steering Committee

• Define means to implement all major technical decisions
• Provide recommendations for improving the project’s efficiency
• Define funding policies
• Identify the need for significant changes in the project work-plan and oversee their implementation and suggest to the GA for approval
• Review and/or amend the cost of time schedule under the EC grant agreement
• Review and/or amend the termination of the EC grant agreement and suggest to the GA for approval
• Decide on the termination of a partner according to the consortium agreement and suggest to the GA for approval
• Propose and approve resolutions of critical issues and conflicts and suggest to the GA for approval
• Communicate with the Commission (e.g. dissemination of guidelines)
• Receive deliverables and confer on these with the Scientific and the Technical Coordinator about quality assurance (e.g. internal review)
• Approve strategic documents and liaisons as these are defined or recommended by the Executive Office (EO)

Specifically, due to the envisioned establishment of an OpenAIRE legal entity within the first year of the project, the PSC will dedicate time to discuss and approve the methodology and recommendations from the corresponding dedicated task designed to achieve this goal.

Each member will have one vote, and a relative majority system of voting will be employed.  Further details will be defined in the consortium agreement. The PSC will meet at agreed intervals. The Coordinator (UOA) will be responsible for calling the meetings. Extensive use of information technology (video and audio conferencing, dedicated web page and mailing lists) will also be made available. For a smooth operation, regardless of problems, the PSC will have a phone/video conference bi-monthly in order to review the situation. All issues that cannot be resolved by the PSC shall be submitted by the Coordinator to the General Assembly.

1.3 Ethics Advisor

1.4 Executive Office

• Managing director overseeing all activities and coordinates between the networking and technical efforts (Natalia Manola, UOA).
• Networking manager who has the responsibility for managing the NOADs and external networking activities (Najla Rettberg and Mike Mertens, UGOE)
• Technical director who oversees the technological direction of the project and supervises all the technical work associated with each work package (Paolo Manghi, CNR).

1.5 Support Office

• The Regional Coordinators (RCs) are partners who oversee the activities of the NOADs at the regional level (geographical or thematic). The have a monthly phone/video conference with the NOADs in their regions and go over specific plans and reports, coordinate/align the efforts between partners, assess plans and achievements and support or re-route them where necessary. The regional management structure was defined in previous projects and continues in OpenAIRE-Advance:

URL: https://www.openaire.eu/regional-offices

Three additional thematic RCs:

• Research Data Management, DANS: Marjan Grootveld
• Policies, EKT: Marina Angelaki
• Legal Guidelines, UGLASGOW: Thomas Margoni

• The Helpdesk team supports the operational activity of the helpdesk (ticketing system, FAQ, guides and toolkits). It is comprised of all NOADs and is led by UMINHO. The Support Officer is Pedro Principe.
• The Training team is responsible for coordinating and facilitating all training activities within the project. It is led by EIFL. The Training Officer is Iryna Kuchma.
• The Quality Control team is comprised of people from the technical teams (UNIBI, CNR, ICM, CERN, UBONN, ARC) who are responsible for overseeing all aspects related to quality in the technical sense: data curation and quality of service provision. The team is led by CNR and reports to the Technical Director, Paolo Manghi.
• The Communication Officer (CO) is responsible for supporting the Executive Office in all its dissemination/communication activities. The CO oversees the production of dissemination material, deals with communication channels (social network, newsletter, press releases) and maintains a list of liaison contacts for follow ups. This CO will work jointly be appointed by UGOE and UOA. The person assigned with this role is Kalliroi Mavrantoni.
• The Administrative team supports the project in all its administrative and financial activities in relation to the EC and third parties. The team is led by UOA. The person assigned with this role is Katerina Papadaki.

1.6 Infrastructure Policy Board (IPB)

1.7 User Group

1.8 Advisory Board

1.9 Work Package Leader

Table 3. Work Package Leaders

1.10 Project manager

Table 4. List of Project Managers

1.11 Service Manager

Table 5. OpenAIRE-Advance Service Managers

1.12 Product Manager

2  Transition to the OpenAIRE Legal Entity (LE)

The existing governance structure reflects OpenAIRE’s current organisational setting, i.e. its status as an EU funded project. Since OpenAIRE is heading towards the direction of a Legal Entity (LE) envisioned to form a specific layer in the stack of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC), it is necessary to take into account the transition from the current to the future governance structure. The current design of the OpenAIRE LE reflects the existing OpenAIRE project governance structure, but it seeks to transform the transient nature of existing bodies to a more permanent one. For instance, the previous OpenAIRE2020 Strategic Guidance Board (SGB) and PSC are merged and the different officers are merged into a permanent Executive Office. In addition, in the OpenAIRE LE, there is a clearer and more fixed classification of the different membership types and a minimum set of requirements with regards to the level of services provided to the users of the OpenAIRE services.

In addition, since the final objective of the OpenAIRE LE is to become an ERIC, an additional organisational layer is suggested, that is, establishing an Open Science Partnership (OSP) network that would be focused mostly on involving policy makers and securing a minimum set of policy commitments at the national level implementing and interacting with different aspects of the EU open science policies. The OSP structure needs to interact with the OpenAIRE-Advance project, particularly in relation to the governance functions referring to policy, so as to pave the way both for the original OpenAIRE LE and the OpenAIRE ERIC.

Figure 2. OpenAIRE LE governance bodies aligned with current OpenaIRE-Advance Management Structure

3  Quality Management

The quality control policy, which is presented in this deliverable, describes the project management and quality assurance procedures. This plan defines a set of rules for the organization of day-to-day cooperative work, including reporting mechanisms; the organization of meetings; and the preparation of documentation for submission to the EC. It will establish short period internal reporting procedures as a proactive measure to avoid potential problems or delays in the future. The progress of project work will be monitored against the objectives and the milestones set in the technical Annex according to the quality plan.

Quality management is organized through the administrative management activities assuming responsibility for communication with the Commission, notably the deliverables, but is collaboratively performed by all those engaged in management functions: deliverables will be submitted to the Coordinator, who will confer with the Networking Manager and Technical Director (also Quality Control leader) about reviewing the deliverable before handing it over to the Commission.  The responsibilities for reviewing depend on the nature of the deliverable (e.g. a technical deliverable will be reviewed by the Technical Director).

On the administrative side, the quality management covers the reporting mechanisms, the organization of meetings and the preparation of documentation for submission to the Commission. It establishes procedures for identifying, estimating, treating and monitoring risks, to prevent any problems or delays in the project. The progress of the project work is monitored against the objectives and the milestones set in the proposal according to the Quality Plan.

On the technical side, it covers the definition of procedures for assuring the quality both of the “production process” and of the “products”. The quality management defines how standards, procedures and metrics will be defined, applied and evaluated within the project comprising:

• QA procedures for documents and software production, check and test
• QA procedures for services check and test
• Risk Management. Document Management and Configuration Management
• Key Performance Indicators for policy, implementation, products and services

On the networking side it establishes and follow up the quality assurance processes for the efficient operation of the NOAD network structure, from the regional coordinators to the NOADs themselves. It ensures that NOADs establish plans and follow or re-align accordingly, and that through periodic communication the management conveys the project’s strategic directions in a clear way.