Interregional/Transnational Project on the
SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
OPEN DAYS 8-11 OCTOBER 2012
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
Models of simplification of costs and analysis of the
relative management and control procedures on the
flate rate in compliance with the new EU regulations:
comparison and exchange of best practices and
guidelines for the negotiation process of 2014-2020
programming period
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
CONTEXT AND ORIGIN OF THE PROJECT
 Since the beginning of planning ESF 2007-2013, the italian Regions
have shown interested to experience these simplifications overcoming
the principle of real cost
 With adoption of Regulation (EC) n.396/2009, the possibility of using
the ESF costs simplification has extended
 In the middle of programming period, Italy is among the European
countries with more experience on simplification, in fact almost all
ROP ESF MA recognize one or more options of simplifications
 The draft legislative package on Structural Funds, adopted by EC on
6 October 2011, confirm the rilevance of using options of ESF
simplifications for the implementation and control of ESF operations,
also for the next period 2014-2020
 In this context, Tuscany Region has proposed at the end of October
2011 the interregional/transnational project on simplifications
Progetto Interregionale/Transnazionale sulla SEMPLIFICAZIONE DEI COSTI FSE
Firenze, 5 ottobre 2012
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
Lead Region:
Tuscany
Regions/Autonomous
Provinces partners:
- Basilicata
- Bolzano
- Emilia Romagna
- Friuli Venezia Giulia
- Liguria
- Lombardy
- Marche
- Piedmont
- Puglia
- Sardinia
- Sicily
- Trento
- Umbria
- Veneto
21 Regional ESF OPs
15 MAs members of the Inter/Trans
Project:
- 14 of which using the simplification of
costs
- 11 of which using the standard scale of
unit costs
,
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
GOVERNANCE
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
inside of which the Administrations are committed to cooperate for the
implementation of the project planned actions
Coordination/lead Administration is Tuscany Region,
the project proponent
STEERING COMMITTEE
composed by directors, or by delegated officials, competent on the topic and
representatives of each partner administration
Tasks of the steering committee, with the support of Tecnostruttura:
- approving of the working program;
- guiding, monitoring and evaluating of the works;
- ensuring the systematic and constant information flow on the subject;
- identifying and implementing the cooperation action, aimed at exchange and
development of products and services of common interest.
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
AIM OF THE PROJECT
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
- a technical comparison among the MAs of the ESF OP 2007-2013 on
the use of the simplification options according to the Regulation (EC) n.
396/09;
- a facilitation of the exchange of good practices and of experiences
among the MAs of the ESF OPs 2007-2013
exchange of experiences aimed at highlighting
the positive aspects (i.e. advantages in the management,
reporting and monitoring)
the more critical elements, that still require a comparison for the
identification of common solutions,
even and especially in 2014-2020 perspective programming period
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
EXPECTED RESULTS
 A major dissemination of simplification principle among Managing
Authorities that have not yet experienced any models for the
recognition of lump sum costs
 Improve top level ESF controls, especially with regard to time
savings and the simplification of control procedures
 Accelerate financial flows and as consequence improve the ESF
use of resources in terms of efficiency and effectiveness
 Contribute to share the general considerations regarding the
forthcoming negotiations on Structural Funds
Progetto Interregionale/Transnazionale sulla SEMPLIFICAZIONE DEI COSTI FSE
Firenze, 5 ottobre 2012
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
TIME AND RESOURCES
 The project duration is 24 months (January 2012 December 2013)
 No specific budget
Each MA partner is responsible and covers the costs
related to the organization of one or more project
activities.
Considering the aims of the interregional project of
exchange of experiences and good practices among OP
ESF MAs, the costs of each partner are potentially
100% eligible for funding under the Axis 5
“Interregionality and transnationality”
Progetto Interregionale/Transnazionale sulla SEMPLIFICAZIONE DEI COSTI FSE
Firenze, 5 ottobre 2012
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
PARTNERSHIP
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
In order to develop the cooperation on the theme, the participation to the
project is «open». At any time, other Italian and European Administrations
(MAs) can join and become partner of the project, in particular for the
development of exchange activities and study visits. At the moment, the
following steps have been taken to extend the transnational participation:
December 2011: note to European Commission (DG Employ – Units E3, E1, H1, H3)
December 2011: presentation at the “Sectoral event on simplified costs” - Bruxelles
February 2012: presentation at the Conference of peripheral maritime Regions - Florence
May 2012 : involvement of italian Ministry of Labour – Esf NOP MA - Bologna
June 2012: presentation at the TWG – Bruxelles
October 2012: presentation at the “Open Days” - Bruxelles
Progetto Interregionale/Transnazionale sulla SEMPLIFICAZIONE DEI COSTI FSE
Firenze, 5 ottobre 2012
EXPECTED OUTPUTS
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
A final Report for 2012, which includes a summary of the
activities carried out during the first year of activity of the
project:
- Use of Standard scale of unit costs and methodologies: presentation
of a synoptic frame of the Regions
- Guidelines for the definition of Standard scale of unit costs for the
non-course activities
- Controls: non-compliance and consequent measures
- First considerations on the Regulation proposal 2014-2020
- Synthesis of the presentations of the regional experiences
… with the support of Tecnostruttura
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
Document on the methodology of the
Standard scale of unit costs
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
The survey gave the following results:
1) All the methodologies have had as a reference the historical data of the
training activities (at least two years)
2) 5 regions have made reference to the historical costs of the final balance
controlled, 3 of the budget and 1 of the final balance presented
3) 5 regions use a combination of Standard scale of unit costs hour/course
and Standard scale of unit costs hour/student; 4 use them alternately
depending on the type of training
4) The types of training taken as reference in the survey are those of the
initial and vocational training for young people, training for employees and
company, adults learning (higher training or getting a qualitfication) and
Higher Education Technical Training.
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
Controls: non-compliance and
consequent measures
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
The survey gave the following results:
1) Generally, the Regions deal with the same potential areas of noncompliance (i.e. the publication, selection/requirements of the students, the
keeping of the education registers, the disparities in achievement compared
to the approved project, etc.).
2) regarding the measures, where possible, the Regions make a curtailment
of the Standard scale of unit costs hour/course and/or hour/student
corresponding to the Standard scale of unit costs not comply with
3) 2 Regions also include percentage cuts of the total funding approved for
types of non-compliance not relatable to the effective execution of the
hour/course (Publication, lower level teaching quality, etc.).
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
Guidelines for the definition of Standard scale of
unit costs for the non-course activities
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
From the comparison and the analysis of the regional experiences the Guidelines for the
definition of Standard scale of unit costs
for non-course activities have been developed
Employment services, self-entrepreneurship, business support activities
EMPLOYMENT SERVICES, the steps:
- Shared individuation of the actions
- Standard scale of unit costs identified with the service hour of an Operator of the
Employment Services
- Construction of the unit value of the Standard scale of unit costs: valorisation of the labour
costs + accessories costs
- The Standard scale of unit costs for the Employment Services is based on the measurement
of the quantity of hours of service effectively realized by the operators (front and backoffice hours)
- System of the services detection that can find all the hours worked by the operator.
Appropriate supporting documentation:


registers that demonstrate the services provided with the signatures of the operator and of
the user, from which dates and duration of the service provided are deducible as well as a
brief description of the service
Report and documentary support of the outcome of the service (i.e. skills balance sheet,
report on vocational guidance, etc.)
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
Guidelines for the definition of Standard scale of
unit costs for the non-course activities
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
From the comparison and the analysis of the regional experiences the Guidelines
for the definition of Standard scale of unit costs
for non-course activities have been developed
Employment services, self-entrepreneurship, business support activities
SELF-ENTRENEURSHIP, only one experience, two possible ways:
Define a common methodology for the construction of its Standard scale of unit
costs (following the methods of investigation of the only regional experience), or
Individuate condition and implementation modalities that allow to a MA to
adopt Standard scale of unit costs of another region, therefore without making a
study
BUSINNESS SUPPORT ACTIVITIES: business advice or motivation actions
Same methodology indicated for the Employment Services, that is market research for
the valorisation of the labour costs + accessories costs (direct instrumental and indirect
costs)
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
FIRST CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PROPOSED
REGULATION 2014-2020
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
Proposal of the European Commission ESF Regulation
- Art. 14 Simplified cost options
The Regions have agreed to request the inclusion at the end of the first paragraph
of an appropriate sentence, taking into proper account the experience already
developed also in previous programming
Regarding the use of a flat rate of up to 40 % of the eligible direct staff costs may
be used in order to cover the remaining eligible costs of an operation,
the Regions have agreed to request that the flat rate is defined and fixed (not "up
to") and that it will not be supported by a methodology.
Regarding the grants of no more than € 50,000, the Regions have agreed to
request that this provision remains an option and not an obligation, regardless of
whether or not transactions that fall within the aid schemes.
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
FIRST CONSIDERATIONS ON THE PROPOSED
REGULATION 2014-2020
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
Proposal of the European Commission General Regulation
- Art. 57 Forms of grants
The Regions agree on the importance that the method of the
determination of Standard of unit costs, lump sums or flat rates are
effectively options and not obligations
- Art. 58 Flat rate financing for indirect costs for grants
The Regions have agreed to request the removal of the reference to the
method calculation, in case of flat rates up to 20% of direct costs
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
Some considerations …
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo
Importance of:
a continuous exchange of experiences and enlargement of
the partnership
discussion and collaboration with the Leading Ministry and
the European Commission
capitalization and preservation of experiences
in view of the 2014-2020 programming
so that
the simplification of the costs can effectively facilitate a
simplified use of the resources,
in terms both of management that control
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
Interregional/Transnational Project on the
SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
OPEN DAYS 8-11 OCTOBER 2012
THANK YOU FOR THE ATTENTION
GABRIELE GRONDONI
TUSCANY REGION
gabriele.grondoni@regione.toscana.it
Interregional/Transnational Project on the SIMPLIFICATION OF ESF COSTS
UNIONE EUROPEA
Fondo sociale europeo