Annotated1 Template Annual Programme Report
EEA and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms 2009-2014
This annotated template is drafted to encourage and guide the Programme Operators to produce
concise, results-based programme reports that will give an account of progress and results that
contribute to the expected outcomes and the programme objective. This template will help to
ensure that the requirements of the Programme Operators Manual (POM) are met.
Checklist questions before submitting the Annual Programme Report
YES NO
Does the executive summary serve as a stand-alone document?
Does this report provide analyses on how activities so far have contributed
to progress towards targeted results using agreed output and outcome
indicators?
Have successful bilateral achievements been highlighted?
Have all the sections in the Annual Programme Report been addressed,
including any relevant horizontal concerns?
The Annual Programme Report is prepared by the Programme Operator and shall give an
overview of the implementation of the Programme with direct reference to the information
provided in the Programme proposal and the requirements of the Programme Agreement. The
information provided in the report shall be limited to the reporting period (the previous calendar
year), without repeating what has previously been reported on. The reports shall be submitted
as set out in the MoU and the Regulations (ref. Article 5.11 of the Regulation). The deadline for
submission is 15 February.
The Final Report shall focus on achievement of the Programme objectives, expected outcome(s)
and outputs. Only the main elements of the implementation of the Programme shall be included.
The reporting period is in the case of the Final Report the same as the entire Programme period
(ref. Article 5.12 of the Regulation).
The main body of the report should not exceed 20 pages, excluding any attachments. The report
shall consist of the sections set out below.
1. Executive summary
This section shall provide a short summary of the principal findings and points of the report.
Write this section last once you’ve written the entire report. Please note that this section
should serve as a stand-alone document that gives a wider audience a clear overview. Please do
not use this section to describe all the activities that have taken place. Briefly point to the main
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Annotations, in blue text, accompany the structure and description outlined in the Programme Operators Manual.
results, including bilateral relations, progress and issues encountered in the reporting period
(previous calendar year).
Suggestion for summary
- Main developments related to the relevant sector that may have
affected the context where the programme is implemented
- Key achievements towards the two overall objectives of
reducing economic and social disparities and strengthening
bilateral relations, using concrete examples from the
programme / projects and referring to the four bilateral
outcome areas in the bilateral guideline
- Key management issues
- Challenges (risks) and opportunities
2. Programme area specific developments
With reference to the information provided in the Programme proposal (in particular chapter 3.3
on the relevance of the programme), describe important developments in the Programme area,
also in respect of policy, financial or administrative changes.
Please refer to the justification in your programme proposal and provide any updates in your
programme area, including potential synergies with EU programmes that may have an effect
on the planned programme results.
Include statistics and analyse relevant trends in the sector and/or the programme area where
possible.
If conditions in the programme area have changed since you wrote the programme proposal
(ref. chapter 3.3 of the proposal), consider if the changes might present risks to the
achievement of programme objectives and how these might be handled.
3. Reporting on outputs
3.1 Give a summary and analysis of how the selected projects have contributed or are
contributing to each of the Programme outputs set out in the Programme proposal. Analyse
progress towards the defined outputs, and explain any deviation from the plan.
3.2 Give a summary of the implementation of each pre‐defined project. When projects have been
completed give a summary of their actual contributions to the output targets.
3.3 Give a summary of the implementation of small grant schemes. If this is a Final Report,
provide a summary of their actual contributions to the Programme output.
Focus on outputs (services and deliveries) achieved in the reporting year, backing up your
analysis with data and indicators and assessing progress towards planned targets. If no/few
results were achieved, please assess the project selection and provide an analysis of how the
selected projects are expected to contribute to the programme outputs set out in the
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programme proposal. Finally, please provide your main observations on what worked, what
didn’t work, and what could be done better.
Use reports on area, measure and geographical spread in DoRIS and provide an assessment.
4. Reporting on Programme outcome(s)
Analyse how the projects’ and Programme’s outputs contribute to the expected outcome(s)
defined in the Programme proposal.
For the analysis, use the indicators that have been agreed for the programme. Refer to
possible baseline studies or provide a situation analysis aiming to describe the baseline.
Use a project example for each Outcome to demonstrate how it is contributing to meeting the
Outcome indicators. Use another project example to demonstrate bilateral results.
Include a brief summary of the main risks that the programme will not achieve its expected
outcomes as well as the mitigating actions put in place/needed to address these risks. (This
should be based on the risk assessment in section 9/attachment).
Please remember to consider risks factors beyond the operational risks concerned with
programme implementation, such as programme strategy, the economic or legislative
country-context or institutional support.
Finally, please provide your main observations on what worked, what didn’t work, and what
could be done better.
Progress on horizontal concerns
Please refer to donor conditions and use this section to report on how relevant horizontal
concerns are being addressed in your programme. To what extent does the programme
contribute positively towards Roma inclusion and/or any of the other horizontal concerns
related to fundamental values such as promoting tolerance, multicultural understanding,
respect for the rights of minorities including combatting hate speech, extremism, racism,
xenophobia, homophobia, anti-semitism, sexual harassment, violence against women and
trafficking.
Please provide your main observations on what worked, what didn’t work, and what could be
done better.
If this is a Final Report, then report on the outcome compared to the expected outcome.
5. Project selection
With reference to the Programme proposal list the calls carried out during the reporting period.
Include a summary of the call(s) and describe the level of interest.
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If this is a Final Report, or if all calls have closed, then provide a summary of all the calls in the
whole Programme period.
Please provide a brief analysis of where the interest during the call was with reference to
achieving the expected outcomes and indicators e.g. to what extent are the projects proposed
in line with the expected outcomes? Please provide information on bilateral projects and donor
project partners.
 This reporting requirement does not replace the requirements set out in Articles 6.3.4
and 6.4.3 of the Regulation on informing the donors of the Calls for projects ahead of
publication, and providing a summary of the minutes of the Selection Committee
deliberations.
 Be aware of the reporting requirement put before the National Focal Points in
Attachment 1 to the Strategic Report: ‘graphs (table[s]) showing the breakdown in
respect of applications received and projects selected’.
Finally, please provide your main observations on what worked, what didn’t work, and what
could be done better.
6. Progress of bilateral relations
Give a summary of how partnerships between the Beneficiary States and the Donor State(s) have
been facilitated during the reporting period. In cases of donor partnership programmes, the
cooperation between the Programme Operator and the donor programme partner shall be
assessed. State the number of donor partnership projects, and describe what has been done to
encourage the establishment of such partnership. Give a brief overview of the use of the Funds
for bilateral relations at Programme level.
 How has the programme progressed towards the goal of strengthening bilateral
relations during the reporting period. Please include what you consider the most
important achievements and highlights so far.
 Describe how the bilateral fund at programme level has been used as a tool to foster
and strengthen bilateral relations, including details on number of partnerships
established, events organised, etc.
 In cases of donor partnership programmes, the cooperation between the Programme
Operator and the Donor Programme Partner shall be assessed. The assessment should
also include any relevant risk impeding bilateral progress, including how the risk has
been mitigated/will be mitigated. Feel free to include thoughts on lessons learnt or
provide best practice examples. These may well benefit others.
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When describing progress:
Please refer to the 4 outcome areas (extent of cooperation; shared results; improved
knowledge and mutual understanding; and wider effects) set in the bilateral guideline.
 When considering the progress it is important to have analysed the bilateral ambitions
of the programme so that progress is assessed in relation to the ambition (it may vary
from programme to programme).
 Use the bilateral indicators that have been agreed to help verifying and assessing
progress. You may view these in DoRIS. Discuss whether additional bilateral indicators
may be needed to capture/measure results, or whether you would like to amend the
current indicators.
 Assess what the achievements (also for the donor partners) are from any events
(including seminars and workshops) that have taken place. Use specific examples.
Refer to CC meeting discussions if relevant.
 Please keep in mind that bilateral results are not always captured by indicators and
that your description of any relevant achievement in a broad sense is valuable, e.g.
networks established, contacts established etc.
Finally, please provide your main observations on what worked, what didn’t work, and what
could be done better.
Complementary action
If funds have been set aside for complementary action use this section to provide a brief
summary of results coming from cooperation and exchange of experience with others. What
are the complementarities and how have the actions strengthened the programme?
7. Monitoring
With reference to the monitoring plan for the current reporting period, describe the monitoring
activities that have been carried out and give a summary of the findings. Provide a monitoring
plan for the next reporting period, following the format given in Chapter 7.3 of the Programme
Operators’ Manual.
8. Need for adjustments
All planning is to a certain extent based on assumptions, and the assumptions made when
designing a Programme plan might change over time. This might again imply a need to adjust the
plan. If the Programme Operator has made use of a possibility to modify the Programme in line
with Article 5.9 of the Regulations and the Programme Agreement during the reporting period,
the modifications shall be described in this section.
9. Risk management
With reference to the risks identified in the Programme proposal (and in sections 2 and 3 above)
give an analysis of the situation and any mitigating actions carried out or planned. If any new
risks have been identified, then they shall also be discussed in this section.
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Please complete the risk assessment template in attachment.
Please keep in mind that it is necessary to have a broad perspective when identifying risks.
There will often be risk factors beyond the direct control of the programme such as policy, the
economic or legislative country-context, institutional support or others. These may affect the
achievement of the programme objective, outcome and outputs, and should be included in the
risk identification, assessment and risk mitigation actions where possible.
 Identified risks should be clearly formulated. Please indicate how each risk may impede
the achievement of the cohesion outcomes (programme outcomes), the bilateral
outcomes and crucial programme operations respectively.
 The importance of individual risks must be assessed according to likelihood and
consequence.
 Mitigating actions must not be presented in general terms, but relate to the specific
risk they are intended to address.
10. Information and publicity
With reference to the Communication Plan provided in the Programme proposal (ref. Chapter
3.13 of the Programme Operators’ Manual) give a summary of the activities carried out during
the reporting period.
Please provide a summary of the main achievements here, rather than a detailed list/account of
all activities. If there is a particular project story that could be interesting to highlight for
communication purposes, please mention this here.
11. Cross‐cutting issues
Describe how the Programme has performed (positively or negatively) in relation to the three
crosscutting issues (ref. Chapter 3.11 of the Programme Operators’ Manual), and which
measures, if any, that have been put in place to improve performance.
12. Reporting on sustainability
If this is a Final Report, provide an assessment of the extent to which the positive effects of the
Programme will continue after the funding period.
13. Attachments to the Annual Programme Report
Monitoring Plan, see section 7.3 in the Programme Operators’ Manual
Risk assessment of the programme. See proposed template in Annex to the annotated template
to the Annual Programme Report.
Project level results
Please also attach a list of projects that you think needs to be highlighted either for
communication purposes or as examples of best practices.
14. Attachment to the Final Programme Report
Financial annex, see attachment 2 of the Programme Operators Manual
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Annex: Risk assessment of the programme
Programme #
Type of objective2
Description of risk
Likelihood3
Consequence4
Mitigation
planned/done
Cohesion
(Programme)
outcomes:
Bilateral outcome(s):
Operational issues:
2
The risks should be categorised in one of 3 ways, depending on whether it poses a risk to the cohesion objective, the bilateral objective, or is
more of an operational issue.
3 Each risk should be described as to whether it poses a risk to the cohesion outcomes (programme outcomes), the bilateral outcome or crucial
operational issues 4 = Almost certain (75 – 99% likelihood); 3 = Likely (50 – 74%); 2 = Possible (25 – 49%); 1 = Unlikely (1 – 24%)
4
Assess the consequence(s) in the event that the outcomes and/or crucial operations are not delivered, where 4 = severe; 3 = major; 2 =
moderate; 1 = minor; n/a = not relevant or insignificant.
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