BAM Sonderkolloquium 1Berlin, 08.12.2011

Management of Technical

Cooperation Projects –

Opportunities and Limitations of

IT-Solutions

Dr. Tilman DenklerBAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing

Section S.3 - International Technology Transfer

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Content

Who’s Tilman Denkler?

What’s management of Technical Cooperation projects about?

A TWINNING-Project in Georgia

How can IT-solutions improve project management?

Data and information exchange via an internet platform

Why doesn’t IT assure sucessful project implementation?

Communication is an iceberg

What’s the message?

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Tilman Denkler

Higher Education

Diploma in Geology

Geology of the Waidischbachtal including a petrological analysis of the Paleozioc metabasites and metasediments (Karawanken, Austria)

Doctor in natural sciences

Metamorphic and structural evolution of the Pan-African basement at Delgo – Northern Sudan

Master of Arts in Economy and Management

Impartiality and independence of conformity assessment bodies with a special focus on methods for the assurance of both in the context of the New Approach

BAM Sonderkolloquium 4Berlin, 08.12.2011

Tilman Denkler

Professional experience

ScientistSpecial Research Project Arid and Semi-Arid Areas (SFB 69)

Quality manager and management assistantConstruction company specialised on environmental issues

Executive manager and authorized representative (Prokurist)

Construction company specialised on technical insulations

Lead assessor and case manager German accreditation body

Scientific employee at BAMSection S.3 International Technology Transfer

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Technical Cooperation

TWINNING-Projects

Most relevant type of projects for BAM section S.3 - iCATT

Partnership of public authorities of EU member states and partner countries

Establishment of governmental structures in line with the EU practices

Financed by the European Union

Coordinated in Germany by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi)"National Contact Point Twinning" (NCP)

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TWINNING in GeorgiaStrengthening accreditation infrastructure according the best practice in the EU member states

Duration: 18 months

Volume: 1 long term expert for 18 monthsabout 460 Working days for short term experts

Status: Contracts are signed, project implementation starts in January 2012

Consortium leader GermanyFederal Ministry of Economics and Technology (BMWi)

BAM Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing

Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle GmbH (DAkkS)

Junior Partner Latvia

SAMC Standardisation, Accreditation and Metrology Centre / LATAK Latvian National Accreditation Bureau

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Activities and Sequencing

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Functions

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Management of TWINNING projects

Main tasks of the project management

Management of resources

Preparation of reports and meetings

Financial controlling

Coordination of the cooperation of consortium partners

Coordination of the cooperation of involved parties (EU-Delegation, GAC)

Communication Provision and exchange of information

Cooperative work on documents

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IT-solution for project management

Internet portal based on MS SharePoint

easy to develop and to manage

can be used intuitively

has password protected access

includes calendar, document management, discussion forums and contact management

Communication Provision and exchange of information Cooperative work on documents

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Communication in the project (?)Long term expert

Project Leader Member State

Project LeaderBeneficiary Country

Project Manager EU-Delegation

Short term experts

Long term expert assistant Long term expert counterpart

Project Manager

iCATT-staff

GAC-staff

Junior Project Leader Member State

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RealityIrena Mikelioniene

TilmanDenkler

Irakli Matkava

FrancescaMazzucco

Short term experts

Long term expert assistant Paata Gogoldze

Jana Klink

Aline Dahlke

GAC-staff

MartinsOzolins

Long term expert

Project Leader Member State

Project LeaderBeneficiary Country

Project Manager EU-Delegation

Short term experts

Long term expert assistant Long term expert counterpart

Project Manager

iCATT-staff

GAC-staff

Junior Project Leader Member State

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Paul Watzlawick

5 Axioms of communication*

Axiom 2:Every communication has a content and relationship aspect such that the latter classifies the former

relationship aspect

content aspect

Axiom 4:Humans communicate both digitally and analogically

This means communication includes, apart from the plain meaning of words, more information: •information on how the talker wants to be understood •information on how the talker himself sees his relation to the receiver of information.

*Watzlawick, Paul; Bavelas, Janet; Jackson, Don (1967): “Some tentative axioms of communication”. In: Pragmatics of human communication: A study of interactional patterns, pathologies, and paradoxes (pp. 48-71). New York: W. W. Norton Company.

Communication does not only involve the merely spoken words (digital communication), but non-verbal and analog-verbal communication as well.

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Albert Mehrabian

7-38-55 rule*

Three elements in face-to-face communication:

Words

Tone of voice

Nonverbal behavior (e.g. facial expression)

For incongruent communication of attitudes and emotions:

7% of the message is communicated through words

38% is communicated through vocal tone

55% is communicated through facial expression

*Mehrabian, Albert (1981): Silent Messages (2nd ed.), Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.Based on: Mehrabian, Albert; Ferris, Susan R.(1967): “Inference of Attitudes from Nonverbal Communication in Two Channels”, Journal of Consulting Psychology 31 (3): 248-252.Mehrabian, Albert; Wiener, Morton (1967). "Decoding of Inconsistent Communications". Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 6 (1): 109–114.

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Prerequisites for (IT-based) communication

Ability to use the IT-system:

Understanding (language)

Knowledge of technology

Willingness to communicate using IT-tools:

Security of data

Trust

BUT: Trust will not be achieved by electronic communication as major aspects of interpersonal communication are not addressed

Adjustments and training

Data securitiy measures

Face-to-face communication,

teambuilding measures

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Conclusions

IT-solutions are very useful tools to assure efficient and effective project management

Internet-based platforms with password-controlled access have the capability to cover most information exchange needs and a large part of the communication needs in technical cooperation projects

BUT: Neither communication nor information exchange will work by simply providing the IT-tools

To assure that communication works besides others the relationship-aspect has to be taken into account

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Thanks for your attention!

Questions?