The NUFU Programme is a programme for academic research and educational cooperation based on equal partnerships between Norwegian universities/specialised universities/university colleges and their partner institutions in the South. The programme is funded by the Norwegian Government through the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad), and the overall administration of the programme is the responsibility of the Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Higher Education (SIU).

The programme is based on the interest and expertise that Norwegian researchers and institutions have in collaborating with partners in the South and, through joint activities and projects, aims to contribute towards expanding the capacity and competence of the institutions in the South.

The NUFU Programme was launched in 1991, and in 2006 Norad and SIU entered into an agreement regulating the fourth five-year period of the programme – from 2007 to 2011.

§ 2.2 in the NUFU agreement for 2007–2011 presents Norad and others with the option of using the framework of the NUFU Programme to manage and govern separately funded activities in the area of research and higher education.

Since 2007 the following three agreements have been entered into with reference to § 2.2 of the NUFU agreement:

• The Tanzania - Norway NUFU Programme (2007-2012) between the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), represented by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dar es Salaam, and SIU
• The Norwegian University Cooperation Programme for Capacity Development in Sudan (NUCOOP) (2007-2012) between Norad and SIU
• Women’s rights and gender equality in an international perspective (2008-2012) between Norad and SIU
• Library and Information Science Training Centre at the University of Juba (2010-2011) between the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA),represented by the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Juba, and SIU

In 2010, Norad and SIU signed an addendum to the NUFU agreement that extends the time frame for the fourth NUFU Programme period until 31 December 2012. Projects with PhD students who are unable to complete their studies by the end of 2011, can apply for a no-cost extension of the project period until 31 December 2012. No additional funding is provided. A similar agreement on the extension of the programme period has been made for the Tanzania-Norway NUFU Programme.

Please note that there will be no more programme periods/call for proposals in the NUFU Programme. NUFU will be replaced by the Norwegian Programme for Capacity Building in Higher Education and Research for Development – NORHED.

The goal of the NUFU Programme is to support the development of sustainable capacity and competence for research and research-based higher education in developing countries relevant to national development and poverty reduction, and to contribute to enhanced academic collaboration in the South and between the South and the North.

The objectives of the NUFU Programme are as follows:

• to contribute to the development of institutions in the South
• to produce knowledge in areas deemed relevant to goals and objectives at institutional
• and national level
• to educate new researchers
• to develop Master’s and PhD programmes in the South
• to promote gender equality in research and academic cooperation
• to establish sustainable environments for research and research-based teaching
• to contribute to the enhancement of quality and relevance in research
• to establish regional academic networks within relevant discipline areas
• to present academic publications and research results
• to contribute to the internationalisation of institutions in the South and in Norway

2.1. Education of PhD candidates and Master’s students

Education is an important component of all NUFU-supported projects. Most projects allocate a substantial part of the total budget to scholarships/fellowships, especially for PhD candidates.

The aim of all educational activities within the NUFU Programme is to educate new researchers and contribute to capacity and competence building at the institutions in the South. NUFU scholarships are therefore not used for general education of Master’s students but are earmarked to students who have a potential for continuing into PhD education and hence contribute to the strengthening of the institution’s capacity and competence for research and research-based education.

The PhD students shall be staff or prospective staff of the home institution. It is a precondition that the candidates are given sufficient time for their degree studies and that workloads at the institution is balanced accordingly. Completing a PhD degree that gives the candidate satisfactory qualification as a researcher will normally require three to four years' full-time commitment.

The NUFU Programme is built on a decentralised model for initiation, implementation, monitoring and reporting. Even if NUFU-supported projects are initiated by a group of researchers from two or more institutions at departmental level, the cooperation should be embedded in and committed to by the management of the participating institutions. The selected areas of cooperation, i.e. the disciplines, the research topics etc. should reflect key areas in the institutions’ strategic plans and priorities.

Initiation, implementation, management, review of progress and reporting to the programme board are to be carried out by the researchers, academic staff and their institutions.

It is a prerequisite for participation in the NUFU Programme that the institutions have the organisational structure and administrative functions necessary to handle the day-to-day running of project activities, including accounting and sound routines for auditing.

In order to secure institutional commitment to the NUFU partnership, the tasks and responsibilities of the project coordinators and of the institutional contact persons in the

NUFU partnership differ significantly. While the project coordinator is in charge of the day-to-day running of a single NUFU-supported project, the institutional contact person at the same institution is responsible for coordinating and evaluating all NUFU-funded projects on behalf of the institutional management at his/her institution.

4.1. The project coordinators’ role

In bilateral projects one researcher at each partner institution has the responsibility for planning, implementation, day-to-day running and reporting of the project on behalf of his/her institution. The researchers in charge of the NUFU-supported project at the main partner institutions are called (academic) project coordinators.

In network cooperation projects the cooperating researchers at the main partner institutions in Norway and the South are project coordinators for the network project, and they have the main responsibility for planning, implementation and reporting.

A change of project coordinator has to be agreed by the main partner institutions in Norway and the South, and the change has to be communicated to SIU immediately.

The project coordinators are responsible for the annual reporting of their project. It is mandatory for all NUFU-supported projects, including NUCOOP, to submit the Project Coordinators’ Annual Progress Report (PCAPR) to SIU each year. The deadline for submitting the report is 1 March each year. The project coordinators are jointly responsible for writing and submitting the report each year (for more information about the PCAPR, see 7.3).

For more information about remuneration for the project coordinator, see 5.6 Project management.

4.2. The role of the institution and the institutional contact person

As already mentioned the NUFU cooperation works according to a decentralised model, i.e. cooperation projects are implemented in cooperation between researchers at departmental level at the partner institutions. However, there are also certain responsibilities that rest with the institutional level.

In order to embed the project institutionally an institutional contact person has to be appointed by the institutional management.

The institutional contact person should monitor the NUFU-funded projects at the institution and the day-to-day institutional handling of the NUFU partnership. This contact may be a person at the office of International Relations, the central office for research and graduate studies or similar.

The institutional contact person is the coordinating link between the NUFU projects at his/her institution and SIU. The contact person is also responsible for preparing an annual institutional report to SIU, which includes an assessment of the NUFU-supported partnership. Institutions that run more than one NUFU-supported project may form a NUFU committee with responsibility for evaluating the project coordinator’s annual progress reports. All annual project reports need to be approved by the institution before further allocations are disbursed from SIU (for more information about the annual institutional report, see 7.3).

In the event that the institutional contact person has to be replaced, SIU should be notified in writing by the institutional management as soon as possible.

For information about compensation for institutional coordination etc., see section 5.7

Institutional administration and coordination support.

Basic salaries for the researchers, participating in NUFU-supported cooperation are not covered by the NUFU Programme. Faculty and staff members participating in activities financially supported by NUFU should be employed and paid by their home institution.

5.1. Research activities

Travel, field work and scientific equipment related to the project’s research activities are expenses that can be supported by the NUFU Programme.

Travels

Travel costs to and from Norway or third countries are calculated according to the cheapest mode of international air travel. Travel expenses exceeding this limit must be covered by the traveller.

Visits to Norway are covered within the standards of Norwegian national regulations.

Regulations established at the individual IiN institutions concerning Visiting Researchers shall be used.

Stays abroad by Norwegian travellers are calculated according to the official Norwegian regulations (In Norwegian only) (Statens reiseregulativ).

In the case of visits to countries other than Norway, coverage is based on the regulations of the home country or home institution.

Travel in the home country should be calculated in accordance with the national regulations or regulations established by the home institution, provided they do not exceed the official Norwegian regulations. If the national rates are insufficient to cover the real costs connected with travel and accommodation, remuneration can be arranged based on submitted receipts.

Field work

Expenses in relation to accommodation, field assistance and necessary equipment for field work are supported and can be budgeted for in accordance with the national regulations or regulations established by the home institution. If the national rates are insufficient to cover the real costs connected to the field work, reimbursement can be arranged based on submitted receipts.

Scientific equipment

The purchase of scientific equipment is eligible on the following conditions: All equipment budgeted for in a NUFU project should be available to the cooperation project during the project period. The equipment becomes the property of the institution in the South when the cooperation project is terminated. Norwegian institutions should make necessary equipment available for use at their own institutions.

5.2. PhD activities

Fellowships and the development of new PhD courses and/or programme are granted support under the NUFU Programme.

Fellowships

Fellowships for PhD candidates from the South are funded by the NUFU Programme.

Fellowships for PhD candidates admitted to programmes at institutions in the South should be granted according to local (university) regulations.

NUFU uses the regulations and rates for the State Educational Loan Fund / the Quota Scheme as a model for support for education in Norway. PhD fellows undertaking doctoral work in Norway are liable for paying taxes. For the PhD fellow to receive approximately NOK 9,080 per month after taxes, taxes and charges must be included in the budget dependent on the length of the stay. In addition there will normally be other expenses depending on the nature and level of the work (travel, field work, dissertation costs not covered by any of the institutions etc.), which should be included in the budget under other relevant items (see Research activities).

The NUFU programme does not pay any expenses for accompanying families.

Development of new courses / programmes

Costs related to the development of new PhD courses and programmes are supported by the NUFU Programme. These costs may include expenses related to curriculum development, stakeholders’ meetings, exchange visits and other items.

5.3. Master’s activities

Scholarships

Scholarships for Master’s students from the South are funded by the NUFU Programme.

Scholarships for Master’s students admitted to programmes at institutions in South countries should be granted according to local (University) regulations. The NUFU Programme does not support Master’s students pursuing their degrees at Norwegian institutions.

Development of new courses / programmes

Costs related to development of new PhD courses and programmes are supported by the NUFU Programme.

5.4. Training of technical and administrative staff

In line with the aim of capacity building set out in the NUFU Programme, expenses related to the training of technical and/or administrative staff from the institutions in the South are supported by the NUFU Programme.

Training should be related to the implementation of the cooperation project. If training is offered in Norway or in a third country, the budget should include travel expenses and costs related to daily allowance and accommodation.

5.5. Publication and dissemination

Costs related to publication and dissemination activities that form part of the objective for the cooperation project are also supported by the NUFU Programme. Publication activities include the publication of books, journal articles, policy briefs etc. Dissemination activities include the organisation of and participation in workshops, seminars, conferences etc. Costs for publication of theses for Master’s students and/or PhD fellows admitted to the project may also be included here.

5.6. Project management

Compensation, department at the Institution outside Norway (IoN)

The IoN department may receive compensation by NUFU for the time spent by the academic IoN project coordinator on management and coordination where his/her time has to be substituted by the department. Compensation is intended to cover replacement staff at the IoN researcher’s department/centre.

Compensation is allocated according to the relevant rates/regulations at the researcher’s home institution. As a general rule, the IoN department will not be compensated for the IoN researchers’ workload related to research and education activities in the cooperation project, except for the supervision of PhD candidates.

The maximum project management workload for a bilateral and/or network project is set to three (3) full-time months per year.

Remuneration – IoN

As mentioned above, faculty and staff members participating in activities financially supported by NUFU should be employed and paid by their home institution. However, some remuneration for increased responsibility and workload for project coordinators and researchers may be covered according to local rates and regulations.

Compensation, department at the Institution inside Norway (IiN)

The IiN department may also receive compensation for the time spent by the academic IiN project coordinator on management and coordination of the cooperation project, supervision of PhD fellows in sandwich programmes, course and seminar work carried out at the institution in the South etc.

Compensation is intended to cover replacement staff at the IiN researcher’s department/centre. The maximum project management workload for a bilateral and/or network project is set to three (3) full-time months per year. NUFU accepts a maximum of NOK 35,000 per full-time month as compensation for the IiN department/centre.

Project administration costs

The total project administration costs (IoN + IiN) must not exceed 10 per cent of the sub-total project costs (sum of all direct cost items mentioned above). The project administration costs should be distributed between the main IoN and IiN partners and may, based on the workload of each institution, also be distributed between network partners. This could be done on an equal basis, i.e. as a 50/50 split, or by agreement between the partner institutions.

Project administration costs are intended to contribute towards administrative expenses at department/institute/centre/faculty level associated with the time and resources invested in the administration of research and training activities, accounting and reporting etc. that represent an additional burden as a direct result of these activities.

5.7. Institutional administration and coordination support

The NUFU Programme also provides support for the main partner institutions in the South and in Norway for institutional administration and coordination according to a fixed percentage (8.2 per cent) of the total project allocation. The NUFU Programme’s administration at SIU will perform an annual automatic calculation of support for institutional administration and coordination.

The NUFU Programme’s support for institutional administration and coordination will be distributed between the main IoN and IiN partner institutions on an equal basis, i.e. as a 50/50 split. Regarding network projects, further disbursement of the funds must be agreed by the institutions in accordance with the sharing of responsibilities.

The money will be disbursed from SIU to the account of the main IoN and IiN partner institution respectively on an annual basis, in August each year. The disbursement of funds is subject to the NUFU Programme Board’s approval of the Annual Institutional Report.

The NUFU Programme’s support for institutional administration and coordination is a contribution to the general costs associated with the implementation, running, reporting and evaluation of cooperation projects in the NUFU Programme at a central institutional level. This may be expenses such as assistance from the accounting department, central administrative tasks related to counselling, research management, monitoring of project implementation, institutional reporting etc. Such costs could also include a salary for the institutional contact person (based on local university regulations).

These funds could also be used for institutional contact visits between the cooperating institutions (at university level) and for participation in conferences organised by SIU.

It is important to be aware that the NUFU Programme’s support for institutional administration and coordination does not extend to activities at project level and, subsequently, should not be budgeted for as part of the project application forwarded to NUFU.

5.8. External financing

SIU encourages the partner institutions to report on activities which are funded by external financial contributors in their annual reports.

Although the NUFU-funded activities are a priority in the NUFU Programme, NUFU emphasises the positive effects of co-funding with other programmes and/or agencies. It should be noted, however, that the same activities cannot be funded by more than one programme (no double funding).

5.9. Costs not covered by the NUFU Programme

Apart from the fixed percentage of 8.2 per cent of the total project allocation, which represents the institutional administration and coordination support, no additional overheads can be deducted from the project allocation from NUFU. Basic salaries for the researchers and other staff members participating in NUFU-supported cooperation are not covered by NUFU. The same applies to fellowships for Norwegian PhD candidates and scholarships for Norwegian Master’s students.

6.1. The Project Document

The Project Document describes the project, its aim and objectives, its activities, outputs, time frame and performance indicators as well as budget and serves as an integrated part of a Tripartite Contract with SIU. It is important to note that the Project Document is an integrated part of the Tripartite Contract. This means that the project activities described in the Project Document are the NUFU Programme Board’s parameters with regard to assessing the progress and results of the NUFU Programme. Deviations from the activities described in the Project Document may be considered a breach of contract and may result in budget reductions.

6.2. The Tripartite Contract

The Tripartite Contract lays down the conditions for SIU’s support for the joint project between the main partner institutions. The Tripartite Contract format is used to emphasise the equality and commitment between the main partner institutions in the project and provides tools for monitoring, follow-up and evaluation.

Some of the institutions taking part in the NUFU Programme may have developed guidelines and routines with regard to the projects in their portfolio. For those who have not, the following may serve as a guide to institutions, researchers and staff taking part in the programme:

7.1. Sharing of responsibilities

The project coordinators decide, based on the Milestones table (in which important activities in the project are described) in the NUFU Project Document and the Project Coordinators’ Annual Progress Report, how to coordinate and implement the project and how to share the responsibility for the planned activities.

7.2. Project organisation

It is recommended that annual meetings are held between the implementing partners. The purpose of the meetings is to review the implementation and progress of activities, assess the progress of PhD candidates and Master’s students and to make plans for the following year.

The following three different models for project organisation may be considered:

• Annual meeting held between the coordinators. Review of education and research, accounts, budgets and work plans.
• Annual meeting including researchers and PhD candidates. Presentation of papers and review of research and education, accounts, budgets and work plans.
• Steering committee meeting. In cases where the partners have chosen to establish a steering committee. Review of research and education, accounts, budgets and work plans. A steering committee meeting will often be combined with an annual meeting for the researchers and PhD candidates.

If the institutions concerned run more than one NUFU project, it is also recommended that the respective project coordinators meet in order to share experiences. The same applies if the institutions run NOMA projects, whereby those involved can share experiences and identify synergies in the projects.

7.3. Monitoring and reporting procedures

Institutions receiving financial support from NUFU are obliged to report back to SIU on the progress of the project and the use of funds. The reporting system within NUFU is an important tool for SIU and the programme board with regard to monitoring the projects and serves as an important means of gathering experience and creating a basis for adjustments to the programme.

With reference to the partnership agreement between Norad and SIU concerning the NUFU Programme, SIU is obliged to submit an annual report to Norad on the progress and results of the programme in terms of academic quality and significance, capacity building /development of institutions and publication and the application of research and education by 31 May of every year.

Data about the progress of the projects is collected through the Project Coordinators’ Annual Progress Reports and the Annual Institutional Reports. These reports are SIU’s main tools for monitoring the projects. SIU and the NUFU Programme Board’s assessments of the projects’ progress in the annual report to Norad is based on the data from these reports. Hence it is important that the institutions make an effort to include correct and relevant data in the reports that they submit to SIU, especially with regard to the production of Master’s students and PhD candidates financed by NUFU.

Furthermore, the timely submission of the reports and the approval of the reports are preconditions for continued financial support for the projects and the corresponding partner institutions.

Online reporting in Espresso is required.

Project Coordinators’ Annual Progress Report (PCAPR)

It is mandatory for all NUFU-supported projects, including NUCOOP-supported projects to submit the Project Coordinators’ Annual Progress Report (PCAPR) to SIU. The deadline for the submission of the report is 1 March each year. The time of submission of the PCAPR allows the Annual Institutional Report to be submitted to SIU by 1 April each year.

The Annual Report includes a summary of project accomplishments in the last year in relation to the objectives stated in the in the annual work plan from the previous year and in the project document, which is an integral part of the tripartite contract.

The project coordinators are jointly responsible for writing and submitting the report each year. For that reason, both the IoN and the IiN coordinators have access to the online reporting forms. In addition, the NUFU institutional contacts at IoN and IiN have reading access to the reporting forms during the coordinators’ preparation of the report. Institutional contacts should monitor the coordinators’ reporting, secure that the reports are correct and ensure that the coordinators’ deadline is kept.

The project coordinators and the institutional contact persons are informed by letter about the call for the submission of the PCAPR in due time prior to the submission of the report, and before the online reporting system has been opened. Information about reporting is also available on SIU’s website in due time before submission of the report.

The partner institution in Norway has the overall responsibility for collecting and compiling all necessary data for the project in order to comply with the requirements set by the NUFU Programme for annual reporting, including a financial report for the previous year denominated in Norwegian kroner (NOK).

As mentioned above, it is important that the project coordinators enter correct data in the PCAPR.

Questions about the following issues are asked in the PCAPR:

• Objectives of the project
• Deviations from last year’s work plan
• Work plan for next year
• Milestones
• Synergy
• Gender issues
• Project results
• Financial report

The format is subject to annual revision and limited modifications.

As previously mentioned, the PCAPRs have to be completed and submitted online to SIU. For more information about how to complete and submit the report, log in to Espresso.

Financial Reporting

While the Norwegian main partner institution has the main responsibility for reporting on the total annual project finances to SIU, expenditure by the IoN/IiN denominated in Norwegian kroner (NOK) should also be reported using the online reporting format. In addition to the project’s online registration of expenditure, the IoN(s) that have received funds transferred from the Norwegian partner institution should fill in the form: IoN – Financial Report – PCAPR. The information in the online reporting format should correspond to the information given in the signed statement of the IoN – Financial Report – PCAPR and to the accounts of the IiN. IoN – Financial Report – PCAPR is available from SIU’s website well in advance of the reporting deadline and must be filled in and signed by the IoN and forwarded to the IiN, which is responsible for keeping the combined project accounts. The signed IoN – Financial Report – PCAPR should be kept and archived at the Norwegian partner institution. The document should not be submitted to SIU.

After submission of the PCAPR, the IiN should print and sign the overall Full Financial Report of the project. The project coordinators have access to the Full Financial Report in Espresso, even after the submission of the PCAPR. The signed Full Financial Report should be forwarded to the institutional contact person who is responsible for collecting and submitting the full financial report(s) to SIU in hardcopy together with the signed Annual Institutional Report.

Financial ‘Rule of Thumb’ in the NUFU Programme – as regards financial reporting

• NUFU funds may only be spent on the respective budget items described in the Project Document. No other extraordinary costs that may occur in the project can be covered by the NUFU allocation.
• Substantial transfers between budget lines must be approved by SIU.
• Unspent funds within a budget year may be transferred to the budget for the following years of the project, but it should be noted that SIU will deduct any unspent funds in one year from the disbursement of funds for the following year.
• If a project has unspent funds at the termination of the project period, these funds must be returned to SIU/Norad.
• A project should only report on funds transferred from SIU, in accordance with the budget.

The NUFU Annual Institutional Report

The monitoring of progress in the NUFU Programme is largely decentralised and delegated to the institutions. All main partner institutions receiving support from the NUFU Programme are requested to prepare an annual institutional report and to carry out an assessment of the NUFU-supported partnership. While the PCAPR is completed jointly by the IoN and the IiN coordinators, the institutional report is completed separately by each main partner institution. The PCAPR is the major source of information and input for the review and the assessment.

The aim of the review and assessment is to establish how and to what extent the projects in question have to adjust their activities and to give an assessment of the impact of the NUFU project at an institutional level.

Furthermore, the timely submission of the reports and approval of the Annual Institutional Report, including approved (signed) financial statements of project expenses, are preconditions for continued financial support for the projects and the respective partner institutions.

In practice, the institution must perform an assessment of and approve every PCAPR it submits. Institutions that run more than one NUFU-supported project may form a NUFU committee with responsibility for evaluating the project coordinator’s annual progress reports.

The annual institutional report consists of two parts:

1. An assessment of the PCAPR submitted by the project coordinators for each project at the institution
2. A general assessment of the NUFU-supported partnership from an institutional perspective

The format is subject to annual revision and limited modifications.

The institutional contact persons / coordinating units have direct access to the reporting format in SIU’s online reporting system Espresso.

Following the online submission of the report the institutional contact person is responsible for producing a printout of it. The report should be signed by the Rector / Vice Chancellor or designate and a signed hardcopy should be forwarded to SIU by post.

With regard to the full financial report, the Norwegian main partner institution should forward a signed full financial report for each project to SIU by 1 April. The full financial reports are printed by the Norwegian project coordinators and should be collected and forwarded to SIU by the institutional contact person at the Norwegian main partner institution.

The project coordinators and the institutional contact persons are informed by letter about the call for the submission of the Annual Institutional Report in due time prior to the submission of the report, and the online reporting system will open immediately after the deadline for submission of the report.

Information about reporting is also available on SIU’s website in due time before the submission of the report.

7.4. Finances

Disbursement of project funds

The Norwegian main partner institution has the overall responsibility for the administration of the NUFU project with the financial contribution from SIU. This responsibility includes the transfer of funds to the main partner institution in the South and the submission of the financial statements of the year’s project expenses. The partner institutions in the South submit a financial report to its partner within 1 March each year as part of the Annual Progress Report.

However, the institution in Norway and the institution in the South have no collective financial responsibility towards SIU but are responsible for funds allocated to and the accounting of project activities at their own institutions in the South and in Norway respectively.

The provisional allocation from the NUFU Programme Board to the project covers the whole project period. The grant for the project, based on the Tripartite Contract, is provided by SIU on an annual basis to the Norwegian institution. As per 2010 SIU transfers project funds automatically to the Norwegian institutions – without receiving an invoice from the institutions. The disbursement of project funds from SIU to the Norwegian institution commonly takes place twice a year (60 per cent in March/April, 40 per cent after the approval of the Annual Institutional Report, with unspent funds deducted). The project coordinators may revise the budget every year when they carry out the annual financial reporting, including the transfer of money between budget years.

Please note that the disbursements of funds in 2012 for projects that have been granted a no-cost extension will differ from disbursements made in 2007 – 2011. Information about payment procedures for 2012 is stated in the Addendum to the Tripartite Contract developed for each project that has been granted a no-cost extension.

There will be no disbursements of support to IiN and IoN for institutional administration and coordination in 2012. The projects shall report to SIU on expenditures in 2012 as a part of the Final Report.

All unspent funds by 31 December 2011, or 31 December 2012 for projects that have been granted a no-cost extension, must be returned to SIU.

Accounting and audit

Institutions in Norway and in the South that receive funds from NUFU are instructed to ensure that appropriate accounting systems are implemented and that accounting will be carried out according to generally accepted accounting principles. Audits should be carried out in accordance with international standards.

Each institution is accountable for funds received from the NUFU Programme. The institution in Norway and the institution in the South have no collective financial responsibility towards SIU but are responsible for funds allocated to and the accounting of project activities at their own institutions in the South and in Norway respectively.

SIU has developed its own procedures for handling irregularities in contracts between SIU and institutions that are awarded funds under programmes managed by SIU, namely Guidelines for Handling Irregularities.

Upon the termination of the project period the cooperating partners are required to submit a Final Report. The Final Report should include the same topics as the Annual Reports for the entire programme periods and may also provide information concerning:

• Assessment of the results of the project, i.e. the extent to which the purpose has been achieved (outcome)

• Assessment of impact (if possible) i.e. the changes and effects, positive or negative, planned and unplanned, of the project seen in relation to target groups and others who are affected
• Assessment of sustainability of the project, i.e. an assessment of the extent to which the positive effects of the project will still continue after the external assistance has been discontinued
• A summary of the main “lessons learned”

Final Report formats will be developed in due course.