Practice Abstract - Research and innovation

The importance of developing common goals amongst partners for maximising the impact of multi-actor projects

The EUREKA project (www.h2020eureka.eu) has made a detailed assessment of the implementation of the multi-actor approach in different research and innovation projects.



Working with a diverse range of partners in a multi-actor project can be very challenging. Partners are likely to have many different ways of thinking and of doing things, including contrasting approaches to problem solving, time management, planning and executing tasks. These differences must be addressed in the design and development phase of a project in order to create a strong foundation for the implementation of project tasks / activities and the maximising of project impact.



The most important first step in steering a project towards maximum impact is to engage partners in the definition and agreement of a common goal(s). Without clear goals, a project loses its pace and direction resulting in limited or even negative impact.

Many different approaches can be taken to the setting of common goals. The more diverse the project partners (plus associated stakeholders and potential end-users), then the more difficult goal-setting can become.



Best practice is to adopt a collective approach with substantial and well-facilitated input from all partners. Other approaches include a scoping phase with all partners and then more detailed elaboration by a core group, or alternatively a preliminary drafting by a core group followed by consultation with all partners. It is generally not a good idea to let one partner dominate the process, unless this is clearly agreed by all partners as the best approach to take.



The key objective is to keep all partners fully engaged, motivated and signed up to the common goal(s) when fulfilling their roles / tasks during project implementation.

Source Project
Eureka
Completed | 2020-2022
Main funding source
Horizon 2020 (EU Research and Innovation Programme)
Geographical location
Belgium
Project details

Project Keywords