Project management and coordination is carried out by WP13, led by GEOMAR. Each WP is led by a partner with technological expertise in the WP topic and experience in leading a WP, supported by co-leaders. GEOMAR acts as an intermediary between all partners and the EU Commission and oversees the implementation and progress of the project. GEOMAR has established a Project Management Office (PMO) consisting of a scientific, project, data and financial manager. The PMO supports the day-to-day project management and fulfils the tasks specified in the Grant Agreement. The Data Manager is supported by the WP Leader of the dedicated Data Management Work Package WP5. The PMO operates under the guidance of the Executive Board (EB), consisting of the WP Leaders and the Project Security Officer, and chaired by the Coordinator.
Figure 1: Governance structure of the project.
All partners are represented in the Project General Assembly (PGA), which convenes in person at the kick-off, mid-term and final project meetings (unless otherwise required) and is responsible for key project decisions. An External Stakeholder Advisory Board (ESAB) of 5-8 stakeholders representing government ministries, EOD industry and environmental NGOs will be established. We aim to include ESAB members from countries not yet involved in the project. Like all other stakeholders, the ESAB will be involved in the stakeholder dialogue and co-design of WP1. The ESAB will meet and participate in the second and third project meetings to review progress and advise the PGA and EB on project development and necessary adjustments (co-design of WP1).
In addition, a Security Advisory Board (SAB) is established that is led by a Project Security Officer (PSO) and oversees the distribution of security-relevant data between the partners, but most importantly to the outside.