WP1 - State of the art on Maritime Environmental Protection and Management
Montenegro and Albania are seeking professionals with the knowledge, experience, and skills in the field of marine environmental protection who will be able to manage environmental issues and help in achieving national environmental goals. Current education systems in these countries only partially cover some aspects of maritime environmental protection, mostly at the bachelor's degree level.
In that context, an overview of master programs in the field of Maritime Environmental Protection and Management at EU HEIs will be a basis for obtaining necessary information and practical examples of their strategy efforts and their challenges. The report will present an in-depth analysis of the EU policy framework and institutional practices.
In the second stage of WP1, GAP analysis will be implemented. It will represent a continuation of the previously done Needs analysis in the field of MEP&M in Montenegro and Albania. The results of a GAP analysis will show additional sub-areas that should be included for developing teaching, research, and practical skills in a new regional joint interdisciplinary master program in Maritime Environmental Protection and Management (MEP&M) in the English language.
Based on the overview and analysis, guidelines for delivering a new regional joint interdisciplinary master program in MEP&M in the English language at Montenegrin and Albanian HEIs will be delivered.
WP2 - Development and implementation of master degree program
WP2 aims to develop partner countries' HEIs joint master degree program in the field of MEP&M in the English language. The master degree program is aimed at students with BSc diploma and professionals in governmental institutions and private companies of the WB region who seek additional knowledge in the field of maritime environmental protection and management in order to become top-quality graduates as managers, planners, policymakers, researchers or advisors who can make a difference in maritime environmental protection sector. After graduation, they will have the ability to think through complex issues in climate change and maritime pollution prevention, analyse the maritime environment and its resources, including coastal and maritime sustainable development, capable of managing projects and programs, and have well-developed leadership and personal skills.
The methodology for curriculum development will be based on guidelines developed in WP1. In the process of preparing curricula and course catalogues, EU partners and non-academic partners will assist in terms of reviewing their synchronization with the Bologna Declaration, Lisbon Strategy, national and EU laws, and strategies in the field of MEP&M.
Structure of the program: The master program in MEP&M curriculum will provide theoretical and practical training for the students and professionals. The program will have a duration of 24 months divided into 3 course-based semesters and 1 Master thesis semester. Each semester allows 30 ECTS to be gained. The first two semesters are based on compulsory courses that provide the basis for the specialization pathway through elective courses each student can choose in the third semester.
Mode of delivery: Emphasising flexibility, the program uses a blended model of delivery combining classroom-based teaching methods with/and e-learning.
WP3 - Capacity Building through staff training and equipment purchase
WP3 aims to enhance human and technical capacities related to the joint master program in MEP&M at Montenegrin and Albanian HEIs.
Necessary equipment will be specified and procured in order to support the performance of online/blended learning in a new joint master program in MEP&M at Montenegrin and Albanian HEIs.
Capacity building of teaching staff will be enhanced in wide aspects of MEP&M areas through tailored training, in wider fields of clime change and mitigation, marine pollution prevention, environmental management, international laws, and strategies in the field of marine environmental protection. Capacity building will also be performed in the fields of, and organizational and procedural aspects of online/blended learning course development, latest developments in innovative teaching and learning methods, as well as best practices of educational video production with the focus on lecture capture.
Web sites at each partner HEI will be redesigned to give all information regarding the new master program.
WP4 - Quality Control and Monitoring
Quality control and monitoring are perceived as an important support to management, planning, and implementation of project activities, and, as such, they are given special attention within the project. The outcomes of this WP will be used within Management WP, to improve project implementation. One of the major expected benefits of this WP will be that any amendments in project implementation that may be needed can be introduced without having negative effects on reaching project goals and causing significant delays. It will also facilitate the day-to-day implementation of project activities, reporting obligations, and quality of outcomes.
Internal Quality Plan and Monitoring, containing Quality Assurance (QA) and monitoring guidelines and corresponding templates will be developed, encompassing standardized forms for project deliverables, event evaluation forms, etc. It will enable day-to-day monitoring implementation of project deliverables. Annual QA reports will be developed, as a tool for quality management monitoring.
External Quality Control and Evaluation of the project will be carried out two times during the project lifetime, with experts engaged through an open call. Additionally, the project will be subject to regular monitoring and evaluation of national Erasmus + offices and EACEA. Impact Analysis will be carried out towards the end of implementation, affecting the remainder of the project implementation, but also its activities after the end of the project lifetime.
WP5 - Dissemination and Exploitation of Project Results
The main objective of WP5 is to ensure the dissemination and sustainability of project results. Dissemination and Exploitation will be shaped through respective plans that will be carefully prepared, and all project partners will be involved in their implementation. Dissemination of the project results will be based on the principles of full transparency and involvement of all relevant stakeholders during the project lifetime and sharing of appropriate information and visibility activities.
Exploitation activities will ensure that the results of the project will have lasting effects, after its completion. The basis for exploitation will be given in the exploitation plan and exploitation roadmap, where the latter will be delivered by the end of the project, based on the results of the project and following the findings of the Impact Analysis. To enable the continuation of the efforts, it is important to provide that the results of the project are incorporated into the day-to-day management of the Montenegrin HEIs, which will be ensured through the implementation of the strategies and work of the strategy monitoring bodies. Also, the project should set the basis for the continuation of joint activities of Montenegrin, Albanian, and EU partners, especially in promoting the regional joint master program in MEP&M.
WP6 - Project Management
WP6 is essential to the management of the project. Overall management of the project and consortium is envisaged participatory, steered by the lead partner, with experience in coordinating Tempus and Erasmus + projects, in charge of the overall coordination, management, and reporting towards the EACEA, but with shared responsibilities among all partners.
The Kick-off meeting will contribute to the establishment of the management structure of the project, a detailed introduction to the project activities, and rules of Erasmus + CBHE. The project management board (PMB), established during the Kick-off meeting, will be, the highest-level decision, making body consisted of all project partners and will be chaired by the project coordinator.
Since the coordinator is the sole signatory of the grant agreement on behalf of the consortium, individual Partnership Agreements will be signed with each of the partners. Also, “Project Handbook” will be designed at the beginning of the project, as a management and facilitation tool, for the use of consortium. In addition to all procedures and reporting and minutes templates, it will contain mitigation and risk measures related to the management, with a special focus on conflict resolution. The coordinator will be in charge of providing external financial audits as well.
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