STUDY ON THE PROBLEMS IN THE STAGES OF FILLING OUT THE APPLICATION FORM AND TECHNICAL-FINANCIAL REPORTING ENCOUNTERED BY THE PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS IN THE CENTRE REGION IN ACCESSING EUROPEAN FUNDS

Abstract

The article has as main field the project management, specifically, identifying the negative factors on European projects. The article assumes that there is a connection between the absorption of European funds and the maturity of the Romanian society in terms of project management. The main objective of the research is to identify the problems faced by public institutions from Centre Region in accessing European funds. The purpose of the research is to identify the causes that led to the low absorption of European funds, with devastating effects on the current economic situation. The present research is based on a preliminary analysis performed by the author on the rate of accessing European funds published in an article entitled “The current state of European funds absorption through funding programmes – measure of the Romanian performances in the project management practice”. The small degree of absorption of European funds resulting from the analysis shows a poor practice of the theory on project management. To identify the causes of this problem, a research was carried out to recognise the issues that led to this situation. The investigation included two successive surveys, the first one qualitative, exploratory type, interview-based, meant to demonstrate the qualitative aspects of the investigated phenomena and the other one, quantitative, based on a questionnaire in the form of occasional surveys. The qualitative and quantitative research methods are used in combination; this approach has become necessary especially due to the very complex reality whose trueness cannot be captured through one method. The investigation has however a highly quantitative character, the purpose of the qualitative research being to provide the prerequisites for achieving the quantitative research. The qualitative research revealed the existence of some problems faced by institutions in relation to accessing and developing projects that focus on several directions: when filling out the application form, the technical-financial reporting, at the contracting phase of the projects, problems of partners. The article deals with the first two, and from the respondents’ answers, the phase with the greatest number of problems was that of filling out the application form, followed by the technical and financial reporting. Regarding the usefulness of the results, it should be noted that the information obtained from the conducted research supplies, theoretically speaking, the studied field and brings an important contribution not only to possible beneficiaries of European funds (public, private organisations, NGOs, the state, etc.), but to the entire Romanian society through the economic growth it generates The authors’ main contribution is to integrate this study into the logical thread of the thesis entitled “Strategic management in European project funding”. The research conducted in the project management specialty literature emphasises the uniqueness and originality of the proposed and researched theme, which meets a current and pressing requirement of the Romanian society.

Keywords

• Funds, projects, problems, access, reporting.