External Expert to Support the Project in Conducting Feasibility Analysis on Regional Ecosystems
- Do you have somekind of survey tool in use or would you like the service provider provide that tool?
The commissioner has Google Forms, which will be used as a survey tool if needed.
- The following answer answers to two similar questions:
A fast delivery schedule is appreciated, but this type of consulting work and the supportive role must be aligned with the project’s overall timeline. What is your view on the schedule for carrying out the work: when should it begin and end, and how will your partners be able to participate? And
What kind of implementation timetable of the feasibility analysis is the best from your perspective or at least when the work needs to be ready at latest?
The schedule carrying out the activity implementation should be structured in two phases: a preparatory phase and an implementation phase.
The preparatory phase should ideally begin in summer/early autumn 2026, during which the selected service provider develops the implementation framework, including methodological tools and detailed steps for execution. A kick-off meeting with the project partners should therefore be organised in June to agree on the timetable and other practical arrangements.
The implementation phase should begin in late August or early September 2026, following the summer holiday period. At this point, a implementation framework meeting/kick-off meeting to launch the step 1 should be held with all the partners to launch the regional implementation.
The project partners have reserved adequate resources for the implementation from August 2026 onwards until early months of 2027. The preliminary timeline and the alignment with other project activities is as follows:
- Preliminary results are presented in Midterm Meeting organised in 6-7 October 2026.
- The work should be finalised in initial months of 2027 to ensure that its findings provide inputs for activity 2.4 “Identifying optimal approaches for piloting the innovation ecosystem engagement” and activity 2.3 “Formulating the cross-border strategy and action plans that enhance regional capacity” launching in Q1 of 2027.
- Could you further define the consultant’s supportive role, or do you expect the consultant to refine it as part of the implementation plan? For example, to what extent do you expect the consultant to contribute methodological perspectives regarding the analysis?
The external expert’s role is primarily as a supportive, enabling, and methodological expert role. The project partners remain responsible for executing the activity, stakeholder engagement, and data collection, while the external expert provides the framework, tools, and analytical support.
The commissioner hopes for the service provider to refine its role / provide ideas on its role as part of the implementation plan, but for example the role could be as follows:
- Structuring and guiding the analytical process:
- implementation framework including step-by-step methodological approach,
- analytical tools, and guidelines, and
- approaches for stakeholder mapping and ecosystem assessment.
- Providing methodological and analytical expertise:
- suitable analytical methods,
- helping interpret findings and identify key insights, and
- challenging assumptions and validating results.
- Supporting partner-driven implementation:
- guiding partners through each step via structured meetings,
- supporting preparation of materials, and
- providing feedback on intermediate outputs.