After three years of practical experience with the negotiation of FP7 projects, the DESCA core group decided to launch a consultation to collect feedback on DESCA 2.0. The consultation process consisted of an extensive online questionnaire, which was open in summer 2010. In addition to this, an open meeting of stakeholders and DESCA users took place in Brussels.
Participation
The questionnaire was completed by 106 FP7 experts from all different types of organisations and with different technological background. Respondents came from 19 different countries. The open meeting in Brussels was attended by 42 experts from ten countries.
Use of DESCA
The survey showed that the DESCA model is frequently used in FP7 projects covering all types of research areas. More than 50% of all respondents estimated that they used the DESCA model in 81-100% of their FP7 collaborative projects. Another 19% stated that it was used in 61 to 80% of their projects.
Benefits of DESCA
Around 90% of participants stated that DESCA helped them save time and money. Moreover, more than 85% of respondents found that the model made the negotiation process of FP7 projects simpler and easier. 73% thought that DESCA helped prevent power imbalances between project partners.
Report on the Stakeholder Consultation
A detailed report on the 2010 stakeholder consultation can be found here.