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10 September 2024 - Close-out Budget Guidelines for Platforms 

• Meeting recording

• Annex 1: Close-out Budget Guidelines for the Initiatives (slide deck) 

9 September 2024 - Monthly Drop-in Meeting: 2022–2024 Close-out Guidance (Q&A Session) 

• Meeting recording

• Q&A: Transition Guidance : Annex 1: Close-out Budget Guidelines for the Initiatives (slide deck) 

11 July 2024 - Deep Dive: CGIAR Close-out Guidelines

• Meeting recording 

• Deep Dive: CGIAR Close-out Guidelines (slide deck) 

General

• Revised CGIAR Window 1 Budget for 2024

• CGIAR 2025-30 Portfolio Narrative 

• Next CGIAR portfolio development (link to InfoPoint)
  
  

Emails from the EMD

• EMD email of 30 April 2024

• EMD email  of 16 April 2024
  
  

Financial Reporting

• FP&A Dashboard
  
  

Technical Reporting

• 2024 Technical Reporting
  
  

Partnership Management

• Program Partnership Focal Points

• CGIAR Engagement Framework for Partnership & Advocacy

• Partnership  Continuity Template
  
  

Risk Management

• Risk Management Module

• Transition Risks Reported by Initiatives and Platforms in the Risk Management Module  (Final Version - 7 September 2024)

1. Grateful for more clarity on the deadline(s) for partners to return funds – does this vary by Center and how can we ensure consistent communication with partners who have contracts with different Centers?
   While the inclusion of a clause regulating unspent funds is standard in agreements, the specific timing for the return of unspent funds under a closing partner agreement should be guided by the terms and conditions outlined between the Centers and implementing partners specific to fund management.
   
   

2. Where will transition funding for early 2025 activities that are expected to continue  (lab, field, genebank) and staff time (before new Portfolio assignments are set up) come from, and when will it be available to spend?
   As we transition, we are committed to considerable continuity of the work carried out by the current Initiatives and Platforms, as well as to minimizing unnecessary disruption. Indicative guidance on W1/2 funding levels for Programs and Accelerators has recently been shared, which will give the Centers visibility on the funding commitments that will be available to cover anticipated costs in early 2025, as the Portfolio teams complete the detailed work plans and budgets during the inception period.  The goal is to have pragmatic modalities to continue the flow of funds for proposed critical, aligned activities and staff time to be covered through the Programs and Accelerators from 1 January 2025.
   
   

3. Is there a specific format or structure for submitting the estimated budget for “vital activities” to ensure the budget transition of committed unspent funds? Following the submission of the estimated budget, when will Centers be notified of the budget approved?
   For these and other questions relating to finance for Vital Activities, please note the following: We have updated the transition guidance to exclude the previously proposed funding for partner Vital Activities as part of the allowable 2024 budget carryover. With this change, we request that the Initiatives and Impact Platform teams work with the new Portfolio Writing Teams Partnership Focal Points to map any proposed partner Vital Activities to the relevant Programs or Accelerators. This will allow for the continuation of partner Vital Activities in the new Portfolio inception phase and ensure they are included in the detailed budget to be developed in the first quarter of 2025.  Guidance on close-out activities was shared on 21 August, and a Q&A session is planned on 9 September to provide further clarity.
   
   

4. With Science Week rescheduled to April 2025, several Initiatives planned to join in 2024 as part of showing progress of their work. I would consider participation in Science Week in 2025 as part of closing activities. If this is not considered several Initiatives will not be able to join in 2025.
   Unfortunately, Science Week costs will not be covered as part of the closeout activities. Any planned activities for 2025, including participation in Science Week, should be mapped to the new Portfolio Programs and/or Accelerators.  This will ensure that the associated costs are included in the new Portfolio budget and work plans. The exercise to develop the detailed budgets and workplans will be carried out during the 2025 Q1 inception phase.
   
   

5. How has the 15 October deadline for Vital Activities and carry-forward been determined?
   The process for Vital Activities has changed. Please refer to the answer to question 3 above for more information.  The 15 October due date for submission of the proposed close-out budget was determined to be the latest possible date that would allow Program Finance to process and consolidate the data, obtain approval from senior management, and confirm the outcome with the Centers.
   
   

6. When we estimate the budget for financial and reporting close out activities, should we be estimating what it will actually cost, or simply what we are able to pay from 2024 funds? As you know, none of us expected to fund 2025 from our 2024 budgets and instead worked hard to mindfully plan to spend down. I think there will be a big gap between what we “need” and what we “can manage to set aside from 2024 funds” for these WP0-type activities.
   As outlined in the guidelines, closeout activities such as the technical report are routine and should have been included in the 2024 budget as part of Initiative and Impact Platform activities. Unfortunately, there is no plan to allocate 2025 W1 funding for 2024 reporting and close-out in 2025. Please note that as many of the reporting activities as possible should be completed in 2024. The costs should be allocated from the 2024 funds. Initiative and Impact Platform leads should coordinate with Centers to submit the estimated budget required to support close-out activities to Program Finance by 15 October. Please refer to the Transition Calendar above for a list of all key deadlines.

7. How are the transition financial and partnership processes aligned with the premise of continuity of the work and partnerships of the current portfolio? What happens with the designated [pooled] funds, how about Center allocation, etc.?
   To minimize disruption and ensure continuity of work and partnership, indicative guidance on W1/2 funding levels for Programs and Accelerators  has recently been disseminated. This will give the Centers visibility on the funding commitments that will be available to cover anticipated costs in early 2025, as the Portfolio teams complete the detailed work plans and budgets during the inception period. The goal is to have pragmatic modalities to continue the flow of funds for proposed critical, aligned activities and staff time to be covered through the Programs and Accelerators from 1 January 2025.

We have also updated the Transition Guidance to exclude the previously proposed funding for partner Vital Activities as part of the allowable 2024 budget carryover. With this change, we request that the Initiatives and Impact Platform teams work with the new Portfolio Writing Teams Partnership Focal Points to map any proposed partner Vital Activities to the relevant Programs or Accelerators. This will allow for the continuation of partner Vital Activities in the new Portfolio inception phase and ensure they are included in the detailed budget to be developed in the first quarter of 2025.
Designated funds follow the original allocation by mapping Initiatives to the new Programs and Accelerators. Center allocations will be prepared along with the new portfolio budget  

8. We have issued a purchase order with a partial payment already made for the procurement of equipment, which is expected to be delivered after December 2024. The final payment will be made upon delivery. Based on the guidance in the transition document, will these costs be considered allowable?
   All procurement and related reporting should adhere to Center internal controls and accounting practices aligned with International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). Additional considerations for expenses charged to W1 funding, including capital asset purchases, should be directly allocable to the Initiative or Impact Platform. That is, the expenses must be necessary for carrying out the planned activities as outlined in the approved 2024 Budget and corresponding Plan of Results and Budget (PORB).
   All purchase orders must have been issued on or before July to be considered eligible and included as part of the 2024 Center Financial Statements (FFSS) Initiative or Impact Platform expenses. Lastly, any capital asset valued over $30,000 must be approved by the Science Managing Director (SMD) or their designated delegate, as appropriate.

9. We have critical staff that maintain important assets and provide critical services for breeding. These include cross-crop function teams in ABI and BRI. We will require funds to be set aside to cover this essential talent through Q1, 2025 or to May 2025. I am assuming that the transitional period may take 3-6 months. Please confirm that we can set aside funds which can be ringfenced for this purpose.
   Indicative guidance on W1/2 funding levels for Programs and Accelerators has been shared by the @CGIAR Portfolio Design (CGIAR System Organization) team based on the proposed mapping of the current Inititiative and platforms to the new portfolio. The intention of the indicative funding levels is to give centers visibility on the funding commitments that will be available to cover anticipated costs in early 2025, as the Portfolio teams complete the detailed work plans and budgets during the inception period.  The goal is to have pragmatic modalities to continue the flow of funds for proposed critical, aligned activities and staff time to be covered through the Programs and Accelerators from 1 January 2025. In this case it should include the anticipated critical staff required. 

10. As the initiatives are integrated into various new CGIAR portfolios, can the unspent 2024 budget from these initiatives be transferred to the associated new CGIAR portfolios?
    No, 2024 budget balance can only be earmarked to support close-out activities, specifically financial and technical reporting. All other unspent funds will be returned to the Window 1 pooled funding for reallocation towards the next Portfolio, as mentioned in Annex III of the Revised CGIAR Window 1 Budget for 2024 document.

11. Does the funding for close-out activities need to come from the W0 budget and/or can underspending from another initiative work package (WP) be used instead?
    Allocating budget balances from WP0 would be the preferred option. However, if there are no available balances in WP0, you may use unspent balances from other work packages. 

12. In situations where staff are currently allocated 100% FTE to one initiative, and assuming that not all of their time will be spent on close-out activities, where should the remaining time be funded from in Q1?
    For the close-out staff time allocation required to support technical and/or financial reporting,  Initiatives should only include the required FTE % in the People Plan. Same process for Platforms; however, they would use the Staff Needs Template. Furthermore, as we transition, we are committed to considerable continuity of staff of the current Initiatives and Platforms to minimizing unnecessary disruption. Therefore, indicative guidance on W1/2 funding levels for Programs and Accelerators was recently shared, which will give the Centers visibility on the funding commitments that will be available to cover anticipated costs including staff costs required in early 2025, as the Portfolio teams complete the detailed work plans and budgets during the inception period.  The goal is to have pragmatic modalities to continue the flow of funds for proposed critical, aligned activities and staff time to be covered through the Programs and Accelerators from 1 January 2025.

13. Will the new portfolio funds be available in Q1 2025 or not? And if uncertain, when will this be decided?
    Indicative guidance on W1/2 funding levels for Programs and Accelerators was recently shared to the Portfolio writing team which will give the Centers visibility on the funding commitments that will be available and required in early 2025, as the Portfolio teams complete the detailed work plans and budgets during the inception period.  The goal is to have pragmatic modalities to continue the flow of funds for proposed critical, aligned activities and staff time to be covered through the Programs and Accelerators from 1 January 2025. 

14. In developing the close-out budget, should the Initiative leads contact center finance focal points directly or will the System office program finance consolidate all plans and share them with the centers?
    Initiative Leads are requested to submit the updated People Plan, including the level of effort for each staff member, to the designated program finance support. Please refer to the Initiative Contacts Database to confirm the program finance staff assigned to your Initiative. The program finance staff will then assist the initiative teams in coordinating with the respective center finance leads, who will complete the next steps as outlined in the Transition Guidelines—Annex 1. 

15. When projecting expenses for December 2024 against the burn rate through June 2024, please note that the execution of initiatives is not linear. A significant portion of the partner budget spending will occur in December, and centers typically submit and report expenses later in the year.
    We acknowledge that this estimate is not perfect, but it is the best information available at this time. This estimate will be used to assess how to accommodate the reporting and closeout costs for 2024. 

16. We anticipate no underspend and expect to fully expend the budget by the end of December. In this case, could you please clarify where the budget will come from to cover Q1 closing staff? And How should we handle situations where some centers within an initiative will have carryover funds while others have their budgets fully committed and will be spent by year-end?
    As outlined in the Transition Guidelines, unfortunately, there will be no additional funds available to support closeout activities. Please contact your assigned Program Finance team, who can assist you in exploring alternative options to cover the necessary costs. 

1. 1. There are concerns over having to use part of Initiative 2024 budgets for 2024 reporting. 2024 funding has already been fully allocated for delivery towards EoI outcomes. In addition, reporting and closing out costs may be borne mostly by one or a few Center(s), meaning that the 2024 funding would need to be reallocated between Centers to enable reporting. Instead, a fixed amount per Initiative should be budgeted centrally for 2024 reporting/close out of the 2025 W1 budget.
      At present there is no plan to allocate 2025 W1 funding for 2024 reporting and close-out in 2025. Please note that as many of the reporting activities as possible should be completed in 2024. If necessary, Inter-Center invoicing can be used for short-term reallocation of resources between Centers for reporting/closeout purposes once the reporting/closeout costs have been estimated.
      
      

   2. We would be grateful for early guidance on 2024 Technical Reporting.
      Well noted. The current version of the 2024 technical reporting guidance is available on the P&R hub; this information will be updated regularly.
      
      

   3. The Technical Reporting Guidance states,  “the number of results reported in this late timeframe should be kept to a minimum owing to the limited resources available for 2024 reporting in 2025.” What would be considered a minimum? Will there be a cap after which we will not be able to upload more outputs to PRMS if we reach a certain number of submissions during this late timeframe?
      While the PRMS Reporting Tool will remain open until Friday, 31 January, 2025, the December-January reporting period should focus on results that have become available at the end of 2024, such as MELIA studies, synthesis deliverables and/or key recently published knowledge products. The reason why we encourage you to keep these late submissions to a minimum is because, with the new structure in place, Initiatives resources for reporting and QA in Q1 2025 will be limited. The Technical Reporting Guidelines have been updated to provide further clarification.
      
      

   4. Partner reporting is already specified in sub-contracts, and they are not in alignment with this new reporting timeline. Our contracts people have indicated that they do not have the bandwidth to process amendments for them.
      Based on these concerns, the PRMS deadline has been extended to 31 January 2025 to accommodate results by partners. We will also try to be flexible in handling exceptions.

1. 5. Is February 28, 2025 the last day (hard deadline) for Centers to provide completed Type 1 Reports? The bulk of the 2024 reporting will inevitably occur in late December 2024 and Q1 2025; measures need to be taken to accommodate this reality.
      Based on the feedback received during the deep dive session, Type 1 Reports will now be due (hard deadline) by 31 March 2025. The transition guidance has been updated and now includes the revised 2024 technical reporting schedule. 

1. 6. The desire not to have the initiatives overlapping with the new portfolio in 2025 is clear and understood. Yet reporting and closure is happening in Q1 2025 – it is necessary and part of the timetable. This is not part of current 2024 budgets. What is the rationale for 2025 resources not being assigned to the reporting and closure?
      As outlined in the guidelines, closeout activities such as the technical report are routine and should have been included in the 2024 budget as part of Initiative and Impact Platform activities. Unfortunately, there is no plan to allocate 2025 W1 funding for 2024 reporting and close-out in 2025. Please note that as many of the reporting activities as possible should be completed in 2024. The costs should be allocated from the 2024 funds. Initiative and Impact Platform leads should coordinate with Centers to submit the estimated budget required to support close-out activities to Program Finance by 15 October.

For all questions relating to partner management for Vital Activities--including what constitutes a Vital Activity, budgets, timelines, and start/stop procedures with partners, please note the following: 

• We have updated the transition guidance to exclude the previously proposed funding for partner Vital Activities as part of the allowable 2024 budget carryover. With this change, we request that the Initiatives and Impact Platform teams work with the new Portfolio Writing Teams Partnership Focal Points to map any proposed partner Vital Activities to the relevant Programs or Accelerators. This will allow for the continuation of partner Vital Activities in the new Portfolio inception phase and ensure they are included in the detailed budget to be developed in the first quarter of 2025. For close-out activities, which are separate, we will share more details on process as soon as they are confirmed.  

• For close-out activities, which are separate,  please see the updated Guidelines which includes Annex 1: Close-out Budget Guidelines for Initiatives . The 15 October due date now applies to submission of the proposed close-out activities budget only.

• It is important to note that we are approaching the end of a CGIAR portfolio business cycle, not merely continuing carry over within an ongoing cycle. At the close of the 2022-2024 business cycle, we anticipate significant changes in research composition, delivery models, and funding pathways, all of which are currently under development. The guidance provided for closing out contractual agreements takes into account compliance risks associated with this transition. Centers may choose, at their discretion, to fund current partner agreements beyond December 2024, from other funding sources, such as bilateral funding. However, it should be noted that in such cases, a modification to introduce changes in applicable flow-down conditions would still apply to meet compliance standards in alignment with the new funding sources.

1. 1. From the guidance, it is not clear whether there’s a deadline for returning unspent funds. In managing implementing partners’ unspent budget balances, can we agree on using the same principles under which we have been operating for Initiatives? That is, if a Center will continue working with the same partner, the Center can carry over cash to the next contract instead of asking the partner to send the funds back to us.
      The process and timelines for the return of unspent advance funds for partners should be guided by the signed Financial Framework Agreement, Center policy and the provisions of the signed subgrant agreements between the partners and Centers.  The risk, and therefore the management of this process, sits with the Center.  It is recommended, as a matter of good practice, that a risk-based approach (based on amount, partner due diligence, and reporting history) be applied in decision making.  Note that any unspent partner advances will be discounted from the first Q1 2025 transfer of funds for Programs.
      
      

   2. The “partnership Focal Point” is a good idea, can Initiative managers support this time-consuming process?  Is there a list of "partnership focal points" that can be shared?
      The Writing Teams' Partnership Focal Points' list can be found here. Assistance from Initiative and Platform team members is welcome to support these Focal Points as they work with Initiatives and Platforms to facilitate continuity of partnerships.
      
      

   3. Do the 2025-2030 Program/Accelerator Writing Teams have the discretion to discontinue Initiative partnerships/drop Initiative work in certain geographies?
      The Writing teams should collaborate with Initiative and Platform teams to allow for integration and continuation of key work and partnerships established in the current 2022-2024 Portfolio. This engagement will allow the Writing Teams to outline the high-level thematic and geographic priorities to be submitted as part of the Program/Accelerator proposals in September 2024. Refinement of prioritization and detailed work planning will occur during the 2025-2030 Inception phase, which will involve deeper engagement with partners. It is important to note that the decisions on continuity of the Portfolio will be based on evidence and demand-driven prioritization exercises.
      
      

   4. Is the mapping of partner vital activities for inclusion to the P25 portfolio by Centres meant for partners we have worked with over the last 3 years of the Initiative (eg. partners in the delivery of activities w/funding through an LOA or NARS partners attending workshops/training) or may include new organizations we plan to partner with under P25 once approved. Is there a format on the details we need to include for the identified partners and further guidelines on partnership management, in particular the inclusion of P22 vital activities in the 2025 budget for end-of-business cycle closing.
      The mapping should focus on the current and on-going partnerships —specifically, partners with existing Letters of Agreement or Subgrant Agreements— that are implementing vital activities that should not be disrupted with the close-out of the current portfolio by ensuring their continuation to the next business cycle from January 2025. This process will enable the P25 writing teams to integrate the vital activities to the relevant programs and/or accelerators. Doing so will ensure the continuation of the partner activities as we transition to the new portfolio. The writing team will then use the mapping information to develop detailed budgets during the inception phase in Q1 of next year. Therefore, the mapping should be specific to current on-going partner activities to ensure that the vital activities are not disrupted as we transition to the new portfolio. Lastly, the Portfolio Design Coordination team is finalizing on the partnership mapping template to be shared with the portfolio partnership focal points in the next couple of days. We therefore request that you reach out to the partnership focal points listed here as you coordinate the mapping exercise.
      
      

   5. Are there any exceptions to the closing of all partnership contracts (sub-agreements) by end of 2024? in the earlier guidelines there was a mention of "vital activities", are these still eligible and would it be possible to expand on who is responsible to approve them?
      Yes, the SGAs need to be closed by Dec 2024. We have updated the transition guidance to exclude the previously proposed funding for partner Vital Activities as part of the allowable 2024 budget carryover. With this change, we request that the Initiatives and Impact Platform teams work with the new Portfolio Writing Teams

Partnership Focal Points to map any proposed partner Vital Activities to the relevant Programs or Accelerators. This will allow for the continuation of partner Vital Activities in the new Portfolio inception phase and ensure they are included in the detailed budget to be developed in the first quarter of 2025. For close-out activities, which are separate, we will share more details on process as soon as they are confirmed.

1. Can the deadline for recording transition risks in Risk Management Module be extended to September to allow for more information about the future Programs/Accelerators to inform this risk assessment?
   (UPDATE) We have extended the deadline until 6 September 2024 to capture your transition risks in the Risk Management Module.

1. May we  have timely guidance on transitioning outward-facing online products developed by  Initiatives to the 2025-2030 portfolio?
   C&O is working with Initiative communicators to inventory and identify next steps for assets, tools, knowledge products, and other communications products coming from the Initiatives. As part of the larger transition plan, for products that would be carried forward into the new Portfolio, we will then need to assess the overall package and work with target Program teams to ensure there is capacity, resources, and space in the Program for uptake and use/growth/maintenance. Look for further developments on this in the weeks ahead, as we better understand the scope and intent.
   
   

2. Many Initiative publications can be expected to be published early 2025. Can we assume they will continue to be branded the same as in 2024?
   Yes, Initiative branding may be used on Initiative publications that come out in early 2025 for work completed under the Initiative in 2024. However, if the product will be considered a deliverable under one of the new Programs or Accelerators, it should follow guidelines for new Portfolio publications with supplemental acknowledgement language to include/reference/credit the Initiative it was part of. 

Further details will be provided as part of the guidelines for the new Portfolio. Please reach out to the One CGIAR Communication and Outreach team for any additional clarification at communications@cgiar.org. 

As shared in an email from the EMD on 30 April and reiterated in the System Board and System Council-endorsed Portfolio Narrative (Section 5.4, May 29 version), “appropriate, pragmatic modalities will be put in place to enable staff time to be covered through the Programs and Accelerators from 1 January 2025”. Thus Centers will be able to use W1/2 funds to cover staff costs as of January 1 in the transition period before completion of Program/Accelerator inception activities and the introduction of a new staff assignment modality. 

All P&C-related questions have been received and are being factored in in the ongoing work on Portfolio/Program/Accelerator governance and management.  More info will be shared as soon as possible. 

1. 1. To avoid losing talent and further impacting staff well-being, Initiative staff need early visibility on their post-Initiative time coverage. Which solution for staff essential for reporting or close out activities who have contracts ending on December 31, 2024? Where will the transition funding for staff early 2025 (before new Portfolio assignments are set up) come from?
      Page 2, number 5 of the Transition Guidelines includes guidance that permits Initiatives and Impact Platform teams to allocate a portion of the current 2024 budget to cover, among other things, staff time required to support the finalization of close activities, including reporting. This budget will cover the period until March 2025. However, guidance on the reassignment and/or recruitment of staff needed to support the new portfolio will be shared as soon as it becomes available.

   2. Would PhD related engagements be considered as a "vital activity" given that these cannot adhere to the hard stop?
      We have updated the transition guidance to exclude the previously proposed funding for Vital Activities as part of the allowable 2024 budget carryover. With this change, we request that the Initiatives and Impact Platform teams work with the new Portfolio Writing Teams to map any proposed Vital Activities to the relevant Programs or Accelerators. This will allow for the continuation of PhD-related engagement in the new Portfolio inception phase and ensure that it is included in the detailed budget to be developed in the first quarter of 2025.

   3. Following up on the staffing section of the draft Transition Guidelines, I wonder if there is a timeframe for when the new portfolio roles will be finalized and what the process might be for filling them? Would you expect that CGIAR consultants would once again be eligible to apply for internal positions?
      Initial preparations for the new staff roles have not yet begun. However, we anticipate that the terms of reference (TORs) for these positions will be finalized by the end of the year, with recruitment commencing shortly thereafter. Realistically, we cannot guarantee that the roles will be filled before December. As a result, there may need to be interim arrangements for staff and/or consultants. CGIAR consultants are likely to be eligible to apply for these internal positions, though this will depend on the outcomes of the proposal from the Management Arrangement Taskforce, led by ILRI DG Appolinaire Djikeng.

   4. Reference is made to a “smooth transition.” There is, however, a mismatch between the announcement of funding modalities for those currently funded fully or partially through the initiatives and platforms, and staff whose contracts are ending in the coming months. I know of cases where a Center is understandably wary of issuing new contracts while the funding modalities remain unclear. Continued uncertainty runs the risk of reducing staff morale and perhaps staff (key to the future portfolio) securing employment outside CGIAR.
      As we transition, we are committed to considerable continuity of the work carried out by the current Initiatives and Platforms, as well as to minimizing unnecessary disruption. Indicative guidance on W1/2 funding levels for Programs and Accelerators will be shared in the coming weeks. This will give the Centers visibility on the funding commitments that will be available to cover anticipated costs in early 2025, as the Portfolio teams complete the detailed work plans and budgets during the inception period. The goal is to have pragmatic modalities to continue the flow of funds for proposed critical, aligned activities and staff time to be covered through the Programs and Accelerators from 1 January 2025. 

   5. How will the System Organization honor System staff contracts that extend beyond December 2024? All staff working employed in One CGIAR jobs (and/or on Initiatives), and all Centers putting together people plans for 2025, would reasonably expect 6-months notice on staff salary status come 1 January 2025. Please can information on this be a top priority for leadership.
      Following the System Office One CGIAR Staff Meeting held on the 29th of July, CGIAR’s EMD and DEMD provided additional information related to these concerns. For additional individual concerns, please reach out to P.Berhault@cgiar.org. 

   6.  As we finalize the close-out budget, we understand that there are currently no plans to identify staff who may need to continue essential fieldwork and monitoring into Q1 of 2025. For instance, we have invested in long-term field sites that we plan to incorporate into the Science Program, and a 3-month interruption in data collection would be detrimental. Should funding for these activities be drawn from the inception-phase budget allocated for the Science Programs?
      Correct. The proposed close-out budget should only cover the costs necessary for completing final financial and technical reporting. The intention is to allocate these costs within the current approved 2024 Inititiative budget and allow for carry over into Q1 2025 to support final reporting. As guided by the EMD email, the current portfolio- as vehicle for research and innovation management- will be closed on the 31st of December to present clear entry point for funding starting 1st of January 2025. Therefore, to minimize disruption and ensure continuity of essential field work and monitoring activities, indicative guidance on W1/2 funding levels for Programs and Accelerators will be shared in the coming weeks. This will give the Centres visibility on the funding commitments that will be available to cover anticipated costs in early 2025, as the Portfolio teams complete the detailed work plans and budgets during the inception period. The goal is to have pragmatic modalities to continue the flow of funds for proposed critical, aligned activities and staff time to be covered through the Programs and Accelerators from 1 January 2025.

   7. Since Genebanks is an ongoing activity and there are no activities closing, it’s challenging to define a closeout. All staff will continue into Q1 2025, so who specifically should be highlighted in this requested submission? All staff will have continued contracts.
      The proposed close-out budget should only cover the costs necessary for completing final financial and technical reporting. The intention is to allocate these costs within the current approved 2024 Inititiative budget and allow for carry over into Q1 2025 to support final reporting.

To minimize disruption and ensure continuity of other activities, including staff expected to continue in Q1 2025, indicative guidance on W1/2 funding levels for Programs and Accelerators will be shared in the coming weeks. This will give the Centres visibility on the funding commitments that will be available to cover anticipated costs in early 2025, as the Portfolio teams complete the detailed work plans and budgets during the inception period. The goal is to have pragmatic modalities to continue the flow of funds for proposed critical, aligned activities and staff time to be covered through the Programs and Accelerators from 1 January 2025.

1. 8. When developing the close-out budget and updating the people plan, can a staff member who is not currently in the 2024 People Plan be added if necessary for financial and technical reporting?
      Yes, a new person not currently in the 2024 People Plan can be added when developing the close-out budget if needed to support financial and/or technical reporting. Please ensure to include additional comments about the new staff member in the notes column of the people plan template.

   9. Could we please have written confirmation that consultants who play a key role in reporting can be included in the close out budget for 2025?  
      Yes, Consultancy costs required to cover 2024 technical and/or financial reporting can be included as part of the close-out budget. 

   10. The deadline for the Q1/2025 People Plan is Oct 15th. Which other deadline is tomorrow?  
       The due date for submitting the updated people plans, including FTEs needed for close-out in Q1 2025, was September 10, 2024. The final deadline for completing the close-out budget is October 15, 2024. Please refer to Transition Calendar above detailed schedule of all due dates.

   11. I assume that the process for the budget and people plan close-out also applies to the impact platforms. Could you please confirm?
       Yes. A special Q&A session was held for the Impact Platforms, and the Platform Staff Needs Templates were sent via email. Please refer to the presentation under Event Recordings above which reviews the specifics for Platforms.

   12. Could we please have written confirmation that consultants who play a key role in reporting can be included in the close out budget for 2025? Thanks.
       Yes, Consultancy costs required to cover 2024 technical and/or financial reporting can be included as part of the close-out budget. 

   13. The deadline for the Q1/2025 People Plan is Oct 15th. Which other deadline is tomorrow?

   14. How do we manage research staff which are currently working in Initiatives, and who will contribute times to the Science Programs?
       Indicative guidance on W1/2 funding levels for Programs and Accelerators was recently shared, which will give the Centres visibility on the funding commitments that will be available to cover anticipated costs in early 2025, as the Portfolio teams complete the detailed work plans and budgets during the inception period.

The goal is to have pragmatic modalities to continue the flow of funds for required critical, aligned research activities and staff time to be covered through the Programs and Accelerators from 1 January 2025.

1. 15. If there is a PPA with an institute, staff under this PPAs do not appear in the People Plan. Can we still include staff of the institute under the PPA in the close-out budget?
       As per the Close-out Guiding Principles, Initiative Leads should only account for internal staff costs, not those of partners included in PPAs. Any exceptions to this rule would require a PPAs extension, which must not be funded by 2024 W1 resources. W1-funded partner agreement No-Cost Extensions (NCE) are not feasible due to the funding cycle's end. We recommend that staff included in PPAs manage reporting activities in 2024. 

There are no questions related to SGPs.