Dear Project Promoter,
Staff verification checks
Call 3 staff verification checks will be carried out by Managing Authority Verification Team (MAVT). Checks will be conducted throughout the year from May 2022 onwards. Staff from MAVT will be in touch with you when your project has been selected for sampling. Staff interviewed as part of Call 2 year 4 'on the spot' checks may be sampled again.
Sample
The selection of our sample is retrospective, based on the names included in the claim form and Annex A for the month selected. If a staff member selected as part of that sample has left your organisation you will be required to obtain agreement from them to pass on their contact details to us. Alternatively they can be asked to contact us directly if they prefer. Evidence of these endeavours will be required. Failure to comply may result in the salary being deemed ineligible and could result in clawback of funds. Verification checks will be conducted remotely via online and any supporting evidence required to verify activity undertaken can be sent directly to the ESF Team mailbox.
Full audit trails
I would like to remind all projects of ESF Information Memo 04/22 - Call 3 - confirmation of ESF role that issued on 11 January 2022 highlighting that in-kind staff and volunteers listed on the Annex A are expected to be able to produce full audit trails for their time claimed, this includes retaining documentary evidence of work carried out on the ESF programme. This requirement applies to anyone listed on the Annex A.
Once all interviews have been completed and all supporting evidence submitted feedback will be provided to each project in due course and remedial action taken by PDB if required.
Please make all staff working directly on your ESF funded project aware of this memo and advise them that MAVT staff may be in touch with them throughout the year. Please remind staff of the importance to retain evidence of activities undertaken on an ongoing basis and the need to fully co-operate and provide any requested documentary evidence necessary.
If you have any questions regarding this process, please contact our team at ESF-OTS-Team@economy-ni.gov.uk
Kevin McVeigh
Head of ESF Managing Authority