Governance

GENERAL ASSEMBLY
The General Assembly (GA) is the main decision-making body of the Consortium, bringing together representatives from each partner organization. Led by the Project Coordinator (PC), the GA oversees all key aspects of the project, including technical, financial, legal, administrative, and ethical matters. It ensures progress is on track, evaluates developments, and makes necessary adjustments to keep the project moving forward successfully.

Members:

Project Coordinator (PC) – Prof. Ioannis Pragidis (DUTH), (b) the Technical Coordinator (TC) – Paul Redmond (ESRI), (c) the Scientific Coordinator (SC) – Georgios Panos (AUTH), (d) the Quality and Risk Manager (QRM) – Paris Karypidis (DUTH), (e) the Dissemination Manager (DM) – Marco Pagano (UNINA), (f) the Communication Manager (CM) – Vassiliki Kotsirou (DUTH), (g) the Exploitation & Innovation Manager (EIM) – Christoph Bretgeld (SkillLab), and h) TRAILS Head of Sustainability Board – Noelia Cantero (EARLALL).  

SCIENTIFIC & TECHNICAL COMMITTEE
The Scientific & Technical Committee (STC) is responsible for planning, executing, and overseeing the project’s scientific and technical aspects, always aligning with the decisions of the General Assembly. Chaired by the Scientific Coordinator (SC), the STC ensures smooth project progress. The Technical Coordinator (TC) serves as vice-chair and works closely with Work Package Leaders (WPLs), who coordinate, monitor, and assess their respective areas to keep the project on track.

• Technical Coordinator (TC) – Paul Redmond (ESRI)
• Scientific Coordinator (SC) – Georgios Panos (AUTH)

PROJECT MANAGEMENT OFFICE
The project’s administrative and financial management team oversees daily operations, ensuring everything runs efficiently and in alignment with the Project Coordinator (PC), Scientific Coordinator (SC), and Technical Coordinator (TC).

Key roles include:
🔹 Project Coordinator (PC), Prof. Ioannis Pragidis (DUTH): Manages overall project execution, ensuring results are delivered on time and within budget. Responsibilities include deliverable submissions, cost and progress reports, and adherence to project procedures.
🔹 Financial Officer (FO): Handles financial management, ensuring proper budget allocation and compliance.

Together, they ensure effective coordination and seamless project execution.

SUSTAINABILITY BOARD
Each project beneficiary will appoint a Market Evolution and Sustainability Representative to the Sustainability Board (SB). The SB plays a key role in monitoring market trends and guiding dissemination and exploitation strategies within TRAILS, ensuring the project’s results have a lasting impact and sustainable future.

•  TRAILS Head of Sustainability Board – Noelia Cantero (EARLALL).  

ETHICS AND PRIVACY COMMITTEE
The Ethics and Privacy Committee (EPC) includes representatives from all partners and is responsible for establishing project policies on ethical and privacy matters. These policies are documented in a manual and guidelines, which require approval from the General Assembly (GA).

The EPC’s key responsibilities include:
✔ Overseeing the implementation of ethical guidelines and reporting to the GA.
✔ Reviewing and approving data collection and usage plans to ensure compliance.
✔ Advising Work Package Leaders (WPLs) on ethical and privacy matters.
✔ Providing guidance on data handling, storage, and security best practices.

Led by the Ethics Manager, the EPC ensures that all partners follow best practices, guaranteeing responsible data management throughout the project.

RISK MANAGEMENT TEAM (RMT)
The Risk Management Team (RMT), led by the Quality and Risk Manager (QRM), includes the Project Management Office (PMO) and Work Package Leaders (WPLs). Its role is to identify, assess, and monitor potential risks that could impact the project’s success. By proactively managing threats, the RMT ensures smooth project execution and effective problem resolution.

• Quality and Risk Manager (QRM) – Paris Karypidis (DUTH)

The EAB is an independent board comprising four (4) well-known external experts, covering mainly labour economics and empirical applications, Lifelong learning and VET, and policy evaluation methods to closely monitor and directly provide consultation to the research and innovation activities performed by the Consortium participants throughout the project’s lifecycle.

The STC and EPC will steer the EAB external members and shall be allowed to participate in the GAs meetings upon invitation but shall not have any voting rights. The Coordinator will ensure that a non-disclosure agreement is executed between all Parties and each EAB member.
Prof. Michael Price (University of Alabama, US)
He is a Professor of Economics at Culverhouse College of Business, University of Alabama, a Research Associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, a Research Associate at the Environmental and Resources Department at RWI—Leibniz Institute for Economic Research and a professor in the Research School of Economics at the Australian National University. Prof. Michael Price’s research employs field experiments to address significant questions in environmental and resource economics. His work provides valuable insights into how non-pecuniary strategies influence behaviour and public good provision.

Prof. Giorgio Brunello (University of Padua, Italy)
He is a Professor of Economics at the Department of Economics, University of Padova. Prof. Giorgio Brunello is a distinguished economist known for his significant contributions to labour economics, education, and health economics.

Prof. Keith Bender (University of Aberdeen, UK)
He is a SIRE Professor of Economics at Business School, University of Aberdeen, an editor at the British Journal of Industrial Relations and an IZA Research Fellow. Prof. Keith Bender is a distinguished economist with a robust portfolio of research and teaching in applied labour economics. His contributions to understanding the impact of employment contracts on health and the dynamics of labour market institutions have earned him a prominent position in the academic community.

Katarina Pietrzak (Research Institutes of Sweden, RISE)
She is a researcher and strategist in Lifelong Learning at the RISE, focusing on the methods, motivation, processes, and mindsets that underpin continuous learning. Katarina Pietrzak hosts the podcast “Lifelong” and is involved in “The Art of Learning” project with Luleå University of Technology, aiming to support educators and developers in creating motivating and effective learning environments. Additionally, Katarina Pietrzak explores the Swedish tradition of popular education (folkbildning), particularly the study circle (studiecirkel) model. This collaborative and democratic learning format is recognized for its effectiveness in personal, and communal development, and workforce competency.