FEAST - Management tools and documentation

Management tools and documentation D1.1 Report www.feast2030.eu FEAST is co-funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme under grant agreement number 101060536. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. UK participant in FEAST (Good Food Oxfordshire) is supported by Innovate UK grant number 10041509 and the Swiss participant in FEAST (FiBL) is supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract number 22.00156. This document is shared under Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Start Date 01/07/2022, End Date 30/06/2027 Cite as: Braun, R., Braun, B., Jani, A., & Jackson, S. (2025). FEAST - Management tools and documentation. Zenodo. FEAST project - Food systems that support transitions to hEalthy And Sustainable dieTs. DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15512346 Page 1 of 12 Food systems that support transitions to hEalthy And Sustainable dieTs Deliverable Name Management tools and documentation Description Management tools and documentation, informed consent protocols and forms Work Package (WP) Project Management (WP1) Deliverable Related No. D1.1 Lead Beneficiary open science for open societies - os4os Type Report Dissemination Level Public (PU) Due Date and Project Month 30 June 2025 / Month 36 Author(s) Reiner Braun (os4os), Brigitte Braun (os4os), Anant Jani (Heidelberg University), Susan Jackson (Heidelberg University) Revision See Table History of Changes Reviewed by (if applicable) N/A FEAST - Management tools and documentation Page 2 of 12 Table of Contents Table of Contents ................................................................................................................................ 2 List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................... 3 List of Tables ....................................................................................................................................... 3 HISTORY OF CHANGES ........................................................................................................................ 3 Key Facts ............................................................................................................................................. 3 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................................... 4 Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 4 1 FEAST Guiding Principles ............................................................................................................ 5 1.1 Guiding Principle for FEAST: FAIR for Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination ................... 5 1.2 Ethical and Legal Guiding Principles for Data Management in FEAST ................................ 5 1.3 Ethics ................................................................................................................................... 6 1.4 Guiding Principles for Tool and Template Design/Use (WP8) ............................................. 7 2 Management Tools and Templates ............................................................................................. 9 FEAST - Management tools and documentation Page 3 of 12 List of Figures Figure 1 FEAST governance structure ......................................................................................... 4 List of Tables Table 1 Document history of changes ........................................................................................ 3 Table 2 List of acronyms and abbreviations ............................................................................... 4 Table 3 Overview of FEAST’s management tools ........................................................................ 9 Table 4 Overview of FEAST’s templates .................................................................................... 11 HISTORY OF CHANGES Table 1 Document history of changes HISTORY OF CHANGES Version Publication Date Changes 1.0 30.06.2025 First version Key Facts Action Number: 101060536 Action Acronym: FEAST Action title: Food systems that support transitions to hEalthy And Sustainable dieTs Date: 30.06.2025 Version: 1.0 FEAST - Management tools and documentation Page 4 of 12 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS Table 2 List of acronyms and abbreviations DEC Dissemination, Exploitation, and Communication DMP Data Management Plan GA General Assembly PMO Project Management Office SOPs Standard Operating Procedures Introduction Figure 1 shows the implemented governance structure in the FEAST project. It consists of a Secretariat which sets the strategic direction and has the oversight of ethical issues for the project. The Secretariat also serves as a space for work package (WP) leads to learn and share from each other so that they can fully capitalise on the strong WP inter-linkages inherent in FEAST’s interand trans-disciplinary design – this ensures FEAST researchers avoid duplication and, importantly, deliver in a way where ‘the sum is greater than the parts’ and delivers the greatest value for the EC’s investment in FEAST. In addition to setting the strategic functions, the Secretariat also serves as a safe space for WP leads to discuss any operational issues that may arise during the course of the project to mitigate and manage risks as efficiently and effectively as possible and create workarounds when needed. The Secretariat also benefits from an advisory board that provides FEAST with critical insights into its strategic direction regarding research and innovation. Finally, a General Assembly (GA) of all FEAST partners meets twice a year to share their ideas, concerns and expectations, which informs the project's strategic direction. Figure 1 FEAST governance structure Heidelberg University established a Project Management Office (PMO), which included a project coordinator and project manager, both with substantial experience in project management and financial administration. The PMO is responsible for ensuring that there is: 1. good governance, coordination, and communication between all partners, 2. that all services are delivered, 3. and that milestones are achieved on time and within budget. FEAST - Management tools and documentation Page 5 of 12 Therefore, the PMO created and implemented key management processes and tools across the FEAST project in alignment with the WP structure, including detailed work plans, risk mitigation strategies, and clear benchmarks for the project's success. The management processes and tools enabled the PMO and the FEAST partners to monitor their budget and project progress. As outlined in the FEAST data management plan, the following rules and principles were applied in the project: • Research results should be FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) and • the results should be “as open as possible, as closed as necessary.” Each partner in the FEAST consortium is responsible for their locally stored data and for complying with its own standard operating procedures (SOPs), all FEAST-specific SOPs that are created as necessary, as well as for complying with the relevant legal and ethical requirements. However, in order to provide support to the partners and consistency across the project, appropriate templates and tools have been developed for use by all partners for critical tasks as well as activities that have ethical implications (e.g., informed consent protocols and forms). In addition to the management tools, a wide range of materials and templates have been designed to support effective communication and dissemination of FEAST findings. In the following sections of this deliverable, an overview of FEAST's management tools is provided, along with templates for project management, ethics and dissemination, exploitation and communication (DEC). In order to enhance the reusability of FEAST's output, the material is uploaded to FEAST’s community area on Zenodo and on the FEAST website, where it is available for utilisation in other research projects without any restrictions on its use. 1 FEAST Guiding Principles 1.1 Guiding Principle for FEAST: FAIR for Knowledge Sharing and Dissemination FEAST adopted the FAIR principles—Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable—as a core approach for collecting, synthesising, and disseminating knowledge within the consortium and to external audiences. Knowledge was shared across all stages of the research and innovation process, with a strong emphasis on openness and accessibility. The consortium promoted open practices (e.g., open access, open data, open source), supported by experienced members guiding others in implementation. These practices aligned with FEAST’s multi-actor approach, aiming to empower food system actors by reducing knowledge access barriers. While FAIR does not always mean fully open, FEAST followed the principle of being “as open as possible, as closed as necessary” to maximise impact and maintain ethical standards. The Open Science strategy, led by os4os, structured these efforts. Effective internal communication was supported through digital platforms, and shared templates helped ensure consistency and clarity in presentation and reporting across the consortium. 1.2 Ethical and Legal Guiding Principles for Data Management in FEAST Ethical and legal considerations in FEAST were guided by WP9 and aligned with the Grant Agreement. All research involving human participants followed strict ethical standards, particularly around informed consent. Participants received clear verbal and written information about the study, including risks, benefits, confidentiality, and the right to withdraw without penalty. For online FEAST - Management tools and documentation Page 6 of 12 surveys, electronic consent was used. Minors aged 12–16 were only recruited with active parental or guardian consent, and study design and recruitment of vulnerable groups, such as unaccompanied minors, were handled with guidance from the Independent Ethics Advisor. Data confidentiality and protection were core principles. Personal data were collected with consent and processed only for defined research purposes. Data were pseudonymised and securely stored, with access limited to the study team. The code key linking identities to data will be destroyed after 10 years. Participants retained the rights to access, correct, withdraw, or request deletion of their data at any time publication. In cases where data is anonymised, this will not be possible because of the inability to locate/attribute individual responses, which means we would not be able to access, correct, withdraw or delete data for anonymised participants. If findings linked to pseudonymised participants are published, this will be done in ways that protect individual identities. To ensure ethical requirements are being fulfilled across all WPs. The PMO developed together with relevant partners training materials and held several training sessions and workshops with all partners, especially the WP leaders, on the ethical requirements for data collection, data management, use of FEAST templates/tools and results dissemination for this project (see Section 2). The Project Coordinator ensured that all partners received the appropriate national and local ethical approvals for their research, including informed consent forms, communication tools, and data collection and management tools. Finally, the Project Coordinator developed a FEAST-specific policy and strategy to ensure data and privacy protection for all participants. 1.3 Ethics Any ethical or legal issues that can have an impact on data management are discussed in the context of the ethics review being led as part of FEAST’s WP9. FEAST partners comply with the ethical principles as set out in the Grant Agreement. Below are the general principles followed by all researchers working directly with human participants. Informed consent The research team member will explain the study to the potential participant verbally in simple language, providing all pertinent information (general purpose, procedures, what participation entails, risks, benefits, autonomy, and alternatives to participation, and confidentiality), and allow the participant ample opportunity to ask questions or voice concerns. After a verbal explanation, the research team member will provide the potential participant with the written consent form and participant information sheet and allow sufficient time for the participant to absorb and understand the information to consider whether to participate in the research. After allowing the potential participant time to read the consent form and participant information sheet, the research team member will allow the potential participant the time and space to address any additional questions or concerns they might have. If the potential participant decides to participate in the study, the research team member will ensure the participant signs and dates the approved informed consent form. The research team member will then provide the participant with a signed copy and keep the original signed copy of the informed consent form in the research files. In the event of online surveys, participants are offered the opportunity to read the participant information sheet and provide electronic consent for their participation. The same withdrawal criteria apply regardless of the type of survey format, specifically that withdrawal from the study is without penalty. FEAST - Management tools and documentation Page 7 of 12 We will not recruit or consent minor participants who are between 12 and 16 years of age (as per Heidelberg Institute of Global Health ethical review board’s definition of a minor), until we have attained active parental or guardian consent. For particularly vulnerable populations such as unaccompanied refugee minors, we will seek the advice of our independent external ethics advisor and offer any recommendations to the research team to safeguard study participants who potentially face additional stresses. Data confidentiality, protection and storage By signing the informed consent form, participants declare that they agree that the principal investigator and the research team members collect and process the participant’s personal data for the purpose of the analyses described in the participant information form. Personal data are, e.g., name, birth date, and address. The purpose of storing and analyzing data is to measure the effect of the program and to understand how it has worked. The principal investigator will use this personal data for purposes of administration and study conduct. The principal investigator will also use these data – after having assigned a pseudonym – for purposes of Research and statistical analysis. The code key – which allows bringing together personal data with participant identity – is accessible only for the principal investigators and the study team members. The code key will be destroyed after 10 years. The principal investigator passes participant pseudonymized data on to the cooperation partners of the study who perform further statistical analyses. These partners will be listed in the participant information form. Each participant will have the right of disclosure of their personal data by the principal investigator. The participants also have the right of correction of incorrect personal data by contacting the principal investigator. At any time, participants can cancel their agreement to participate in this study and/or their agreement to processing their data collected for this study without penalty. Participants also can request deletion of their data but this would not be possible for anonymised data, for which attribution to individuals responses would not be possible. Please also note that the (anonymous) results of this study may be published in the medical and/or scientific literature, in a form which does not allow any conclusions on individual participants. 1.4 Guiding Principles for Tool and Template Design/Use (WP8) Guiding principles for tool and template design/use (WP8) DEC activities The FAIR principles as well as the ethical and legal guiding principles for data management in FEAST were essential in helping to inform the design of FEAST’s tools and templates. All communications and representations were designed to be inclusive and intersectional, reflecting the diversity of European society across gender, race, ability, socio-economic status, and more. Neutral, stereotype-free language was used, and intersectional analysis was regularly applied. Diverse reviewers were involved to avoid bias and ensure ethical integrity. A WP8 working group, including gender experts from the University of Lodz, advised on inclusivity. Critical outputs were reviewed by the Independent Ethics Advisor. Ongoing learning and training were promoted to embed inclusive practices across both internal and external communications, beyond just project deliverables. FEAST ensured diverse, inclusive engagement across all sectors of the food system by actively recruiting individuals from varied and vulnerable groups for input and co-design. Solutions were developed to reflect the needs of all EU citizens, and communication strategies were tailored to reach different audiences effectively. FEAST avoided stigmatising language by using people-first terms and followed the Rural Health Toolkit’s guidance. Communication materials were made