Annual Report 2012
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Annual Report 2012 Annual Report 2012 Contents I. Activities Report 7 17 Education Board of Trustees Office of the President of the Calouste Gulbenkian 125 Foundation Ia. Portugal Education and Scholarships Charity Department Internal Audit Committee 35 149 9 Health and Human Gulbenkian Scholarships President’s Introduction Development Department Service 43 157 Gulbenkian Human Art Library Development Programme 173 Art Gulbenkian Portuguese Language and Culture 63 Programme The Calouste Gulbenkian Museum 187 Gulbenkian Next Future 81 Programme Music Department 195 101 Gulbenkian Education for José de Azeredo Perdigão Culture and Science Programme Modern Art Centre – CAM Science 205 Science Department 215 Gulbenkian Institute of Science 219 Gulbenkian Advanced Medical Training Programme II. Economic and Financial Situation III. Internal Audit Financial Statements Committee Ib. Overseas 301 379 Economic and Financial Report 225 Situation Delegation in France 380 313 Opinion 231 Analysis of the Consolidated Armenian Communities Financial Statements Department 374 241 Auditors’ Reports United Kingdom Branch 382 Heads of Department and 257 Gulbenkian Programmes The Gulbenkian Development Aid Programme 385 Useful Information Ic. Transverse Programmes 271 Exhibition: “Fernando Pessoa: Plural as the Universe” 275 New Interventions Id. Support Departments 283 Central Services Department 287 Budget, Planning and Control Department 293 Communication Department BOARD OF TRUSTEES 7 Board of Trustees Internal Audit Committee Artur Santos Silva (President) Maria Manuela dos Santos Proença Director-General for The Budget Diogo de Lucena José Nuno Cid Proença Isabel Mota Director-General for Social Security Eduardo Marçal Grilo Manuel Jacinto Nunes Member Nominated by The Lisbon Science Academy Teresa Gouveia António Valdemar Martin Essayan (José Stone de Medeiros Tavares) National Fine Arts Academy NON-EXECUTIVE TRUSTEES Emílio Rui Vilar Manuel Maçaroco Candeias Member Nominated by The Bank Of Portugal José Gomes Canotilho António Guterres Secretary to the Board of Trustees Rui Esgaio 9 april 2013 april 2013 INTRODUCTION 9 Introduction With the publication of its 2012 Report, the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation once again fulfils the rule of transparency in the rendering of accounts. This is a maxim by which it has abided ever since its creation at a time when the word “transparency” was not even contemplated in our legal framework. The Foundation has always considered it important to keep all those involved (the beneficiaries of its activities, authorities, employees, the public in general) thoroughly informed, not only of its activities, but also of the whys and wherefores of what it does. The comprehensive and open nature of such disclosures is clearly demonstrated by the firstPresident’s Reports, particularly if we take into account the historical context under which these documents were published. As we have gradually entered further into this new century, Annual Reports have begun to lose some of their relevance. In fact, foundations have steadily acquired new mechanisms and instruments for informing the public of the activities that they un- dertake, and they can now do so almost instantaneously and in a manner that makes it possible to permanently update the information provided. Furthermore, the periodical reporting of a foundation’s activities is now regarded as less important than providing a continuous and rigorous assessment of their impact, comparing the results obtained with the planned goals and extrapolating the path that was followed in their achievement. In fact, not only has the term impact assessment become part of the everyday lan- guage of foundations, but, more importantly, it is seen as a crucial concept for the good practices that the foundation sector constantly spends its time reviewing and reaffirming. Such good practices are part of a self-regulatory culture that has always been naturally assimilated by foundations, since, unlike other organisations, these are bodies whose mandate generally presupposes the absence of the entity on whose behalf they are acting. Trust is therefore a key feature in the administration of foundations, calling for the adoption of management practices that both contribute towards their consolidation and demonstrate that they have behaved in an appropriate and responsible manner. The as- sessment of a foundation’s activities is therefore one of the means of guaranteeing that such procedures have, in fact, been adopted. But such assessment must be designed to operate in a very special manner: it must be developed both by and for the foundation sector, taking into account all of its specificities. In particular, we must bear in mind that, in the case of non-profit activities, impact indicators, by virtue of their being less material or tangible, are more difficult to measure, although this does not detract from either the validity or the usefulness of the assessment that is made. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation has always considered that the successful per- formance of philanthropic work in keeping with our Founder’s expectations necessarily requires the use of planning, monitoring and the assessment of results, i.e. it depends on the establishment of an institutional culture that focuses on the real impact of the activities undertaken. The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation therefore revitalised its organisational model in 2012. Interventions previously made in statutory areas that were not supported by perma- 10 ANNUAL REPORT CALOUSTE GULBENKIAN 2012 FOUNDATION nent structures have now given way to programmes with pre-defined time limits and goals. These will be monitored with the support of advisory boards composed entirely of both national and foreign experts from outside the Foundation. At the same time, an independ- ent assessment will be made of the results obtained by each programme, and this same procedure will also be gradually introduced for the Foundation’s permanent activities. This model will help to make the Foundation’s activity more flexible in its statutory areas, replacing the more rigid organisational solutions that were previously adopted. As far as the permanent structures are concerned, special mention should be made of the autonomy granted to the management of the Gulbenkian Institute of Science (igc) in 2012, while at the same time its level of funding was increased with the aim of supporting a new and more ambitious cycle. The igc is one of the best examples of the advances made in scientific research in Por- tugal and it is considered a benchmark institution at the European level. The undeniable success of the last 14 years owes much to the leadership, consummate professionalism and total dedication of Professor António Coutinho. The Foundation believes that strengthening the igc’s capacity is the best way to ensure the successful restructuring of scientific research. Another important step was the decision taken to renovate the Grand Auditorium as part of the programme for the refurbishment of the Foundation’s buildings and gardens, originally begun in the late 1990s. This is a project that will certainly involve a significant investment. The intervention will fully respect the philosophy of the original project, its main contribution being to modernise and update the infrastructure and to install high-tech equipment, which will strengthen the Grand Auditorium’s capacities and improve the conditions for the production and editing of contents. In 2012, what has so far proved to be the most complex crisis in contemporary history took a turn for the worse, with unemployment reaching unprecedented levels. Given this never-ending crisis, excessive expectations regarding the foundations’ response capacity, coupled with reduced public support for their activities, have some- times given rise to ill-judged actions that have damaged the reputation of the foundation movement. We therefore need to find a way to publicise the value of the sector and to underline the contribution that it makes towards a better informed society, one that is less vulnerable and more just. The world has changed and foundations nowadays are faced with even greater chal- lenges, particularly in social contexts where the notion of work inherited from the previ- ous century is beginning to place a great strain on our social cohesion. We must therefore strive to ensure that everyone is able to live a dignified life, with the possibility of fulfilling their dreams. Similarly, at a European level, political changes have failed to create the climate of confidence needed to overcome the crisis. Foundations also have a duty to bring fresh thinking to the European project, propos- ing innovative solutions for the current impasse. The networks of European foundations must intervene more, launching initiatives that will encourage decision-makers to de- fend Europe’s role in the world. The Gulbenkian Foundation therefore has to be capable of responding to these ever greater challenges by doing more in its philanthropic activity than merely providing fi- nancial aid. Its interventions in this area must strengthen the capacity of its beneficiaries, thereby contributing towards their sustainability. INTRODUCTION 13 The Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation is fully aware of the difficulties that people face at the present time, and understands how urgent it is to solve the social problems that currently affect us. We are constantly striving to ensure that dreams can be turned into projects, leading to a better