PROJECT ORGANISATION AN INTRODUCTION

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PROJECT ORGANISATIONAN INTRODUCTION
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Objectives

• By the end of the presentation participants
• Appreciate projects as an intervention that needs
  to fit a wider context
• Have acquired some basic knowledge to develop a
  (library development) project using the Logical
  Framework Approach (LFA)

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Multi level planning

• Different institutional levels
• University as a whole
• Different faculties/research centres/support
  units
• Different scope
• Strategic planning
• Project planning

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Strategic/Project planning

• Strategic planning concerns long term goals that
  cannot be planned in the same manner as projects
• Human, material and other resources cannot be
  accurately planned over longer periods
• Requires a long-term vision that is flexible
  enough to accomodated flexible changes not
  compromising the envisaged goal
• Project planning concerns efforts to achieve
  limited goals with limited resources in a more
  limited period of time
• Tactical manoeuvre within a long term strategy
• Given its scope it can be planned with much more
  precision

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Multi level planning
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Multi level planning

• UNIVERSITY LI BRARY I

• CORPORATE STRATEGIC PLAN
• WORKPLAN
• UNIVERSITY LIBRARY IMPROVED
• Compu(terisation plan approved
• Printing press operational
• Electronic devices installed
• Book lending system computerised
• Mechanism to acquire up to date literature
  instituted

LONG TERM LIBRARY DEVELOPMENT PLAN
PROJECT 1
PROJECT 2
PROJECT 3
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A library development plan

• To contribute effectively to the overall
  strategic plan of the university
• To serve as an overall guide/reference for all
  stakeholders (in particular for resource
  utilisation)
• As a PR document in support of resource
  generation (within the university and in relation
  to donors) in an increasingly competitive
  environment

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Projects and Programmes

• Funding and contributions that are additional to
  ongoing activities
• Limited in time and resources
• Contribute to process of change taking place in a
  context that is complex, continuously changing
  and undergoing the influence of many actors

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Project Management

• Structuring and facilitating of processes of
  change in order to attain certain objectives in
  the most effective and efficient way
• Ensuring that all major stakeholders are
  consulted, that their knowledge and insights are
  used to improve the quality of the
  project/programme
• Requires continuous information collection and
  analysis enabling timely decisions and
  adaptations to the planned intervention

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Tool for management

• Experience has shown that many projects have
  failed due to lack of analysis, leadership by
  technicians etc.
• In the late 60s, USAID adopted the logical
  framework approach (LFA) or participatory project
  design and logical planning of objective oriented
  projects.
• LFA is a methodology for analysing, planning,
  managing and evaluating programmes and projects,
  using tools to enhance participation and
  transparency and to improve orientation towards
  objectives (more project oriented)
• LFA is currently mainstream project management
  tool
• In the 90s the more comprehensive PCM approach
  was developed. PCM has meanwhile been adopted by
  most donors, including VLIR

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LFA - some reflections

• Not revolutionary but likely to frame and
  articulate ongoing practices
• Not an exact science but a supporting tool to
  structure learning processes
• Widely applicable usefulness goes beyond
  development
• Value added depends on quality of its application

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Logframe Approach
PLANNING PHASE
ANALYSIS PHASE

• Logframe - defining the project/ programme
  structure, testing its internal logic,
  formulating objectives in measurable terms,
  defining means and cost (overall)
• Activity scheduling - deter-mining the sequence
  and depen-dency of activities estimating their
  duration, setting milestones and assigning
  responsibility
• Resource scheduling - from the activity schedule,
  developing input schedules and a budget

• Stakeholder Analysis - identifying
  characterising major stakeholders, target groups
  beneficiaries, defining whose problems will be
  addressed by a future intervention, and which
  potentials can be used
• Problem analysis - identifying key problems,
  constraints and opportunities determining cause
  and effect relationships
• Analysis of objectives - developing objectives
  from the identified problems identifying means
  to end relationships
• Strategy analysis - identifying the different
  strategies to achieve objectives selecting the
  most appropriate strategy(ies) determining the
  major objectives (overall objectives and project
  purpose)

Define the project logic
Identify stakeholders

• Identify/
• analyse

Specifying and operationalising
Deduct
Select the option
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Stakeholders

• Any individuals, groups of people, institutions
  or firms that may have a relationship with the
  project/ programme
• They may directly or indirectly, positively or
  negatively affect or be affected by the process
  and outcomes of projects or programmes

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Stakeholder Analysis (4 steps)

• Identifying Key Stakeholders (beneficiaries,
  vulnerable groups, possible adversely effected
  groups, socio-economic characteristics,
  relationships etc.)
• Determining Stakeholder Interests (benefits,
  expectations, resources they could mobilise etc)
• Determining Stakeholder Power and Influence
  (power and dependency relationships, control of
  decision making, resources etc.)
• Formulating a Stakeholder Participation Strategy
  in view of analysis, planning and implementation

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Stakeholder Analysis (Summary)
Potentials deficiencies knowledge,
experience... potential contribution
Implications and conclusions for the
project possible action required how to deal with
the group
Interest expectations interests,
objectives... Expectations
Characteristics social, economic gender
differentiation structure, organisation,
status attitudes...
Stakeholder
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Step 1Problem analysis (I)

• Is a procedure which allows to
• analyse an existing situation
• identify key problems in this context
• visualise the problems in form of a diagram/tree
  (cause-effect relationships)

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Problem analysis (II)
Establishing cause-effect relations between
problems
Teaching/research is based on outdated and
fragmented information
Effects
Irrelevant and incomplete information access
Ignorance and neglect of user community on value
added of sourcing quality information
Attrition of library materials
Inability to access electronic information
sources effectively
Inadequate ability of users to access information
Low institutional emphasis on information based
academic work
Causes
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Problem analysis (III)

• agree on the unit of analysis
• identify major problems existing within a given
  situation (brainstorming)
• select a starter problem
• look for related problems to the starter problem
• establish hierarchy of cause and effects
• problems which are directly causing the starter
  problem are put below
• problems which are direct effects of the starter
  problem are put above
• complete with all other problems accordingly
• connect the problems with cause-effect arrows
• review the diagram and verify its validity and
  completeness

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Analysis of objectives (II)

• Describes the future situation that will be
  achieved by solving the problems
• by turning the negative aspects into positive
  ones (desired, realistic) Reformulate all
  negative situations of the problem analysis into
  positive situations that are
• desirable
• realistically achievable
• Check the means-end relationships

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Analysis of objectives (III)
Turning the negative aspects into future desired,
but realistic situations
Teaching/research is based on updated information
Ends
Relevant and complete collection
available/accessible
Users are fully aware and motivated regarding
scientific information usage
Teaching and research culture favours active
information retrieval/use
High standard of management and maintenance are
observed in place.Coral man-grove habitats
conserved
Efficient electronic access to external data
sources
User community is fully conversant with
information services
Means
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Step 3 Analysis of Strategies (I)

• The purpose is
• to identify possible alternative options or ways
  to contribute to the overall objectives
• to agree on priority strategies based on an
  assessment of the relevance, the feasibility and
  the sustainability of each of them
• to concentrate the means of the project on what
  is really important, effective and feasible

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Analysis of Strategies (III)
Teaching/research is based on updated information
OVERALL
OBJECTIVE
Relevant and complete collection
available/accessible
Users are fully aware and motivated regarding
scientific information usage
SPECIFIC
OBJECTIVE
High standard of management and maintenance are
observed in place.
Efficient electronic access to external data
sources
User community is fully conversant with
information services
Teaching and research culture favours active
information retrieval/use
RESULTS
Decision based on budget, priorities, human
resources available, social acceptability,
urgency, ...
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The Logical Framework?

• The Logical Framework Matrix provides a summary
  of
• why a project is carried out
• what the project is expected to achieve
• how the project is going to achieve it
• which external factors are crucial for its
  success
• where to find the information required to assess
  the success of the project
• which means are required
• what the project will cost

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Step 4 From Strategy Analysis to Intervention
Logic

• Complete formulation of objectives
• Transfer objectives to logframe (intervention
  logic) OO, SO, Results
• Review and complete the objectives at different
  levels
• Identify possible activities

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Logical framework

• Intervention Objectively Sources
  of Assumptions
• Logic Verif. Indicators Verification

Overall Objectives
Specific Objective
Results
Activities
Means
Costs
Pre-condi-tions
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Intervention Logic

• Overall objectives the academic long term
  benefits to which the project/programme will
  contribute.
• Specific objectives the key project/programme
  objective that indicates the benefit(s) the major
  project beneficiary will obtain.
• Results the services or products to be realised
  by the project/programme.
• Activities the measures to be taken by the
  project to ensure the outputs.

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Step 5 Completing the Logframe

• Identify assumptions
• Identify indicators and sources of verification

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Assumptions

• What are they?
• They are external factors that influence or even
  determine the success of the project
• Why are they required?
• The intervention logic never covers all aspects
  of reality. External factors have an important
  influence on the success and should be identified
  and taken into account
• What is a pre-condition?
• An assumption that must be fulfilled/met before
  activities can start

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Assumptions

• Identify in the hierarchy of objectives those
  objectives that are not included in the
  intervention logic but important for the success
  of the project
• Identify other external factors not included in
  the hierarchy which must be fulfilled to achieve
  the Overall Objectives, the Project Purpose, the
  results and the activities
• Place them as external factors at the
  appropriate level of the logframe

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Logframe Basics
Objectively Verifiable Indicators
Intervention Logic
Sources of Verification
Assumptions
Overall Objectives
Specific Objective
Results
Activities
Means
Cost
Pre-condi-tions
... IF results are delivered, AND assumptions
hold true, THEN the project purpose will be
achieved ...
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Assumptions

• Assess the importance of the external factors
  by using the assessment algorithm
• Check the intervention logic and assumptions on
  completeness

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Assessment of Assumptions
Is the external factor important?
Yes
No
Do not include in logframe
Will it be realised?
Almost certainly
Do not include in logframe
Likely
Include as an assumption
Unlikely
Is it possible to redesign the project in order
to influence the external factor?
Redesign the project by adding activities or
results reformulate the Project Purpose if
necessary
Yes
No
The project is not feasible
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Indicators

• To
• Clarify the characteristics of the OO, PP and R
• Manage the project more objectively
• Provide a basis for performance measurement,
  monitoring and evaluation
• Note
• Often, it is necessary to establish several
  indicators for one objective. Together, these
  will provide reliable information on the
  achievement of objectives.

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SMART Indicators

• SPECIFIC
• MEASURABLE
• AGREED UPON
• REALISTIC SENSITIVE
• TIME BOUND COST EFFECTIVE

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Some criteria for good indicators
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Indicators An Example

• Objective Pollution load of wastewater
  discharged into the Blue river is reduced
• Select the indicator Concentration of heavy
  metal compounds (Pb, Cd, Hg)
• Define the targets
• Define the quantity Concentration of heay metal
  compounds (Pb, Cd, Hg) is reduced by 75
  compared to year x levels (particular attention
  should be paid to the availability of baseline
  information)
• Define the quality ... to meet the limits for
  irrigation water ...
• Define the target group ... , used by the
  farmers of Blue village, ...
• Define the place ... in the Blue river section
  of the District ...
• Determine the time ... 2 years after the project
  has started

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Sources of Verfication

• They describe where and how to find the
  information with regard to the indicators
• Issues to be analysed
• Do there exist external sources of verification?
• If so, are they specific enough, reliable and
  accessible?
• If not, how can the information with regard to
  the indicators be obtained?

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Proposal writing

• Proposals are often defined as selling through
  writing. It differs from other documents in that
  is has a greater degree of persuasion that drives
  it.
• Similar to a good sales promotion, it has a
  mixture of art and science
• Visually attractive, concise and capturing the
  readers imagination
• It follows logic and is based on a set of
  assumptions and facts

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Proposal writing sales tips

• Emphasize value (quality, service, timeliness,
  pay in dollars) It takes away the emphasize from
  price
• Sell benefits, not features focus on the needs
  of the reader, not simply talk about the quality
  of the proposed project
• Use emotional appeals without exaggeration
• Supply evidence (key information not all
  information)
• Establish a unique selling proposition Show a
  unique value added such that it stands out
• Use persuasive and positive approach not weak or
  defensive language (eg. Title)

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Excercise

• Work in small buzz groups
• Find 4 rows that have been mixed up.
• Reconstruct the rows as objectives, indicators
  and sources of verification.
• Review and assess the indicators/targets.

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Activity Resource Scheduling
Logframe
Results-based workplans budgets
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Activity Scheduling

• An activity schedule
• Maintains objective-oriented approach of logframe
• Breaks activities down into operational detail
• Clarifies sequence, duration and precedence of
  activities
• Identifies key milestones
• Assigns management responsibilityand
  implementing responsibilitiesand should include
  management tasks

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Resource Scheduling

• A resource schedule
• Maintains objective-oriented approach of logframe
• Facilitates results-based budgeting and
  monitoring of cost-effectiveness
• Provides basis for planned mobilisation of
  resources (external local)
• Identifies cost implications
• Counterpart funding requirement
• Post-project financial sustainability

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Criteria for evaluation
Sustain-ability
Overall Objectives
Impact
change
Project Purpose
Assumptions
Effective- ness
utilisation
Results
Assumptions
action
Efficiency
Activities
Assumptions
allocation
Means
Pre-conditions
Relevance