An introduction to Project Cycle Management PCM

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An
introduction to Project Cycle ManagementPCM
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• Welcome agenda
• Learning to know each other
• Locations of facilities (rooms)
• Role of trainer participants
• Leonardo-Socrates examples/tasks
• Three parts
• Introduction to PCM - 30 min
• Logical Framework - 150 min
• Your work and PCM - 30 min

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• Objectives
• Understand PCM as a tool for project planning,
  implementation and evaluation
• Perform a stakeholder/problem analysis
• Develop a problem/objective tree
• Define project elements, test the logic
• Prepare a draft Log frame matrix
• Relate PCM to your future/daily work

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• Introduction
• EU Action programmes/projects
• Project management - features
• Expectations project manager
• Changing roles of managers
• See figure next slide

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Exercise 1 Introduction

• Your management perspective
• See hand-out - questionnaire
• 5 minutes - individually
• 10 minutes - plenary

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• Introducing PCM what it means
• PCM describes management activities and
• decision making procedures used during
• the life time of a project.
• (tasks, roles, responsibility, key docs,
  decision options)
• The EC adopted PCM as its primary set of project
  design and management tool based upon the Logical
  Framework Approach.

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• Key features of PCM projects
• Support the EU policy objectives
• Support the national strategies
• Addresses relevant problems recipients
• Have feasible, achievable objectives
• Benefits are likely to be sustainable
• See figure next slide

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Policies, programmes and projects
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• PCM Requires
• Active participation of key stakeholders
• Incorporation quality assessment (stage)
• Quality key docs for decision making
• Using the Logical Frame Work

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Project cycle
Programming
Evaluation
Identification
Financing decision
Implementation
Formulation
Financing decision
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• PCM - Three common principles
• Decision making criteria defined at each phase
• The phases in the cycle are progressive
• Project identification part of structured
  feedback
• LFW - Project management tool
• Identification, analyse situation, investigate
  relevance and identify objectives and strategies
• Formulation, preparation project plan,
  objectives, measurable results, defined levels of
  management responsibility
• Implementation, support contracting, operational
  work planning and monitoring and
• Evaluation/audit, summary record of what was
  planned (objectives, indicators and key
  assumptions)

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Main stages of the log frame
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Step 1 The stakeholder analysis

• Whose views experience are relevant?
• Who takes decisions about the project?
• Who will act on these decisions?
• Whose active support is essential
• who has a right to be involved?
• Who is likely to feel threatened
• See example next slide

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Example stakeholder analysis setting up ITC

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Exercise 2 - stakeholder analysis

• Identify general development problem/opportunity
• Identify groups having an interest in the
  project
• Investigate their roles, interests, relative
  power and capacity to participate (strengths and
  weaknesses)
• Identify the extent of cooperation or conflict in
  the relationships between stakeholders and
• Interpret the findings of the analysis and
  incorporate relevant information into project
  design.
• Using the case of Socrates hand-out
• 30 minutes in small working groups
• 15 minutes plenary

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Step 2 The problem analysis

• Problem analysis is an important part of the
  stakeholder workshop
• It involves two tasks
• Analysis of the identified problems faced by the
  stakeholders and
• Development of a problem tree to establish causes
  and effects
• See example problem tree next slide

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An example of a problem tree
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Exercise 3 Develop a problem tree

• Agree on 1 focal problem paste it on the wall
  with 1 related problem (cause/effect)
• If the problem is a cause it goes on the level
  below
• If the problem is an effect it goes above
• It is neither a cause nor an effect it goes on
  the same level
• As the tree develops, remaining problems are
  attached in the same way.
• Using the case of Socrates hand-out
• 30 minutes in small working groups
• 15 minutes plenary

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Step 3 Objectives analysis

• Analysis of objectives involves reformulation of
  problems into objectives. Objectives should be
• Realistic - achievable within given financial
  and
• physical resources, and the time-frame
  envisaged
• Specific - so that any progress towards
  objective
• can be attributed to the project and not to
  some
• other cause
• Measurable - at acceptable cost and acceptable
• effort, so project's performance can be measured

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An example of an Objective tree
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Exercise 4- develop an objective tree

• Develop an objective tree using the results of
  the problem tree in exercise 3
• Positively mirroring the problem tree.
• Using the case of Socrates hand-out
• 15 minutes in small working groups
• 5 minutes plenary

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Step 4Defining the intervention logic

• Distinguish the LFA from the LFM (matrix)
• LFA is a way of thinking, not a process of
  mechanical engineering
• LFM is an analytical coherent project design
• LFM is a stakeholder presentational tool.
• LFM helps to make visible the logical
  relationships between activities, outcomes,
  specific objectives and overall objective

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Structure of the LFM 4 columns, 4 rows

• The vertical logic identifies
• what the project intends to do,
• clarifies the causal relationships and
• Specifies the assumptions and uncertainties

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Structure of the LFM 4 columns, 4 rows

• The horizontal logic relates to
• the measurement of the effects of,
• the resources used by,
• the project, specification of key indicators
• the means how measurement will be verified.

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Step 5-Specify assumptions risks

• External factors affect project implementation
  outside control
• Conditions to be met if the project succeed
• Mechanisms to deal with them or to monitor the
  effect
• Once assumptions identified, state in terms of
  desired situation.

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Step 6-Specify the indicators

• Define indicator - e.g. Educational degrees
• Set quality - e.g. Nr of graduates in
  subject X
• Set quantity - e.g. Nr graduates increased
  from 500-1000
• Set time - e.g. Nr graduates
  increased 500-1000 by 2007

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Step 6 Specify the measurement

• the format - e.g. progress reports, project
  records, statistics)
• who - who should provide the
  information
• how often - e.g. monthly, quarterly, annually
  etc.

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• Step 7. Prepare activity schedule
• List the main activities
• Break activities down into manageable tasks
• Determine activity sequence /dependencies
• Estimate the start-up, duration and completion
• Identify process indicators or milestones
• Define expertise required to undertake activities
  
• Allocate tasks among the project team

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Example -work breakdown activities
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Step 8 - Specifying the inputs

• Checklist for Preparing a Cost Schedule
• List means required to undertake each activity
• Put means into cost categories
• Specify units, quantity and unit costs
• Specify funding source
• Allocate cost codes
• Schedule costs
• Estimate recurrent costs
• Prepare cost summary tables

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Exercise 5 Prepare a draft LFM

• Start preparing the LFM using the results of the
  previous exercises and Socrates case
• Process information by working vertically down
  the first column, once first column is sound,
  complete the fourth column
• The second and third columns should then be
  completed. Next - find the activities to be
  carried in order to produce the outcomes.
• List for later discussion with your superiors
  and your absent colleague 5-7 important project
  elements or assumptions that you feel are perhaps
  doubt full, if not wholly unjustified,
  unnecessary or even dangerous for the successful
  implementation of the project.
• 45 minutes in small working groups
• 20 minutes plenary

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• Exercise 6 PCM to your future work
• List the strength
• List the weakness

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• Strength and weaknesses LFA
• The strength
• LFA encourages people to consider expectations
• and how to achieve the objectives
• Checks internal logic of the plan ensuring
• activities, outcomes and objectives are
  linked.
• It forces planners to identify critical
• assumptions /risks affecting project success,
  
• Indicators of achievements/progress, planners
• think about how to monitor and evaluate

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• Strength and weaknesses LFA
• The weakness
• Powerful tool but not a comprehensive tool for
  either planning-management
• Time consuming, requires a thorough understanding
  of logic and concept of LFA.
• Problems can be compounded by too rigid
  application of the LF (changing environment)
• LFA should be supported by technical,
• economic, social and environmental analysis