University of Palestine International UPI

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Writing a Project Proposal By Dr Said Abu
Jalala
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Presentation Outline

• Training Objectives
• Introduction to Projects
• Project Cycle Management
• Logical Framework Approach
• Project Indicators
• Main Elements of a QIF Proposal
• Common Errors
• Tips on Writing Winning Proposals

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Training Objectives

• Provide information to TEIs on the procedures of
  project proposal submission to QIF.
• To give a clear picture on PCM Proposal Writing
  as a life cycle of every project / programme
  submitted to the QIF.
• To explore all elements Proposal Writing.

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Introduction to Projects

• A project is a series of activities aimed at
  bringing about clearly specified objectives
  within a defined time-period and with a defined
  budget (EC, 2000).
• Clearly identified stakeholders with emphasis on
  target groups and final beneficiaries.
• There are significant elements of uncertainty and
  risks for projects.

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Project Management

• The art of directing and coordinating human and
  material resources throughout the life of a
  project by using modern management techniques to
  achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost,
  time, quality and participant satisfaction

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Management by results
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Project Cycle Management (PCM)

• PCM describes
• procedures and tools used during the life-cycle
  of a project (including key tasks, roles and
  responsibilities, key documents and decision
  options).

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Project Cycle Management

• PCM requires
• the active participation of key stakeholders
• the Logical Framework Approach (as well as other
  tools)
• key indicators into each stage of the project
  cycle and
• the production of good-quality key
• document(s) in each phase (with commonly
  understood concepts and definitions), to support
  well-informed decision-making.

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Project Cycle Management

• PCM helps to ensure that
• projects are supportive/coherent with policies
• projects are relevant to an agreed strategy and
  to the needs of beneficiaries
• projects are feasible so that objectives can be
  realistically achieved within the constraints of
  the operating environment and capabilities of the
  implementing agencies and
• benefits generated by projects are likely to be
• sustainable.

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Project Life Cycle ( EC, 2004)
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Project Life Cycle

• Phase 1 Programming
• The situation at national and sector level is
  analyzed to identify problems, constraints and
  opportunities.
• This involves a review of socio-economic
  indicators, and of national priorities
• The purpose is to identify the sector priorities.
  

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Project Life Cycle

• Phase 2 Identification
• The purpose of the identification stage is to
• Problem analysis (Problem tree)
• Needs assessment of target groups to respond to
  problems (Objective tree)
• Identify project ideas that are consistent with
• target groups needs
• assess the relevance and likely feasibility of
  these project ideas

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Project Life Cycle

• Phase 3 Formulation
• The purpose of the Formulation stage is to
• Confirm the relevance and feasibility of the
  project idea
• Prepare a detailed project design, including the
• management arrangements, financing plan,
  cost-benefit analysis, risk management,
  monitoring, evaluation and audit

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Information elements produced by end of
Formulation
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Project Life Cycle

• Phase 4 Implementation including monitoring and
  reporting
• The purpose of the implementation stage is to
• Deliver the outputs, achieve the objective and
  contribute effectively to the overall objective
  of the project
• Manage the available resources efficiently and
• Monitor and report on progress.

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Main implementation periods
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Project Life Cycle

• Phase 5 Evaluation Audit
• A. Evaluation
• The purpose of evaluation is to
• make an assessment, of an ongoing or completed
  project, program or policy, its design,
  implementation and results.
• determine the relevance and fulfillment of
  objectives, developmental efficiency,
  effectiveness, impact and sustainability.
• provide information that is credible and useful,
  enabling the incorporation of lessons learned
  into the decision-making process of both
  recipients and donors.

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Project Life Cycle

• B. Audit
• The purpose of an audit is to
• Assess an activity/subject that is the
• responsibility of another party against
  identified suitable criteria, and
• express a conclusion (i.e. opinion) that provides
  the intended user with a level of assurance about
  the activity/subject being audited.

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Project Life Cycle

• The auditor expresses a conclusion on
• The legality and regularity of project
  expenditure and income i.e. compliance with
  regulations and/or
• Whether project funds have been used efficiently
  and economically i.e. in accordance with sound
  financial management and /or
• Whether project funds have been used effectively
  i.e. for purposes intended.

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Project Life Cycle
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Logical Framework Approach (LFA)

• The first LFA was developed by USAID in 1969 and
  extended to multilateral and Bilateral donor
  organizations.
• LFA is a way of structuring the main elements in
  a project, highlighting logical linkages between
  intended results (overall objective, specific
  objectives, output), activities, inputs, budget.
• LFA is based on clear indicators
• LFA takes into consideration the external risks

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• Logical Framework Approach (LFA)
• LFA is a major point of reference throughout the
  life of the project.
• LFA facilitates communication between all parties
  involved.
• LFA is intended to improve the quality of
  projects by promoting participatory approach.
• LFA is used as analytical tool.

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• Logical framework Matrix

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Strengths of LFA

• Requires systematic analysis of problems and
  setting of objectives
• Places the project within a broader development
• context (goal and purpose)
• Encourages examination of risks and management
  accountability for results
• Requires analysis of how to measure the
  achievement of objectives, in terms of both
  quantity and quality

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Strengths of LFA

• Helps establish the monitoring and evaluation
• Framework
• Emphasizes importance of stakeholder analysis
  to determine whose problems and who benefits
• Visually accessible and relatively easy
• to understand

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Problems of LFA

• Getting consensus on priority problems
• Getting consensus on project objectives
• Reducing objectives to a simplistic linear
  chain
• Finding measurable and practical indicators for
• higher level objectives
• Establishing unrealistic targets too early in the
  planning process
• Requires training

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Project Indicators

• Indicator is an observed value representative of
  a phenomenon to study " (European Commission,
  2002).
• "An indicator quantifies and simplifies phenomena
  and helps us understand complex realities.
  Indicators are aggregates of raw and processed
  data but they can be further aggregated to form
  complex indices." (IISD, 1995).

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Indicator Selection criteria

• UN- CSD has listed the following criteria
• Primarily national in scale or scope
• Representative of an international consensus, to
  the extent possible
• Indicative, it must be truly relevant and
  representative of the phenomenon it is intended
  to characterize
• Independent, each indicator must be meaningful in
  itself

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• Achievable within the available resources
  including time, money, technical capacity,
  logistics and given the existing constraints
• Understandable clear, simple and unambiguous
• Conceptually well founded (Scientifically sound
  and technically robust)
• - should clearly represent part of the cause
  effect chain
• - directionally safe with no significant changes
  in the methodology or improvements in the data
  base

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• Sensitive, to changes in what they are
  monitoring
• General, not dependent on specific situation
• Limited in number, remaining open ended and
  adaptable to future developments and
• Dependent on the data, that are readily available
  or available at reasonable cost to benefit ratio,
  are adequately documented, of known quality and
  updated at regular intervals.

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Project Indicators

• The formulation of Indicator will be a combined
  response to the following concepts
• Whom?
• Quantity
• Quality
• Where?
• When?

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• Methodologies to develop indicators
• Cause-Effect relationship
• The Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model
• The Driving Force-State-Response (DSR) model
• The Driving force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response
  (DPSIR) model
• Development of indicators by public and community
  participation

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• Validation of Indicators
• Comparison with well established and used
  indicators in other countries with similar
  conditions.
• Experts' judgments and consensus for the choice
  of indicators among a panel of experts plays a
  major role in this kind of validation (Smith et
  al., 2000).
• An indicator will be validated if it is well
  scientifically designed, if the information it
  supplies is relevant, if it is useful and used by
  the end users (Bockstaller and Girardin, 2003).

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Main Proposal Components

• - Cover Letter
• An application must be accompanied by an
  endorsement cover letter from the chief
• executive officer of the institution verifying
  that the departments and personnel involved
• in the proposed project are aware of and
  committed to the project.)
• Standard Application Form (Appendix 1)
• Category of the project according to QIF grants

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Main Proposal Components

• 3. Duration of the project
• 4. Executive Summary
• The institutions mission
• Project goal (what you ultimately wish to
  accomplish)
• Strategic objectives (the specific strategies
  chosen to accomplish the goal and how they fit
  the QIF (a) Priorities and (b) Categories for QIF
  grants
• Proposed activities (list major activities that
  support the strategic objectives)
• Equipment/Material needs (including but not
  limited to technical equipment,
• printed materials, software, etc.)
• Expected Outcomes (briefly describe
  short-term, measurable results)
• Project Director and Key staff involved (list
  complete contact information for
• persons accountable for the project)
• In consortium or partnership projects, state
  which is the coordinating
• institution.
• Amount requested of the QIF and overall amount of
  the Project budget.
• Anticipated project duration (beginning and
  ending dates of the project) and
• timeframe of the project.

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Main Proposal Components

• - Project Proposal
• 5. Measurable objectives
• 6. Measurable outcomes
• 7. Project Performance indicators
• 8. Problem statement and justifications
• 9. Target groups
• 10. Risks of the project and tools to overcome
• - The logical framework matrix

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Main Proposal Components

• 11. Methodology and approach
• - the methods, approaches and strategies of
  implementation
• - the procedures for follow up
• - a description of the management and
  coordination units of the project, stating the
  respective obligations and responsibilities of
  the different parties. In the case of joint
  projects, this description extends to all
  partners, as well as the project coordinator.
• - the organisational structure and team proposed
  for implementation
• -the main means proposed for the implementation
  of the action (equipment, tools) and for
  carrying out the proposed activities
• - Coordination /Synergies with other projects

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Main Proposal Components

• 12. Detailed Budget by Expenditure Category and
  Source of Funding (detailed and summarized)
• 13. Implementation plan
• 14. Sustainability of the project Explain how
  sustainability will be secured after completion
  of the action
• 15. Reporting, monitoring and evaluation
• 16. Impact of the project
• 17. Feasibility study

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Common Errors

• The proposal is too ambitious.
• There are no clearly defined objectives.
• The Budget is unrealistic.
• The application is fragmented and disjointed.
• Carelessness Cannot rely on your reputation, it
  does not work.
• The proposal tends to be too cautious and
• does not venture into new areas.

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Tips on Writing Winning Proposals

• Read the operations manual with emphasis on
  Application Format and Criteria for Evaluation,
  Guidelines for Application and Use of QIF Funds.
• Clarity and Relevance of the proposed project to
  QIF objectives
• Partnerships
• Accreditation for targeted academic programs
• Availability of Quality assurance Unit
• Impact on TEIs and tertiary education sector
• Cost effectiveness
• Feasibility (reliable and physical resources)
• Sustainability

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Tips on Writing Winning Proposals

• Problem statement, project justification ,target
  group are well defined
• Project has an innovative idea or concept
• Include a table of contents that clearly
  identifies the various proposal sections
• .
• Make your proposal look good. Lay the
• application out well with clear sections and
  subsections.
• Use tables and figures as information can be
• read more easily.
• Have the proposal reviewed by a colleague