Final Class Presentation on Direct Problem-solving Intervention Projects.pptx

IRL6050-A:
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
IN INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Direct Problem-solving
Intervention Projects

What is a proposal?
Your proposal is an important document
Development Partners will decide to
finance your project or not from what they
read.
Any proposal should show thoughtful
planning

Identify the project idea
 Do your Pre-Planning and
Stakeholders Analysis
 Look at possible funding and local resources
 What you learn from this will point you in
the direction of the best way to help - the
‘project approach’ and ‘project logic’

Identify the project idea
Your pre-planning
should have
pointed to an
approach that fits
into this model:
Available resources
Needs identified by experts
Project
Community Interests

Good ideas
1. Make sure there is a genuine problem and that you can face it.
2. Two-step approach:
 First define your project thoroughly using a participatory
approach,
 Then adapt your project proposal according to the
targeted donor.
3. Use the logical framework - a tool to design a project in a
systematic and logical way.

Package your project
into an attractive proposal
 Follow a logical thread:
 Background
 Problem
 Solution
 Sustainability
 Ensure match-up between:
 Problem – Outcomes – Means
 (this is called internal coherence)
 Many donors want the Logical Framework Approach

Package your project
into an attractive proposal cont.
Logic checklist
Don’t leave a problem unsolved
Don’t identify outcomes that do not correspond to a
problem
Don’t identify outcomes for which you don’t have a solution
Don’t propose activities that are not related to problems and outcomes
Don’t list human resources that don’t match the outcomes you aim
to achieve

Proposal
structure
1. Executive Summary
2. Organisation description
3. Project background
4. Problem statement
5. Goal and objectives
6. Beneficiaries
7. Theory of Change
8. Proposed methodology:
8. Budget
9. Monitoring and Evaluation
10. Sustainability
11. Exit Strategy
12. Annexes
Partners
Project implementation
Activities
Risks and assumptions
Means

Executive Summary
It is the first part that is
read
Sometimes the only part
that is read…
It can be used by the
donor to communicate
to others about your
project
Why is it important:
9

Executive Summary
What do you propose to do?
Where?
Why?
For whom?
With whom?
For how long?
Summary

Executive Summary
DO :
Write it last
Do it carefully
Keep it short
DON’T :
Cut and paste

2. Presentation of the
organisation
Purpose: to establish credibility and
image of a well-managed organization
that meets critical needs in its area of
work
 Tips
 Should not be too long
 If you are approaching a new donor,
attach in appendix an organisation
brochure and the last annual report
Why is it important?

2. Presentation of the
organisation
 Who are you?
 Philosophy / mandate?
 History and significant
interventions / track record
 Expertise in addressing the problem
or need
 Organisational structure
 Major sources of support
 Affiliations / accreditations /
linkages
Contents

3. Project Background
 Who took the initiative?
 Does the project fit into an existing
development plan or programme?
 Is this the first phase of the project, or
continues an activity already started?
 If continuing, what have been the main
results of the previous phase?
 What studies have been done to
prepare the project?
 Who else operates in this field?
Contents

3. Project Background
 The project arises from the
beneficiaries and/or the local
partners
 You know the local context very
well
 You have the experience needed
to run the project successfully
 You have been successful before
Tips:
You need to
demonstrate that :

4. Problem Statement
Unless donors are convinced that there is
a real problem, they will not agree to pay
for our project!
 Tips
A “good” problem should:
 concern people
 be concrete and demonstrated
 be solvable
 come from a demand
 be an emergency or priority

4. Problem Statement
 Describe the scope and size of
the problem
 What are the immediate causes?
 What are the underlying causes?
 What are the effects?
 How does it affect people?
 Why does it have to be addressed?
 Why now and not later?
Contents

5. Goal and Objectives
 Goals (or overall objectives):
 Describes the long-term goals your project will contribute to.
Project Purpose or Specific Objective:
 Describes the objective of your project in response to the core problem.
Expected Results:
 Describes the outputs (or outcomes) - the concrete results of your project.
23

5. Goal and Objectives
Objectives should be SMART:
 Specific = they must meet the needs (problems) identified
 Measurable = they should be measured by concrete indicators which
should reflect the extent to which they have been attained
 Acceptable = by all involved partners
 Relevant = they must be adequate to the project socio-cultural
environment
 Timely = must be reached by the end of the project

Theory of Change (ToC)
• Definition
Theory of change is an on-going process of reflection to explore change
and how it happens – and what that means in a particular context, sector,
and/or group of people.
ToC thinking
• Structured way of thinking about change and impact organizations would like to
achieve
• Integrated approach to programme design, implementation, M+E, and
communication

Theory of Change: Main Questions
What is the programme?
What outcomes does the programme aim to achieve?
What intermediate steps lead to those outcomes?
What assumptions are associated with each link in the
causal chain?
How can we measure outcomes?

Final Class Presentation on Direct Problem-solving Intervention Projects.pptx

Establish a clearly
articulated goal
based on self
assessment
Establish a theory
of change for
myself based on
what I know
about my own
learning
strategies.
Develop a logical
pathway (logic
model) to achieve
my goal.
Implement the
plan as
developed,
Reflect on my
new practices and
seek feedback
from others.
Adjust my
practices based
on what I am
learning.
Achieve my goal!

Differences between the
Theory of Change and the Logic Model

6. Beneficiaries
 Clearly identify direct and indirect
beneficiaries:
 Direct support to target group
 Indirect benefits to others
 How many?
 Where?
 Characteristics?
 Specify how and at what stage they
will be involved in the project
Contents

7. Proposed Methodology
Partners
Project implementation
Activities
Risks and assumptions
Means
Why is it important?
Shows how objectives will be
achieved
Contents

 Partners:
 Clearly divide main partners and
other partners
 Provide background information:
 Goals/philosophy?
 Area of intervention?
 Relationship with beneficiaries?
 Cooperation track-
record?
 Type of partnership you
set up
 Specify each partner’s
role

 Project implementation:
 Rationale for selecting this methodology
 Project implementation structure: roles and responsibilities
of all the project stakeholders
 Tip
Use a chart to show the project implementation structure

Activities:
 What will be done?
 How?
 By whom?
 Where?
 By when?
Tips
Be as precise as possible
Cluster activities by
expected result
Use a work plan to
summarise

7. Proposed Methodology - Training
 How many persons?
 For how long? Starting
when?
 Which methodology will
be used (seminars, in-
house training, ad hoc
courses, etc.)
 Why is the training
necessary?
 Which new skills will
the trainees acquire?
Year Year 1
Month 1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Activity 1
Activity 2
Activity 3
Activity 4

7. Proposed Methodology -Risks/Assumptions
 Risks are external factors that could potentially jeopardise your
project and are beyond your control
 Assumptions are things you are expecting to be a certain way
 Why is it important?
 It helps assess the factors which could jeopardise your project
 It helps examining the project for completeness and
consistency

7. Proposed methodology -Means
 Human resources:
 Explain the responsibilities and tasks of each key person in
the project.
 Justify the need for expatriate personnel
 Material resources:
 Give an explanation of the most important budget lines
 Justify vehicles

8. Budget
Contents
Budget spreadsheet
Budget explanations
and justifications
Tips
 Prepare it using your action plan
 Don’t inflate the budget
 Carefully follow donor’s
requirements
 Divide your budget into years

9. Monitoring & Evaluation
 Monitoring:
 to assess whether your project
activities are on track
 Evaluation:
 to assess whether your project is
effective, efficient, has an impact,
is relevant and sustainable
Contents
 What will be monitored and
why?
 By whom?
 How often?
Using which tools and methods?

10. Sustainability
Contents
Institutional sustainability
Technical sustainability
Socio-cultural
sustainability
Financial sustainability
Because donors want to be
sure that their investment will
not be lost at the end of the
project and that you are
already planning the phasing
out of the project.

11. Annexes / Appendices
 Glossary
 Maps
 Statistics/ policy documents
 Proof of registration and tax benefits for
donors
 Financial statement
 Composition of Board of Directors
 List of major donors
 Annual report, brochures & publications
 Specific studies or evaluation reports
 Memorandum of agreement with
partners
 Letters of support
 Pictures, case studies
 Other...
Contents

11. Appendices / Annexes - Tips
 Refer to the appendices in the proposal (see appendix a),
but....
If something is crucially important, write it in the proposal!
 Add a table of contents for the appendices
Put the appendix number on the top of each page “appendix
no xy”
 Separate each appendix by a coloured page

Final Class Presentation on Direct Problem-solving Intervention Projects.pptx

More Related Content

Similar to Final Class Presentation on Direct Problem-solving Intervention Projects.pptx (20)

More from GeorgeKabongah2 (20)

Recently uploaded (20)

Final Class Presentation on Direct Problem-solving Intervention Projects.pptx