Preparing a project proposal

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PREPARING A PROJECT
PROPOSAL

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Introduction
 An NGO seeking support for the implementation of a
project will normally have to prepare a project proposal
for potential funding agents.
 A proposal should reflect the result of a careful planning
process.
 It provides a potential client or funding agency with
details of the planned activities and the costs of those
activities.
 It should also provide sufficient information about the
organisation making the proposal to enable the reader to
assess the organisation’s experience and capabilities.

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 Some finding agencies may have their own
guidelines for proposal content and format.
Where no guidelines exist, the following will help
you to structure your proposal.

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The proposal components
SUMMARY CLEARLY AND CONCISELY
SUMMARIZES THE PROPOSAL
 I. INTRODUCTION  describes the applicant’s
qualifications or credibility.
 II. PROBLEM STATEMENT/ NEEDS ASSESSMENT
 documents the needs to be met or problems to
addressed by the proposed activities and/ or funds.
 III. GOALS, OBJECTIVES AND TARGETS  what
the programme aims to achieve, giving specific and
measurable results.

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Contd…
 IV. STRATEGIES AND ACTIVITIES  describes the
activities to be carried out to achieve the desired results.
 V. MONITORING AND EVALUATION  presents a
plan for tracking project progress and for determining the
extent to which the objectives are achieved.
 VI. SUSTAINABILITY how the project activities or
results will be maintained after the end of the project.
 VII. BUDGET  details the project costs and proposed
sources of funding.

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PROPOSAL SUMMARY
 The summary is a very important part of a proposal. It
will probably be the first thing that a client or funding
source will read; it may be the only part of the whole
proposal that a busy manager has the time to review.
 The summary should be clear, concise and specific. It
should describe the organisation making the proposal, the
scope of the project, and the projected cost.
 Aim to keep the proposal summary to maximum of two
pages (one page is even more desirable.)

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Introduction
 This is the section of the proposal where you build the
credibility of your organisation as one which is
capable of effectively carrying out the proposed
project.
 What gives organisation credibility in the eyes of a
client or funding source will depend, in part, on the
interests and characteristics of those to whom the
proposal is being submitted. A more conservative
funding source may be responsive to persons of
prominence on Board of Directors, to how long your
NGO has existed or to other clients or donors with
whom you have worked. You should use the
introduction to reinforce the connections you see
between the interests of your organisation and those of
the agency to which your proposal is intended.

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 In this introductory section, you might include:
 How, when and why your organisation was
established.
 Anything that is unique about the way your
organisation got started or about its work.
 The missions or goals of your organisation.

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 Your organisation’s most significant accomplishments. It
your NGO is new, then you could quote the achievements
of individual staff or Board members in their previous
roles.
 Previous work that the organisation has carried out for
other agencies, or support it has received from other
organisations. Letters of endorsement could be attached
in an annex.
 The credibility you establish in your introduction may be
more important than the rest of your proposal, but still try
to be as brief and specific as you can.

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Problem statement of needs assessment
 This is where you describe the specific
problem or problems that your proposal is
intended to resolve. You need to narrow down
your definition of the problem you want to
approach to something that you can hope to
accomplish within a reasonable amount of time
and a reasonable level of resources

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 Don’t try a paint a broad picture of all the
problems facing a community; this will only
alarm those who receive your proposal.

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Contd…
Define clearly the problem (s) with which you
intend to work. State how you know that a
problem exists; a few key statistics might be
helpful here. Make a logical connection between
your organisation’s resources and experience and
the problems and needs to which your proposed
project is responding.

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Project goals and objectives
 Having clearly defined the problem(s), your project’s
goal and objectives should be designed to offer some
resolution of these problem(s).
 Differentiate between (a) objectives and strategies; and
(b) activities. An objective states what you intend to
achieve.
 One way of ensuring that you have a clearly defined
objective is to check that your objective states: who is
going to be doing how much of what, when, and how
it will be measured.

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Strategies and Activities
 Having described the problem and your objectives
(which indicate a solution to or reduction of the
problem), now you need to describe how you will
bring about these results. The strategies and activities
are your project’s methods of achieving its objectives.
A strategy describes, in general terms, your approach
to achieving the objective. Activities are the particular
steps that will be taken to implement the strategy.

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 This section of your proposal should also clearly
describe the activities to be carried out, who will
carry out the activities, the sequence of activities,
and a timeline for their completion.

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Monitoring and evaluation
 Monitoring is the collection and review of
information about progress being made in the
implementation of the project. Evaluation is
the process of collecting and analyzing
information about the impact and effectiveness
of the project. Your proposal should describe
the monitoring and evaluation plans, stating
when these activities will be carried out, how
they will be carried out and by whom.

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Sustainability
 Both clients and funding sources want to know how
the project activities (or project results) will be
maintained after the project is over. In terms of
donors, a promise to look for alternate sources of
support is not sufficient; you must present a plan that
will assure the donors that you will be able to maintain
the new program often the external funding has come
to an end. In the case of services to be provided to a
client, you must include a plan for how these services
will be continued (if appropriate) after your project
has ended.

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Budget
 A summary budget should appear in the
summary at the beginning of the proposal. A
detailed budget should appear at the end of the
proposal.

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PROPOSAL CHECKLIST
The checklist below is designed to help you in the
development and improvement of the proposal.
You can use it to check that you have included all
the necessary information and that the content is
clear and concise.

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Proposed Checklist
SUMMARY: CLEARLY AND CONCISELY SUMMARIZES THE
REQUEST
1. Appears at the beginning of the proposal
2. Identifies the applicant
3. Includes at least one sentence on credibility
4. Includes at least one sentence describing the problem
5. Includes at least one sentence relating to project objectives
6. Includes at least one sentence on methods
7. Includes total cost, funds already obtained and the outstanding amount
required.
8. Is brief, clear and interesting

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INTRODUCTION:Describes the applicant agency and its
qualifications for funding (credibility)
 1. Clearly identifies the source of the proposal
 2. Describes the applicant agency’s purposes and goals
 3. Describes the applicant agency’s programs and and
activities
 4. Describes the applicant agency’s previous/current
clients
 5. Provides evidence of the applicant’s accomplishments
 6. Is brief, interesting and free of jargon.

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PROBLEM STATEMENT/NEEDS ASSESSMENT:
 Relates to the purposes and goals of the applicant agency
 Is of reasonable dimensions (not trying to solve all the
world’s problems)
 Is supported by evidence and/or statements from
authorities.
 Is stated in terms of client’s needs – not the applicant’s
 Is not stated in terms of “the lack of a program”
 Does not make unsupported assumptions
 Is free of jargon, is as brief as possible, but makes a
convincing case.

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GOALS AND OBJECTIVES: Describes outcomes of
the project in measurable terms
 At least one objective for each problem which is to be
addressed by the project.
 The objectives describe the results – not how the results
will be achieved.
 Describes clearly who will benefit from the project.
 States the time by which the objectives will be achieved
 The objectives are measurable.

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METHODS: Describes the activities to be carried out to
achieve the objectives
 Flows naturally from the problems and objectives
 Clearly describes the project activities
 States reasons for the selection of strategies and activities
 Describes the sequence of activities
 States who will be responsible for which activities.
 Presents a reasonable scope of activities that can be
carried out within the timeframe and resources of the
project.

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MONITORING AND EVALUATION: Includes a plan
for monitoring progress in project implementation and for
evaluation of project effectiveness.
 Describes the indicators that will assist in monitoring and
evaluating project accomplishments
 Presents a plan for evaluating the project achievements
 States who will be responsible for monitoring project
implementation
 States who will be responsible for project evaluation
 Explains any instruments or questionnaires to be used
 States when formal monitoring and evaluation will be
carried out.

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SUSTAINABILITY: Contains a plan for
continuation of project activities beyond the life
of the current project
1. Presents a specific plan to obtain future funding
if program will require continued financial
support.
2. Describes how the project will seek to develop
self-reliance for continuation of project activities
beyond the project period.

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BUDGET: Identifies total project costs, existing sources of
funding and net costs requested.
 Supports information given in the description of the
project
 Is sufficiently detailed to identity all calculations and unit
costs
 Does not include any unexplained amounts
 Includes all items to be charged to the project.
 Includes all items to be paid for by other sources
 Is reasonable and sufficient to perform the tasks
described.

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MONITORING
 Monitoring is an instrument in the implementation
of a programme to ensure its completion within
budgetary allocation and time schedule.
 It has to be in-built into a programme.

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Contd…
 Monitoring not only includes the quantitative
appraisal of the performances in relation to the
targets but qualitative assessment as whether the
objectives of the social welfare programmes are
being fulfilled.

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It is a process which
 helps in detecting the flaws,
 assists in decision-making and
 enables in giving direction to the programmes

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Contd…
 Monitoring is normally used to send feedback
information for initiating corrective action with a
view to bring the lagging areas back on course.
 It may also include a review of the corrective
action taken in response to the feedback, and flow
of up-to-date information in various levels within
the organisations and to the outside agencies.

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Main purpose
 It is not just reporting the progress at different
intervals on physical and financial targets
achieved or inputs (building, personnel, supplies,
etc.) provided for the implementation of the
programme.
 It is a system for the two-way flow of
information, both laterally and vertically; to aid in
decision-making and is timely action.

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Content of Monitoring
 The content of monitoring depend upon the
objectives of the programme.
 Define the quantitative terms the objectives of the
programme

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Techniques of Monitoring
Design for an effective information system
 Collecting, processing and reporting the data
necessary for planning and control.
 The development of any information system must
be specifically oriented to the needs of the
organisation.

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Use of performance-budgeting
 Provision of better budget and accounting system would
go far toward improving management in the area.
 A budget is a financial statement of expected results
expressed in numerical terms. It is quantification of a
plan.
 A budget is a financial representation of the plan for the
purpose of accounting.
 Cost accounting is defined as a means of keeping the
financial records of the organisation in a manner
permitting costs to be associated with the purpose for
which they are incurred.

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Network techniques : PERT/CPM
 Basically techniques of project management to ensure
effective planning, implementation and review of
project.
 Network techniques focus our attention on these
activities which need our top priority to accomplish
results.
 CPM helps the executives to estimate the cost of
project programme realistically.

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Contd…
 These techniques ensure the timely completion of the
project programmes.
 These techniques can help in locating the factors
responsible for the slow progress of the project
programme; a timely action can help the executives to
ensure timely completion.
 These techniques help the executives to make rational
decisions.

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Work study
 Aims at the elimination of inefficiency in the
functioning of management and administration
through ensuring optimum utilization of
resources - men, money and material.
 Raise productive efficiency of organisation.

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Organisational analysis
 It is a technique to ensure the achievement of
maximum results with minimum cost in terms of
human and material resources by the
organisation.
 Ensure good organisational climate. Good
organisational structure doesn’t by itself produce
good performance. But a poor organisational
structure make good performance impossible, no
matter how good the individuals may be.

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Social Cost Benefit Analysis
 It measures the benefits in terms of the positive
effects of the project and the costs in terms of
the negative effects of the project.

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Supply system
 Adoption of modern management techniques
will have a quicker pay-off in improved services
at reduced cost.

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Conclusion
If monitoring is followed……
 the programme goals would be clear to the functionaries.
 the machinery for implementing the programme would be
suitable.
 the staff would have the required competence
 the target group will be well-motivated
 financial and community support would be available
 the outcome would definitely be encouraging
 the delivery of services being as per requirements,
 attainment of the objectives of the programme would be
naturally be achieved.

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PROJECT EVALUATION
The project process has three dimensions:
 Project Formulation
 Project Administration
 Project Evaluation

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Project Formulation
 Finance
 Goals and objectives
 Strategies
 Programmes

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Project Administration
 Communication
 State of preparedness
 Man-power
 Supply of infrastructure
 Monitoring

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Project Evaluation
 What to evaluate? – related to objectives
 How to evaluate? – Methodology
 Where to evaluate?

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Contd…
 Evaluation must ensure objective assessment of
the performance. Careful evaluation is the
backbone of all social welfare programmes. It is
indispensable as a guarantee of effective use of
resources and of accountability for their use.

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Contd…
 According to some authorities, evaluation is
essentially an achievement audit; a systematic
and continuous enquiry to measure the efficiency
of means to reach their particular preconceived
ends. It has also been called social audit.
 The purpose of evaluation is not to just to locate
lapses but rather to give objective data on various
aspects of the programmes and thus serve as an
aid to decision-making.

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Aspects
 Evaluation is concerned mainly with the impact and
accomplishments of programmes.
 The costs of implementing the programme and whether it
is possible to get more results out of the funds available.
 The operations involved in the implementation of the
programme. The extent to which it has been able to
tackle the problem and produced the desired results.
 The impact of the programmes

Preparing a project proposal

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