Project

Question 1

What is a project?

Answer 1

A project is a series of activities aimed at achieving specified objectives within a defined time-period and budget.

Question 2

What is important to identify within a project?

Answer 2

A project should have clearly identified:

• Stakeholders and beneficiaries
• Problems to be addressed or opportunities materialised
• Implementation, monitoring and evaluation arrangements
• Benefits which exceed expected costs and are likely to be sustainable

Question 3

What does the term stakeholder mean?

Answer 3

Stakeholders are individuals or institutions that may - directly or indirectly, positively or negatively - affect or be affected by a project or programme.

Question 4

What does beneficiaries mean?

Answer 4

Beneficiaries are those who benefit in whatever way from the implementation of the project. Distinction may be made between:

a) target groups: the group who will be directly positively affected by the project at the Project Purpose level, which can include the staff from partner organisations.
b) Final beneficiaries: those who benefit from the project in the long term at the level of the society or sector at large, e.g. children, consumers.

Question 5

What are project partners?

Answer 5

Those who implement the projects in-country, who are also stakeholders and may be a ‘target group’

Question 6

Why has the project approach been used for development projects?

Answer 6

It has been used within development primarily because it helps meet the accountability requirements of donors.

Question 7

What are the limits of a project approach?

Answer 7

1. A development process requires more time than a project time-period.
2. It tends to respond to sectors needs, while people needs are global.
3. Inadequate local ownership of projects, with negative implications for sustainability of benefits.
4. The huge number of different development projects, funded by different donors each with their own management and reporting arrangements, which has resulted in large and wasteful transaction costs for the recipients of development assistance.
5. The establishment of separate management, financing and monitoring/reporting arrangements which has undermined local capacity and accountability, instead of fostering it.
6. The project approach has encouraged a narrow view of how funds are being used, without adequate appreciation of the ‘fungibility’ issue.

Question 8

What is project cycle?

Answer 8

• It follows the life of a project from the initial idea to its completion.
• It provides a structure to ensure that stakeholders are consulted.
• It defines the key decisions, information requirements and responsibilities at each phase, so that informed decisions can be made at each phase in the project life.
• It draws on evaluation to build the lessons of experience into the design of future programmes and projects.

Question 9

What is project cycle management?

Answer 9

It gives a methodology for the preparation, implementation and evaluation of projects and programmes based on the principles of the Logical framework approach.

Question 10

Which are the phases of the project cycle?

Answer 10

1. Programming.
2. Identification
3. Formulation
4. Implementation
5. Evaluation and audit.

Question 11

What are the main principles highlighted by the project cycle?

Answer 11

1. Decision making criteria and procedures are defined at each phase, including key information requirements and quality assessment criteria.
2. The phases in the cycle are progressive and each phase should be completed for the next to be tackled with success.
3. New programming and project identification draws on the results of monitoring and evaluation as part of a structured process of feedback and institutional learning.

Question 12

What is a programme?

Answer 12

It is a set of projects, working with the same purpose or general objective in the same area of intervention. But the definition depends essentially on how the responsible authority defines it. It can:

1. Cover a whole sector (e.g. Health Sector Programme)
2. Focus on one part of the health sector (e.g. a Primary Health Care Programme)
3. Be a ‘package’ of projects with a common focus/theme.
4. Define what is essentially just a large project with a number of different components.

Question 13

How are priorities defined when programming?

Answer 13

• By nature of intervention (development, reconstruction, humanitarian aid)
• Geographic (which countries)
• Sectoral (health, education, production)
• By type of local partners (institutions, NGOs, private sector, movements)

Question 14

What’s the connection between policy, programme and project?

Answer 14

Policy is the widest of them all. Programmes exist within the policies. Projects exist within the programmes.

E.g. National and sector policies –> Government programmes projects

Question 15

When is a project appropriate?

Answer 15

• For decentralised cooperation with non-public entities, such as NGOs, private sector, civil society.
• For emergency aid and post-crisis interventions.
• Technical assistance projects or ‘pilot’ projects to build capacity.
• Regional environmental projects with high transaction costs for governments
• When conditions within a country or sector do not yet allow other approaches to be used

Question 16

What is the purpose of the identification process?

Answer 16

To identify and screen project ideas to further analyse them, with the purpose of ensuring consistency with applicant and donor priorities, to assess the relevance and feasibility of the ideas, to prepare a financing decision for a programme and to determine the scope of further work required during the formulation stage for projects.

Question 17

What does the identification phase involve?

Answer 17

1. The initial elaboration of the operation idea; objectives, results, activities, with a view to determining whether or not to go through with a feasibility study.
2. Consultation with the intended beneficiaries and stakeholders of each action, an analysis of the problems they face, and the identification of options to address these problems.

Question 18

What does the analysis phase in the identification process involve?

Answer 18

1. Stakeholder analysis. Identify and characterise potential major stakeholders. Assess their capacity.
2. Problem analysis. Identify key problems, constraints and opportunities. Determine cause and effect relationships.
3. Objective analysis. Develop solutions from the identified problems. Identify means to end relationships.
4. Strategy analysis. Identify different strategies to achieve solutions. Select most appropriate strategy.

Question 19

What does the formulation phase mean?

Answer 19

The process of translating the concept of project into operation plans. And to confirm the relevance and feasibility of the project idea. At the end of this phase, the projects are approved for financing.

Question 20

What does an operational plan or project proposal include?

Answer 20

Activities. Results. Objectives. Management and coordination arrangements. Financing plan. Cost-benefit analysis. Risk management. Monitoring.

Question 21

What is included in the planning phase of the formulation stage?

Answer 21

1. Developing the Logical Framework matrix, which defines project structure, tests its internal logic and risks, formulates measurable indicators of success.
2. Activity scheduling to determine the sequence and dependency of activities, to estimate their duration, assigning responsibility.
3. Resource scheduling. From activity schedule, developing input schedules and a budget.

Question 22

What should the situation analysis or key assessments include?

Answer 22

1. Policy and programme context.
2. Stakeholder analysis and institutional capacity assessment.
3. Problem analysis.
4. Lessons learned and review of ongoing or planned initiatives.
5. Strategy selection.

Question 23

What should the project description include?

Answer 23

1. Overall objective and purpose.
2. Target group, location and duration.
3. Results and indicative activities.
4. Resources and costs.

Question 24

What should the description of management arrangements include?

Answer 24

1. Coordination and management structures.
2. Financial management/financing arrangements.
3. Monitoring, evaluation and audit.

Question 25

What should the info about feasibility and sustainability include?

Answer 25

1. Economic and financial
2. Environmental
3. Technical
4. Social and governance
5. Risk management

Question 26

What is the implementation phase?

Answer 26

It is the stage in which planned benefits are delivered. All other stages in the cycle are supportive of this implementation stage.

Question 27

The purpose of the implementation stage?

Answer 27

Deliver the results, achieve the purpose, contribute to the overall objective of the project
Manage the available resources efficiently
Monitor and report on progress

Question 28

What are the sub-phases of the implementation stage?

Answer 28

1. Inception: conclude contracting arrangements, mobilise resources, establish working relationships with stakeholders, hold inception workshops, review and revise project plan, establish M&E systems
2. Implementation: procure and deploy resources, including personnel, implement activities and deliver results, monitor and review progress, revise operational plans in light of experience, report on progress
3. Phase out: hand over all responsibilities to local partners, ensure maintenance plans are in place, ensure relevant skills are transferred, help ensure recurrent cost requirements are secured.

Question 29

What is monitoring and what does it include?

Answer 29

It is regular reviews of project progress during the implementation phase.
It should involve key stakeholders with direct responsibilities for implementation on the ground (i.e. the project management team)

It provides a structure opportunity to discuss and agree on the content of progress reports
To build a common understanding of key issues or concerns of action that need to be taken
More or less formal

Question 30

What does reporting mean?

Answer 30

Project management or implementing agencies must provide reports on physical and financial progress to stakeholders, especially those providing financial resources to support implementation.

Purpose:
Inform stakeholders of progress, constraints, and any remedial or supportive action required.
Provide a formal documented record of what has been achieved during the reporting period, and thus facilitate future reviews.
Document any changes in forward plans, including budgetary requirements, and promote transparency and accountability.

Question 31

What does evaluation mean?

Answer 31

It means that the project is examined against its objectives and lessons are used to influence future actions. The purpose is to determine the relevance and fulfilment of objectives, developmental efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability

Question 32

Which principles underpin the approach to evaluation?

Answer 32

1. Impartiality and independence.
2. Credibility.
3. Participation of stakeholders.
4. Usefulness of findings and recommendations.