Guides for NGOs -- Series 1: Strategic Resource Planning

Page:1

Steps for Strategic Planning, Preparing Project Proposals or Planning Interventions 1 2

Environmental Scan
3

Internal Analysis

Contextualize Analyze

External Analysis

Define Problem & Goals

7

PEST **

Strengths

Weaknesses

Opportunities

Threats

9
Does your Organization have the capacity to address the problem?

SWOT Matrix
S-O Strategies S-T Strategies W-O Strategies W-T Strategies

Scope the Solution: The PROJECT

10
Is the Project feasible and robust?

Project Proposal SWOT Matrix

W
W-O Strategies

S-O Strategies
S-T Strategies

O T

W-T Strategies

OBJECTIVES of Project
11

Stakeholder Analysis

Community CSO Target/Partners Partners

**

CSOs Allies

Regional Agencies International Agencies

Others....

Government Stakeholders

PEST = Political, Economic, Social, Technological situation analysis. It can also include study
of Historical precedents and Legal frameworks. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. Creative Commons License. Credit & Copyright: Leo G Fernandez - 2009

Guides for NGOs -- Series 1: Strategic Resource Planning

Steps for Strategic Planning, Preparing Project Proposals or Planning Interventions 12

Page:2

Role and Responsibilities

List the actors / stakeholders who will be enlisted as: - Partners - Allies - Agencies of interest List roles, responsibilities and expectations desired from all partners and allies Outline the role and involvement of all other stakeholders Sl.No Organization Type Role Responsibilities Expected outcomes

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Partner Partner Ally Ally Stakeholder Stakeholder 13

Methodology

* what is the approach or method that will be adopted in implementing the project: - will it be a top-down or bottom-up approach? - will it follow a consultative, collaborative, partnership-based, participatory or other model? - if so, reasons for choosing this appraoch and how will the model be applied? * will activities be in continuation of previous activities? - what were the successes and failures of previous activities? - briefly cite the main conclusions and evaluation of the previous activities - how will the current activities build on successes of previous activities? - how will the current activities avoid the failures and risks of previous activities? * will the action be a part of a larger programme or project ? - explain how it fits into the larger project and how it will be coordinated - identify potential synergies and conflicts? * what procedures, methods and standards will be applied for monitoring, evaluation and follow-up? * what will be the role and participation of various actors: target groups, local partners, allies, local authorities? - give reasons for assigning specific roles to specific actors? - what is the expected level of participation ? what methods will be applied to optimize participation? - how will lack of participation of specific actors impact your project outcomes? * how does the team/department responsible for implementation of the project fit into the organizational structure? - what will be the functions and responsibilities of the team? - what autonomy and decision rights will be granted to them? - to whom will the team be accountable and directly report to? * what resources, equipment, materials, supplies will be acquired or rented to implement the project? - how dependent is the project on external resources - both material and human?

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. Creative Commons License. Credit & Copyright: Leo G Fernandez - 2009

Guides for NGOs -- Series 1: Strategic Resource Planning

Steps for Preparing Project Proposals or Planning Interventions

Page:3

14

Activities / Action Plan

a) Ensure that the activities to be carried out under the project are, practical and consistent in relation to: objectives, purpose and expected results. b) Present the activities in a tabular format, in sequential order, listing sub-activities (if relevant) and indicating time-line from start to completion. c) Project Activity charts will vary depending on the type of activities required for a particular project: eg: - Organizing a convention is different from conducting workshops - which is different from developing an information system. In some cases the activities may be ongoing activities, all the same they can be given some structure as below (use as a broad guideline or adapt to fit activity-type): Main Objectives Secondary Objectives Activities Quarterwise Distribution Budget Personnel Responsible Allocation Expected Outcomes

Apr-Jun Jul-Sep Oct-Dec Jan-Mar 1. 2. 3. 4.

[Note: You can make the above following the pattern of a Gantt chart, indicating if start of a particular activity is dependent on completion of a previous activity or at some point in the middle of a previous activity. This should give a suciently clear picture of how the dierent activities of the project will be carried out.]

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. Creative Commons License. Credit & Copyright: Leo G Fernandez - 2009

Guides for NGOs -- Series 1: Strategic Resource Planning

Steps for Preparing Project Proposals

Page:4

15
Summary
GOAL: The broader (national, sectoral or programme level) goal to which the project contributes

Logical Framework
Means of Verification (MOV)
* Sources of information (national statistics) * Methods used.

Objectively Verifiable Indicators (OVIs)

* Measures of achievement of the goal. These would be used during evaluation.

External Factors (Assumptions, Risks, Constraints)

Risks and constraints affecting goal-objective linkage. Includes factors, important events, conditions, or decisions outside the control of the project that must remain favourable for the project objective to be attained. Factors that could derail efforts. Plan to reduce that risk of "derailment". Risks and constraints affecting the objective output linkage.

Risk Management
The specific components and strategies that are within the control of the project and those that are outside the control of the project.

OBJECTIVES: The primary purposes of the project - a sustainable base for lasting benefits for target groups should be the ultimate aim. The objectives should specify a time for achievement. OUTPUTS: The direct measurable results of the project. The combination of outputs will help achieve the objectives.

Condition at the end of the project indicating that the objectives have been achieved.

* Source of information (project data, evaluation) Methods used.

The project specific outputs and activities that will help to address the risks/ constraints identified.

The magnitude and quality of the outputs. These would be used for review and evaluation.

* Source of information (project data, review) Methods used.

Risks and constraints affecting the output activity linkage

The project specific activities that will address the risks and constraints identified.

ACTIVITIES: The action carried out and resources needed to implement the project. (This could include inputs, timing and responsibility)

Implementation targets - Type and Quantity. These will be used for monitoring.

* Source of information (project data) Monitoring. Methods used.

Risks and constraints affecting the successful completion of the project activities.

These should either be addressed by other activities or by the way in which activities are carried out.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. Creative Commons License. Credit & Copyright: Leo G Fernandez - 2009

Page:5

Guides for NGOs -- Series 1: Strategic Resource Planning

Steps for Preparing Project Proposals

16

Sustainability

Risk Analysis
Identify the main assumptions and risks: - at the start of the project - throughout the various stages of the implementation period Identify long-term sustainable impacts on target groups / final beneficiaries Identify the factors and actors on whom sustainability is dependent Include the whole range of risk types: - physical, - environmental, - political, - economic - social and cultural - legal

Contingency Plans

Risk Management

Sustainability
State the main preconditions and assumptions - to start the action - to carry out the action - to follow-up on the action Explain how sustainability will be secured after completion of the action - aspects of necessary measures and strategies built into the action, - follow-up activities, - ownership by target groups etc.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Non-commercial-Share Alike 3.0 License. Creative Commons License. Credit & Copyright: Leo G Fernandez - 2009