Session 8:Project Design and Proposal Writing

SPA Workshop 2012

Key Components of Project Design & Proposal

1. Statement of Need/ Defining Project Purpose

2. Writing Goals & Objectives

3. Implementation / Action Plan (with Timeline)

4. Budgeting

5. Planning Monitoring & Evaluation

Statement of Need/ Defining Project Purpose

When defining the Project Purpose and attempting to write the statement of need, it is important for Volunteers to work with the community to identify priority issues they have addressed together.

What are some challenges Volunteers face?

What tools & materials are available to assist Volunteers determining community needs/priorities?

•PDM Manual•SPA Idea Book•PACA

Project Design Tool

Questions Steps

1. What is our preferred dream or vision of the future?

Dream or vision statement describing a preferred future

2. What are our existing assets that will help us reach our vision? (Sometimes done before and after the visioning)

List of assets, best resources

3. How can we make our vision happen?

List of possible strategies/ opportunities; ranking and selection of best strategies

4. What are the long-term and short-term results we want?

Project Goals and Objectives

5. How will we know if our project has been successful?

Signs of success or achievement/ Monitoring and Evaluating plan

6. How feasible is our project? Feasibility analysisPDM Session 6, p, 71

Writing Goals & Objectives

Goals describe the long-term results the project is designed to achieve. As a result of their small scale, most small grant projects only have one or two goals. Goals: -- restate the vision of the community and approach in terms of what is to be accomplished; -- define the long-term results or changes that the project will bring about; -- be realistic and include an overall time frame.

Writing Goals & Objectives

Objectives are similar to goals but are much more specific and focus on the short-term results you need to meet the longer-term goal(s) of the project. For each project goal, you should have at least two or more objectives. Project objectives: -- are short-term results you need to meet the longer-term goal(s) of the project; -- are SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic, and Time-bound; -- Answer these questions: Who is the target group or individuals expected to change? What action or change is expected? When will the desired action or change be accomplished? How much change is expected?

Determining Beneficiaries/ Indicators

•It is important to distinguish the difference between Beneficiaries and Participants; Volunteers should keep in mind that these numbers may be different.

•Purpose is to estimate the scope of the project (# people, things, changes, etc.)

•Must be accurate and based on realistic assumptions

GOALImprove literacy for girls in the village

Objective 1.1: 15 girls of grade 5 will be able to read 3 books aloud

Objective 1.2: By August 2012, the primary school resource center will be stocked with books and educational materials

Objective 1.3: 15 girls of grade 5 will be able to present on a book and character that they read about

PDM, Session 6, p. 78

SMART:SpecificMeasurableAttainableRealisticTime-bound

Implementation/ Action Plan (Timeline)

Creating a timeline for the project includes several different considerations:(1) how to sequence the project tasks so that each one prepares for something that follows; (2) when various tasks can take placeover the life of the project implementation; and(3) who specifically is responsible for each task.

Action Plan/Timeline Example

Activity Person(s) Responsible

March April May June July August

Reading supplies

X

Permission Slips

X

Purchasing of supplies for school resource room

Principle X X X X X

Girls reading club

Counterpart X X X

Final presentation

Volunteer / Counterpart

X

Completion Ceremony

Volunteer/ counterpart

X

Budgeting

Budgeting is an essential step when mapping out a project. Creating the budget should be a project conducted by both the Volunteer and his/ her Community.

Before the community can start implementing the actualproject, they must identify all the resources they will need to conductthe project tasks, and then estimate the cost or value of those resources.General categories of resources for small community-based projectsInclude :

- people or human resources-equipment-materials-Supplies-transportation.

Budgeting

Something to remember about the steps to budgeting…..

(1)Based on Action Plan/Timeline --determine in detail what resources/materials are required for each task/activity in the project(2)It is important to research prices to estimate the cost of materials/resources and prepare a budget(3)Determine which resources the community has or can acquire. Ensure that the community contribution reaches at least 25% of the project’s total amount- Please turn to your binder where there is an example of a budget & some guidance for valuing in-kind donations from the community

What are some major issues with Budgeting that Volunteers encounter?

Planning Monitoring & Evaluation

Monitoring: measuring and recording what happened before, during and

after your activity

= WHAT HAPPENED

Evaluation: determining the causal links between each step of the activity

and the results

= WHY

Monitoring

What to Monitor How to Monitor

The number of girls attending afterschool language club

Maintain running list of girls attendance follow up with girls who do not attend

Progression of skills (reading aloud skills)

Use a basic quiz testing girls progress by sitting together one-on-one to assess progress

Effectiveness of club activities

Observe the girls throughout the sessions, are they engaged? Are they interacting? If they are not, ask what they need to be able to better participate.

Evaluation

How well has your project worked?OBJECTIVE INDICATOR

How will you measure that the objective was achieved?

WHOWho will collect the information to measure success against the indicator?

WHENWhen & How often will the information be collected?

1.1 15 girls of grade 5 will be able to read 3 books aloud

1.2 By October 2012, the primary school resource center will be stocked with books and educational materials?

1.3 15 girls of grade 5 will be able to present on a book and character that they read about

Group Work