Developing a Project Proposal - SPROUT - ACTRAV-Turin

Contents SPROUT – model project proposal System Chart Components of the SPROUT Preparation and presentation of Workplan

SPROUT … Summary project Outline  Tool for the development of a project proposal  Means to make a good proposal for a donor agency 1. Background – Policies and Problems 2. Target Group / Parties involved 3. Development and immediate objectives 4. Main outputs and indicators of achievements 5. Activities and inputs 6. Monitoring, Reporting and Evaluation 7. A preliminary budget estimate

SPROUT - System Chart Step 1 Step 1: Policies & Problems Step 4 Step 4: Definition of Needs Step 2 Step 2: Analysis of the Current Situation Step 3 Step 3: Analysis of Desired Situations Step 5 Step 5: Specification of Objectives Step 9 Step 9: Analyses of Resources Step 6 Step 6: Strategic selection, design and elaboration of activities Step 7 Step 7: Design of monitoring, reporting & evaluation procedures Step 8 Step 8: Risk Analysis

Analysis of Policies & Problems  Values and Principles  Macro economic and social environment  Identification of Problems and the analyses of their causes  Justifications for actions  Priorities and strategies  Situations of resources

Identification of the “Problems” What exactly are the problems you need (want) to tackle? What exactly are the problems you need (want) to tackle? Why do the problems have to be solved? How fast? Why do the problems have to be solved? How fast? What are the causes and effect of the problems? Any studies / analyses? What are the causes and effect of the problems? Any studies / analyses? Were there any past attempts to solved the problems? Failure/success? Were there any past attempts to solved the problems? Failure/success?

Analyses of the Current Situations  Clear, specific description of current situations to analyze the existing problems in depth  Target group and their current conditions  Other parties involved and their situations  Resources available  Constraints  Analyses of past experiences

Analyses of the Desired Situations  Definition of the desired situations – with specific institutional arrangements/ settings;  Expected performance – with observable knowledge, skills, attitudes, behaviors and/or abilities  Performance criteria and indicators

Definition of Needs  How far the distance between the current situations and the desired situations?  What are the priority issues?  Qualitative definition  the nature of needs -  Quantitative definition  improvement from X point to Y point  Question of time limit  Y point must be achieved by Z date

Development Objectives  Overall aims of the project in a long-run  Broader behavioral/institutional changes to which the project will contribute

Immediate Objectives  Specific Performance  Specific Institutional Arrangements  Specific Conditions  Specific Criteria Be “SMART”: Specific, Measurable, Approved, Realistic, and Time-bound Be “SMART”: Specific, Measurable, Approved, Realistic, and Time-bound “To study”, “to raise awareness”, or “to assist” is not suitable for immediate objectives. “To study”, “to raise awareness”, or “to assist” is not suitable for immediate objectives.

Selection of Activities & Methods  Activities that must be organized to eliminate the causes of the problems and achieve the objectives  Design strategic progression of actions and contents  Condition  Criteria  Definition of pre-requisites

Indicators of Achievement and Outputs Indicators of Achievement Indicators of Achievement –A brief description of the desired or expected situation at the end of the project, with clear emphasis on the changes that the project will help to bring about.  Outputs –Products that the project will produce –Be precise in defining the outputs

Individual Workplan 1.Complete from Step 1 to Step 3 of the system chart; (by Monday, 21 February) 2.Make necessary revisions to the above step, and then complete from Step 4 to Step 6 (by Monday, 28 February) 3.Complete all the Steps (by Wednesday, 2 March) 4.Finalize the work plan (by 08:30, Friday, 4 March) Development Process

Presentation of Work Plan 1. Each participant has 7 minutes to present his/her work plan; 2. While your colleague is making presentation, carefully take note of its major arguments, focusing on some strong points, weak points, and/or points for clarification; 3. Each presentation will be followed by a short Q&A session through which participants help each other to further improve/strengthen the workplan.

End of the Activity