Project Cycle ManagementAPPLIED

November – December 2019

Marta Moroni

Introduction

• To the teacher

• To the course components

• To the key concepts of the course

About Marta Moroni• With an advanced degree on Education and Social Sciences from the University of

Bologna, I have 18 years’ experience with development and humanitarian

organizations (United Nations, NGOs, Governments) in Programme management,

Monitoring & Evaluation, and Research.

• I started as a volunteer, working with street children and within education

programme in Brazil and Suriname, then continued working with UNICEF and

EGPAF in Tanzania and Kenya for almost 10 years, mostly on education, health,

HIV/AIDS and refugees programmes

• I’m currently based in Italy conducting consultancies for UN and NGOs, mostly in

eastern/southern Africa, providing technical support in impact evaluations, M&E

systems, training and capacity building

What about you?

• Do you have any experience in this field?

• Do you have experiences as a volunteer, a proposalwriter, a project manager, or a project evaluator?

• What are in your opinion the necessarycompetencies to cover these positions?

Overview of this PCM course

• Linked to “Project Cycle Management- Theory”

• 20 hours in 5 lessons (11-13; 14-15,30)

• Project cycle- applied:- Applied to what? - Development cooperation & Strategic Planning

Overview of this PCM course• Development cooperation

• Project cycle

• Strategic PlanningKey components:

1. Whom/what is the organization and project for? 2. Where do we want to go? 3. How can we get there? 4. How do we know we are getting there?

Course methodology• Lectures/ presentations

• Review of examples and projects

• Sharing of experiences

• Practical exercises for the attending students:

- Work on small groups

- Each group develops a project idea

- During each lesson a component of the project will be developed

- The final project will be submitted before the exam

A basic PM bibliography

• Project Cycle Management Guidelines, European Commission, March 2004 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/infopoint/publications/index_en.htm

• Communication and visibility manual, European Commission, July 2009 http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/visibility/index_en.htm

• Specific extra material and web-sites/links will be suggested duringeach lesson

• The exam will be based mostly on the lessons’ slides

Summary of lesson 11. Development and humanitariancooperation(Definition/scope, Human rights-based approach,)

2. Project cycle(Project cycle phases, Key activities: Proposalwriting, Project management, Project Evaluation, Key funding mechanisms and instruments)

1. International development cooperation

What is it?

Development Cooperation: purpose

1. Supporting developing countries for the provision of universal social basic standards (Financial support)

2. Promoting higher levels of income and wellbeingin developing countries (Capacity building support)

3. Supporting developing countries’ efforts to participateactively in the provision of international public goods (Policy support)

Development cooperation: criteria

• Support national or international developmentpriorities

• Discriminates in favour of developing countries

• Is based on cooperative relationships to enhanceownership

Humanitarian action “save lives, alleviate suffering and maintain human dignity during and after crises and disasters and prevent and strengthen preparedness for them”

• International human rights apply to all persons, including those who are uprooted in their own country and in another countries (displaced people and refugees)

• Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of 10 December 1948 provides that all persons should have the right to seek and to enjoy asylum from persecution in other countries

• right to PROTECTION

• Not driven by profit

• Human rights approach

• Participation

• Accountability

Development and humanitarianCooperation key principles

Development and Humanitarian Nexus• Strengthening the humanitarian-development nexus is the

new approach and a top priority globally

• Adoption of the 2030 Agenda and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 2015

• World Humanitarian Summit (WHS) 2016

• The New Way of Working (NWOW): working towards achieving collective outcomes that reduce need, risk and vulnerability, based on the comparative advantage of a diverse range of actors

Human rights-based approach • The UN Reform that was launched in 1997 adopted a human rights-based

approach to their development and humanitarian cooperation• The Interagency Workshop on Human Rights based Approach in 2003

defined the UN agencies Common Understanding:

1. All programmes of development co-operation, policies and technical assistance should further the realization of human rights

1. Human rights standards contained in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights guide all development cooperation and programming in all sectors and in all phases of the programming process

2. Development cooperation contributes to the development of the capacities of ‘duty-bearers’ to meet their obligations and/or of ‘rights-holders’ to claim their rights

What does it mean?• Human rights principles must guide all programming in all

phases of the programming process, including assessment and analysis, programme planning and design (including setting of goals, objectives and strategies); implementation, monitoring and evaluation

Among these human rights, key principles are: • Universality and inalienability of rights• Non-discrimination and equality (gender, religion, culture, etc.)• Participation and inclusion • Accountability

Human rights-based approach

1. People are recognized as key actors in their own development, rather than passive recipients of commodities and services.

2. Participation is both a means and a goal. 3. Strategies are empowering, not disempowering. 4. Both outcomes and processes are monitored and evaluated. 5. Analysis includes all stakeholders. 6. Programmes focus on marginalized, disadvantaged, and excluded groups. 7. The development process is locally owned. 8. Programmes aim to reduce disparity. 9. Both top-down and bottom-up approaches are used in synergy. 10. Situation analysis is used to identify immediate, underlying, and basic causes

of development problems. 11. Measurable goals and targets are important in programming. 12. Strategic partnerships are developed and sustained. 13. Programmes support accountability to all stakeholders.

Human rights-based approach

2. Project Cycle

What is it?

What is a project?

‘A project is a series of activities aimed at bringing about clearly specified objectives within a defined time-period and with a defined budget’p.8 of the ‘Project Cycle Management Guidelines’

• Objectives, purposes and expected results• Limited time and Budget• Partnership• Planning before acting

Project and Programme

• These are basic definitions and differences although in the reality they are often used as synonymous

• A project is usually a single effort of defined duration, like a team working towards a common goal

• A program is a collection of projects, together all the projects form a cohesive package of work

• Programs usually have a longer duration and aim at achieving a higher level of results

What is the project cycle management ?

‘Project Cycle Management is a term used to describe the management activities and decision-making procedures used duringthe life-cycle of a project’

p.17 of the ‘Project Cycle Management Guidelines’

Project Management flow and activities

Project identification

Setup & Planning Implementation Close- Out

Initiation Kick off & planning Implementation Close out- Problemidentification

- Problem analysis

- Project identification

- Project development

- M&E plan and budget development

- Work-Planning (activitiestimeframe)

- Develop M&E tools (indicators, data collection tools, quality standards, etc)

- Establish baseline for Project indicators

- Review project targets based on baseline

- Define accountability mechanism for project beneficiaries

- Define learning agenda and mechanisms

- Implement activities

- Ensure data collection according to the M&E plan

- Track indicators and program progress

- Ensure beneficiaries have access to accountability mechanism

- Hold periodic reviews meeting to discuss progress and learning

- Final Project evaluation

- Closing of project (hand-over, etc)

- Post-project learning

In the next lessons we will analyse each phase of Project Cycle through the Strategic Planning approach and the use of Logical Framework

Let’s now look at 3 key activities of the project cycle – that also reflect 3 key positions existing in all organisations working on a project basis, so this can be useful in your future professional life:

- Proposal writing- Project management- Project evaluation

Project cycle management - continued

Proposal writing

• Analysing the funding programme/tender/call for proposal

• Identifying the project idea

• Creating the network of partners

• Elaborating the proposal (Logical Framework, Action-Plan and Budget)

• Managing the proposal writing team and ensure that the proposal is submitted according to requirements

Project Management• Programming overall project (operational, administrative and

financial)

• Creating and empowering the project team

• Coordinating the network of partners

• Supervising the implementation of the activities and involvement of beneficiaries

• Monitoring the project progress and improving quality of programme

• Developing and sending the technical and financial reports to donors and partners

Project Evaluation

• Agree focus with beneficiaries, partners and donors

• Identify evaluation questions

• Develop methodology to collect data for key log-frame indicators and the evaluation questions

• Develop tools, conduct/supervise data collection, data analysis, report writing

• Present results /information sharing at different levels

How do we fund a project?

• Examples of funding mechanisms and istruments

European Union and European Commission

Funding Mechanisms

Instruments and Programmes

• Grants: direct financial contributions to organizations/projects through calls for proposals

• Contracts: awarded through tendering procedures to purchase services, supplies or works

• Budget support: to finance partner countries’ development strategies (financial transfers, policy dialogue and assessment of the use of funds)

• Sector support: target specific sectors in partner countries (sector budget support, grant and contract funding, or ‘common basket funding’)

EU – EC Types of financial support

EU Instruments/Programmes

• Thematic or Geographic funds

• Grants disbursed through different programmes: - Pan-African programme- European Development Fund (EDF)- Instrument for Pre-accession Assistance II (IPA)- European Neighbourhood Instrument (ENI)- The European Commission's Humanitarian Aid and Civil

Protection department (ECHO)

Procurement / grant award

• Direct management:EU in charge of all budget and implementation tasks, performed directly by its departments at HQ or in EU delegations or through European executive agencies.

• Indirect management:EU delegate budget tasks to partner countries, international organisations, development agencies of EU Members (using ex-ante or ex-post control)

• Shared management:EC delegates implementation tasks to EU Member States, e.g. in programmes on cross-border cooperation implemented by a joint managing authority (European Neighbourhood Instrument, ENI, or the Pre-accession Assistance, IPA II).

EU/EC Indirect Funds

• European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) 2014-2020;

• Main instrument of Coesion Policy • Objectives of European strategy 2020 (growth and

employmentfight against climate change, povertyand social exclusion reduction)

• Key funds:• FESR (Fondo Europeo per lo Sviluppo Regionale)• FES (Fondo Sociale Europeo)• FC (Fondo di Coesione)

EU/EC Direct funds• Key programmes:• Horizon 2020 (Science, industrial leadership, social challenges)• Cosme (Competitivit. SMEs)• Life+ (Agriculture and environment)• Europa Creativa (Culture and media)• Erasmus + (ora non solo studenti)• https://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/portal/desktop/en/opportuniti

es/index.html• http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/call_ptef/pt/20

18-2020/h2020-call-pt-ria-ia-2018-20_en.pdf• http://ec.europa.eu/research/participants/data/ref/h2020/other/wp/2016

-2017/annexes/h2020-wp1617-annex-ga_en.pdf

Framework Contracts• Used for award of services from E20 000 to E300,000

• Quick and transparent way to recruit experts for services within the project cycle

• Divided thematic lots:• Lot 1: Rural development and food security • Lot 2: Transport and Infrastructures • Lot 3: Telecommunications and information technologies • Lot 4: Energy and nuclear safety• Lot 5: Conferences• Lot 6: Environment• Lot 7: Governance and Home Affairs • Lot 8: Health • Lot 9: Culture, Education, Employment and Social • Lot 10: Trade, Standards and Private sector • Lot 11: Macro economy, Statistics and Public finance management • Lot 12: Humanitarian Aid, Crisis and Post-Crisis assistance

Useful links

• http://programmicomunitari.formez.it/lista_programmi_2014_2020• http://www.aster.it/• http://ec.europa.eu/contracts_grants/funds_it.htm• https://cordis.europa.eu/partners/web/guest/home• http://www.fundsnetservices.com/• http://www.welcomeurope.com/

Other Donors

• Country development agenciese.g: GIZ, Italian Cooperation, DANIDA, DFID, UKAID, SDC, Norwegian RefugeeCouncil (NRC) and Danish Refugee Council (DRC)

• Private donors and foundationse.g: CIFF - The Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Aga Khan Foundation, Shell, Elton John, Bill and Melinda Gates, Johnson and Johnson Foundations

• United Nations Agenciese.g: UNICEF, UNDP, UNECA, UNECE, UNEP

• International NGOs (Save the Children, Plan, Emergency..)

Tender Mechanisms• Development agencies, NGOs, private donors have their own

websites to advertise Calls for Proposals, Tenders and Grantsfor project proposal, project implementation, evaluation, research and other services

• Most agencies have rosters of consultants and firm

• Vacancies for international jobs and tenders of all United Nations agencies are in the UN Careers Portal

• Key websites compile all agencies and private donors calls for proposals, tenders and needs for experts, it’s possible to subscribeto get notifications on categories/ geographic areas

What is in a call for proposal

• Programme description• Modalities of participation• Deadline to send the proposal• Maximum budget/funds to be disbursed• Ammission criteria• Selection and funding criteria• Contacts detailes

What to indicate in a call for proposal

Exercise - homework

• Review the Call for Proposal/Terms of Reference provided in the folder ‘Examples of calls for proposals’ in the UNIMC page of the teacher

• Identify:1. Type of call (evaluation; project proposal, etc.)2. Characteristics/key components of the Call/ToR

Some extra reading on todays’ topics

• http://www.un.org/en/ecosoc/newfunct/pdf15/2016_dcf_policy_brief_no.1.pdf

• http://hrbaportal.org

• https://www.unicef.org/policyanalysis/rights/index_62012.html

For doubts and questions:

- After the first 2 hours lesson (lunch break)

- By email at marmoroni.mm@gmail.com

Thank you!!!