Writing a Project Proposal

By

Dr Said Abu Jalala

2

Presentation Outline

• Training Objectives• Introduction to Projects• Project Cycle Management• Logical Framework Approach• Project Indicators• Main Elements of a QIF Proposal• Common Errors• Tips on Writing Winning Proposals

3

Training Objectives

• Provide information to TEIs on the procedures of project proposal submission to QIF.

• To give a clear picture on PCM & Proposal Writing as a life cycle of every project / programme submitted to the QIF.

• To explore all elements Proposal Writing.

4

Introduction to Projects• A project is a series of activities aimed at

bringing about clearly specified objectives within a defined time-period and with a defined budget (EC, 2000).

• Clearly identified stakeholders with emphasis on target groups and final beneficiaries.

• There are significant elements of uncertainty and risks for projects.

5

Project Management

• The art of directing and coordinating human and material resources throughout the life of a project by using modern management techniques to achieve predetermined objectives of scope, cost, time, quality and participant satisfaction

6

Management by results

Goal

Impacts

نتائج( التأثير( المدى بعيدة

Long term results

Purpose/

immediate objectives

نتائج- ( األهداف( المدى متوسطة

Midterm results

Outputs

مخرجات- نتائج(

قصيرة المدى)

�ٍShort term results

Activities

أنشطة وعمليات

Inputs

مدخالت

7

Project Cycle Management (PCM)

PCM describes:

• procedures and tools used during the life-cycle of a project (including key tasks, roles and responsibilities, key documents and decision options).

8

Project Cycle Management

PCM requires:

• the active participation of key stakeholders;

• the Logical Framework Approach (as well as other tools);

• key indicators into each stage of the project cycle; and

• the production of good-quality key

document(s) in each phase (with commonly understood concepts and definitions), to support well-informed decision-making.

9

Project Cycle Management

PCM helps to ensure that:• projects are supportive/coherent with policies;

• projects are relevant to an agreed strategy and to the needs of beneficiaries;

• projects are feasible so that objectives can be realistically achieved within the constraints of the operating environment and capabilities of the implementing agencies; and

• benefits generated by projects are likely to besustainable.

10

Project Life Cycle ( EC, 2004)

11

Project Life Cycle

Phase 1: Programming

• The situation at national and sector level is analyzed to identify problems, constraints and opportunities.

• This involves a review of socio-economic indicators, and of national priorities

• The purpose is to identify the sector priorities.

12

Project Life Cycle

Phase 2: Identification

The purpose of the identification stage is to:• Problem analysis (Problem tree)

• Needs assessment of target groups to respond to problems (Objective tree)

• Identify project ideas that are consistent with

target groups’ needs;

• assess the relevance and likely feasibility of these project ideas

13

Project Life Cycle

Phase 3: Formulation

The purpose of the Formulation stage is to:• Confirm the relevance and feasibility of the project

idea

• Prepare a detailed project design, including the

management arrangements, financing plan, cost-benefit analysis, risk management, monitoring, evaluation and audit;

14

Information elements produced by end of Formulation

15

Project Life Cycle

Phase 4: Implementation including monitoring and reporting

The purpose of the implementation stage is to:• Deliver the outputs, achieve the objective and

contribute effectively to the overall objective of the project;

• Manage the available resources efficiently; and

• Monitor and report on progress.

16

Main implementation periods

17

Phase 5: Evaluation & AuditA. Evaluation

The purpose of evaluation is to:– make an “assessment, of an ongoing or completed project,

program or policy, its design, implementation and results.

– determine the relevance and fulfillment of objectives, developmental efficiency, effectiveness, impact and sustainability.

– provide information that is credible and useful, enabling the incorporation of lessons learned into the decision-making process of both recipients and donors”.

Project Life Cycle

18

Project Life Cycle

B. Audit

The purpose of an audit is to:

• Assess an activity/subject that is the

responsibility of another party against identified suitable criteria, and

• express a conclusion (i.e. opinion) that provides the intended user with a level of assurance about the activity/subject being audited.

19

Project Life Cycle

The auditor expresses a conclusion on:

• The legality and regularity of project expenditure and income i.e. compliance with regulations; and/or

• Whether project funds have been used efficiently and economically i.e. in accordance with sound financial management; and /or

• Whether project funds have been used effectively i.e. for purposes intended.

20

Project Life Cycle

21

Logical Framework Approach (LFA)• The first LFA was developed by USAID in 1969

and extended to multilateral and Bilateral donor organizations.

• LFA is a way of structuring the main elements in a project, highlighting logical linkages between intended results (overall objective, specific objectives, output), activities, inputs, budget.

• LFA is based on clear indicators

• LFA takes into consideration the external risks

22

Logical Framework Approach (LFA)• LFA is a major point of reference throughout the life of

the project.

• LFA facilitates communication between all parties involved.

• LFA is intended to improve the quality of projects by promoting participatory approach.

• LFA is used as analytical tool.

23

Logical framework MatrixNarrative summary: Defines the components of the project

Objectively Verifiable Indicators: quantitative and qualitative measures that will verify to what extent the objectives have been fulfilled

Means of verification: Specify sources of the information for the

the indicators.

External factors: Outside the control of the project, but affect the attainment of objectives. The design team should plan to reduce risks.

Goal: The wider problem the project will help solve.

What evidence can be

provided to show that

the goal has been achieved

Goal: Assumptions regarding factors that may interfere with achieving the goal

Purpose: Immediate

impact on the project

area or target group

)change or benefit(

What evidence can be

provided to show that

the purpose has been

achieved

Purpose to goal: Measures to make sure that the necessary conditions to ascertain progress from purpose to goal

Outputs: Specifically deliverable results expected from the project to attain the purpose

What evidence can be

provided to show that

the outputs have been

achieved

Output to purpose:

Activities: Tasks to be carried out to produce outputs

Inputs: Human resources, money, materials, equipment and time.

Report: Final report as agreed in

grant agreement

Activities to outputs:

24

Strengths of LFA

• Requires systematic analysis of problems and setting of objectives

• Places the project within a broader development

context (goal and purpose)

• Encourages examination of risks and management accountability for results

• Requires analysis of how to measure the achievement of objectives, in terms of both quantity and quality

25

Strengths of LFA

• Helps establish the monitoring and evaluation

Framework

• Emphasizes importance of stakeholder analysis to determine ‘whose problems’ and ‘who benefits’

• Visually accessible and relatively easy

to understand

26

Problems of LFA

• Getting consensus on priority problems

• Getting consensus on project objectives

• Reducing objectives to a simplistic linear chain

• Finding measurable and practical indicators for

higher level objectives

• Establishing unrealistic targets too early in the planning process

• Requires training

27

Project Indicators

• Indicator is an observed value representative of Indicator is an observed value representative of a phenomenon to study " (European a phenomenon to study " (European Commission, 2002).Commission, 2002).

"An indicator quantifies and simplifies "An indicator quantifies and simplifies phenomena and helps us understand complex phenomena and helps us understand complex realities. Indicators are aggregates of raw and realities. Indicators are aggregates of raw and processed data but they can be further processed data but they can be further aggregated to form complex indices." (IISD, aggregated to form complex indices." (IISD, 1995).1995).

28

Indicator Selection criteria

UN- CSD has listed the following criteria:• Primarily national in scale or scope;• Representative of an international

consensus, to the extent possible;• Indicative, it must be truly relevant and

representative of the phenomenon it is intended to characterize;

• Independent, each indicator must be meaningful in itself;

29

• Achievable within the available resources including time, money, technical capacity, logistics and given the existing constraints;

• Understandable: clear, simple and unambiguous;

• Conceptually well founded (Scientifically sound and technically robust);

- should clearly represent part of the cause effect chain

- directionally safe with no significant changes in the methodology or improvements in the data base

30

• Sensitive, to changes in what they are monitoring;

• General, not dependent on specific situation;

• Limited in number, remaining open ended and adaptable to future developments; and

• Dependent on the data, that are readily available or available at reasonable cost to benefit ratio, are adequately documented, of known quality and updated at regular intervals.

31

Project Indicators

• The formulation of Indicator will be a combined response to the following concepts:

• Whom?

• Quantity

• Quality

• Where?

• When?

32

Methodologies to develop indicators Cause-Effect relationship

The Pressure-State-Response (PSR) model

The Driving Force-State-Response (DSR) model

The Driving force-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model

Development of indicators by public and community participation

33

Validation of Indicators Comparison with well established and used indicators

in other countries with similar conditions.

Experts' judgments and consensus for the choice of indicators among a panel of experts plays a major

role in this kind of validation (Smith et al., 2000).

An indicator will be validated if it is well scientifically designed, if the information it supplies is relevant, if it is useful and used by the end users (Bockstaller and Girardin, 2003).

34

Main Proposal Components

- Cover Letter

An application must be accompanied by an endorsement cover letter from the chief

executive officer of the institution verifying that the departments and personnel involved

in the proposed project are aware of and committed to the project.)

1. Standard Application Form (Appendix 1)

2. Category of the project according to QIF grants

35

Main Proposal Components3. Duration of the project

4. Executive Summary• The institution’s mission• Project goal (what you ultimately wish to accomplish)• Strategic objectives (the specific strategies chosen to accomplish the goal

and how they fit the QIF (a) Priorities and (b) Categories for QIF grants • Proposed activities (list major activities that support the strategic objectives)• Equipment/Material needs (including but not limited to technical equipment,

printed materials, software, etc.)• Expected Outcomes (briefly describe short-term, measurable results)• Project Director and Key staff involved (list complete contact information for

persons accountable for the project)• In consortium or partnership projects, state which is the coordinating

institution.• Amount requested of the QIF and overall amount of the Project budget.• Anticipated project duration (beginning and ending dates of the project) and• timeframe of the project.

36

Main Proposal Components- Project Proposal

5. Measurable objectives

6. Measurable outcomes

7. Project Performance indicators

8. Problem statement and justifications

9. Target groups

10. Risks of the project and tools to overcome

- The logical framework matrix

37

Main Proposal Components

11. Methodology and approach

- the methods, approaches and strategies of implementation

- the procedures for follow up

- a description of the management and coordination units of the project, stating the respective obligations and responsibilities of the different parties. In the case of joint projects, this description extends to all partners, as well as the project coordinator.

- the organisational structure and team proposed for implementation

-the main means proposed for the implementation of the action (equipment, tools…) and for carrying out the proposed activities

- Coordination /Synergies with other projects

38

Main Proposal Components12. Detailed Budget by Expenditure Category and Source of

Funding (detailed and summarized)

13. Implementation plan

14. Sustainability of the project: Explain how sustainability will be secured after completion of the action

15. Reporting, monitoring and evaluation

16. Impact of the project

17. Feasibility study

39

Common Errors

• The proposal is too ambitious.

• There are no clearly defined objectives.

• The Budget is unrealistic.

• The application is fragmented and disjointed.

• Carelessness – Cannot rely on your reputation, it does not work.

• The proposal tends to be too cautious and

does not venture into new areas.

40

Tips on Writing Winning Proposals• Read the operations manual with emphasis on Application Format and

Criteria for Evaluation, Guidelines for Application and Use of QIF Funds.

• Clarity and Relevance of the proposed project to QIF objectives

• Partnerships

• Accreditation for targeted academic programs

• Availability of Quality assurance Unit

• Impact on TEIs and tertiary education sector

• Cost effectiveness

• Feasibility (reliable and physical resources)

• Sustainability

41

Tips on Writing Winning Proposals• Problem statement, project justification ,target group are well

defined

• Project has an innovative idea or concept

• Include a table of contents that clearly identifies the various proposal sections

.• Make your proposal look good. Lay the

application out well with clear sections and subsections.

• Use tables and figures as information can beread more easily.

• Have the proposal reviewed by a colleague