ANNEX 6 Guidelines in Listening to Voice of Learners and Other

Stakeholders

GUIDELINES IN LISTENING TO THE VOICE OF

THE LEARNERS AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS
(based on the School Improvement Project
Learning Guide)

Different types of stakeholders have different

needs that they want to satisfy. It is important to
understand stakeholder differences in order to
satisfy their different needs.

FACILITATING AND PROBING

It is critical to have the stakeholders themselves

help in identifying their own needs. When
stakeholders tell us in their own words what their
needs or issues are, we may be able to pick up
new ideas and acquire a deeper understanding of
their situation.
Stakeholders have different ways of saying what
they need. We have to learn how to scrutinize
and understand what they truly mean. The real
needs of the stakeholders may have to be inferred
or extracted from what they actually say during
interviews. While they may identify the things
they need, it is critical to determine why they need
these things.
Oftentimes, stakeholders are unable to directly
voice out what they need or want. As such, it is
important to ask follow-up questions to identify
stakeholders’ needs that are important to them. In
terms of gathering qualitative data on your
identified priority improvement area, your learners
and
other stakeholders should also be asked about
interventions done by teachers or the school to
address their existing problem.

NEEDS AND WANTS

When gathering the voice of our stakeholders, we

must be careful in determining whether
something is a need or a want. Needs are what
stakeholders expect to receive from a concept or
service. Wants are preferences of a stakeholder on
how to receive a concept or service. Needs are
more likely common across our stakeholders.
Wants may vary from stakeholder to stakeholder
even if they share the same needs. We have to
make sure to address the needs first before the
wants. However, wants are important to create a
balance on what we deliver and how we deliver
our service to our stakeholders.

DATA GATHERING TOOLS

There are different tools that can be used in

gathering the voice of the learners and other
stakeholders. The most common way is by
conducting interviews or Focus Group Discussions
(FGDs). It is critical to allow our stakeholders to
elaborate on their responses in order to infer the
specific needs that are critical for them. After
gathering data through interviews, we can conduct
surveys to quantify and verify the responses from
the interviews. In most cases, tools need to be
used in combination.
Interview questions should be open-ended. When
necessary, follow-up the questions to delve
further into the stakeholder issues. In such cases,
we should allow the stakeholders to talk. We
must avoid biased, leading, or loaded questions.
Our questions should be clear, and the way we
word the questions should not be ambiguous.

PROCESSING

How do we analyze the responses of the learners

and other stakeholders? We have to transcribe
the learners’ and other stakeholders’ responses
verbatim, or word for word. The use of their own
language is important. We have to read through
these interview transcriptions and highlight any
statements that you think are relevant to our PIA. It
might be good to group their responses to
help you classify their needs, issues, or
suggestions.
ANNEX 7 Walk the Process Guidelines

Walk the Process Guidelines

How to Create Flowcharts?

A flowchart shows the relationship

between inputs, activities, and
outputs that constitute a process.
When creating a flowchart, people
who are involved in the process can
work as a group to have multiple
viewpoints. For example, if you want
to look into the parent teacher
dialogue process, walk the process
with Grade 6 parents and teachers.
Let them
create the process flowchart with you
because they are the ones who are
involved in theprocess (see flowchart
at the next page). The following
guidelines should help you in walking
the process with them:

1. Brainstorm
 - Initially, it is more beneficial to
brainstorm or think of the inputs,
activities,and outputs that constitute a
process rather than to conduct
interviews or more hands-on
approaches to identify process
elements. This will provide you with
the big picture of the process and this
can also serve as your reference when
validating the process map through
interviews and, ultimately, direct
observations.

- For brainstorming, it is better to use

flipchart and self-stick notes. You can
easily write down ideas on stick notes
as soon as it is said and post it on the
flipchart. The group can then give
immediate feedback. If there will be
corrections, you can easily move the
stick notes and proceed with the
discussion.
- Walk the process from the very start.
Then, think of each activity that
happens
as you move along the process. In
your flowchart, arrange these
activities in
sequence using appropriate flowchart
symbols. Be consistent in the direction
flow: time should always flow from top
to bottom, or from left to right.

- The flowchart/s should map what is

really happening in the process.
However,
process maps can also be
used/viewed in different perspectives:

o What you think the process is – the

team’s perspective of what is
happening in the process
o What the process really is – what is
actually happening in the process,
validated through interviews and
direct observations

o What the process should be – the

actual future state of the process
based on learners’ or stakeholders’
requirements
But remember to do these separately
from each other. Do not combine
elements of what you think a process
is and what the process should be.
Each
one should have a different process
map. For now, you will only have a
map of
the first one (what you think the
process is).

- If the team is having difficulties in

mapping their process, it could mean
that
the sequence of their process is
unclear or is undefined. An unclear or
undefined process usually results in
inconsistent performance (e.g. some
teachers in the grade level have very
good documentation of parent and
teacher dialogues while others do not
– this inconsistency affects the
performance of the whole grade
level).

2. Conduct interviews

- Interviews can be conducted 1) to

identify missing elements of the
process
(including decision points) and 2) to
validate the elements conceived
during
brainstorming.
- You should interview the people that
are involved in the process as
necessary,
especially if there are unclear or
undefined elements in the process.
For
example, in the Mathematical
Periodical Test process, checking and
recording
the test scores are activities that the
teacher may perform at home. Instead
of
directly observing the teacher, you
can verify these elements by asking
the
teachers if they do these at home, for
how long, producing what output,
what
problems they encounter, what other
related activities they do, etc.

3. Directly observe the process

- Direct observations allow you to

determine what the process really is
from
what you think the process is. This
allows you to check for missing
elements
and, more importantly, to validate the
elements identified during
brainstorming and interviews.
- This step is especially important
when you identify storm clouds, or
problems
arising in specific activities in the
process. Storm clouds have to be
observable,
measurable, and specific.

SAMPLE FLOWCHART

A. Parent-teacher Dialogue
Flowchart
Start
ANNEX 8 Root Cause Analysis Overview
Root Cause Analysis Overview
Steps What you will need Tools Outputs

STEP 1

In this step, we will identify the root

causes of each area of focus. The root
cause is the
deepest underlying cause of problems
within any process. This process of
identification is
important because the solutions to be
formulated depend on the correct
diagnosis of the root
causes. Kindly take note that there are
two (2) different causes, namely:

a. Direct Cause – a cause that directly

affects an event or condition. Example:
Fever causes Absenteeism. This type of
cause is what we want to address.

b. Indirect Cause – a cause that affects

the direct cause which by itself is not
sufficient to affect the event or condition.
Example: Poverty contributes to
high malnutrition.

The usual approach to problem solving

used by many is to come up with
solutions based on
preconceived ideas and assumptions
about the existence of the problem.
Solutions may
temporarily provide improvement but the
problem eventually resurfaces since the
root cause
was not properly addressed. Thus, the
root cause analysis approach is necessary
in
meaningfully addressing the problem.

Root Cause Analysis is a structured and

thorough review of the problem designed
to identify
and verify what is causing the problem.
Performing Root Cause Analysis requires
transparency
and no predetermined assumptions.
Otherwise, it may lead you to ignore the
real causes of the
problem.

Once you have analyzed the performance

indicators, school processes, and
interviews with
learners and stakeholders, you now have
a validated list of root causes.
Congratulations! Once
the root causes are identified, we
organize these causes into a diagram. We
suggest that you
only use one tool to make the diagram.

Sample problem:
A school wants to determine the root
causes of their low performance in Grade
3 NAT. Below
are examples of the application of the
various suggested tools:
1. Fishbone Diagram
2. Why-why Diagram
3. Problem Tree
control?
o Does the root cause cut across
different PIAs?
o Does solving the root cause
result to school-wide
improvement?
o Do you have enough resources
to address the root cause?
o Is there sufficient time to think
about the solution of the root

hecklist
What Is Project Design?
Project design is one of the earliest stages in the life of a project (exactly when it occurs
varies by organization). During project design, an outline of the project is created, including:

 The organization(s) responsible for completing it

 A description of the project
 Goals, outcomes, and objectives, and when they will be completed
 Major deliverables, products, and/or features Success criteria, and/or monitoring and
evaluation guidelines
 Budget estimates

It’s important to involve your team and other key stakeholders in project design. This will
help ensure important details are included, and that your project is realistic and achievable.
Your project design should be carefully documented, and a variety of visual aids may be
incorporated, as well

7 Steps to Effective Project Design

We’ll explain how to design projects for specific industries in the sections below. Regardless
of your industry, however, there are some basic steps you should follow during the project
design phase. These steps will help you create an effective project design document, and
work more effectively with all parties involved.

1. Define Project Goal

First and foremost, you should meet with your team and key stakeholders to define the
ultimate goal or outcome of your project. This might be the product that is going to be
developed, the service that will be provided, or the problem your project will solve.

Consider the needs and expectations of all stakeholders and/or beneficiaries when
determining your goals, and get their approval early on. Make sure your team members
weigh in on the accuracy and feasibility of the goals you define, as well. Remember, the
more of this you can figure out ahead of time, the easier your project will be to manage
later.

2. Determine Outcomes, Objectives, and/or Deliverables

After the primary goals have been established, break each down into smaller, more
manageable pieces. In some industries, such as nonprofit and education, these pieces are
objectives or outcomes—for example, solutions to problems that have been identified for
the population you’re trying to help, or learning goals that students need to achieve. In other
industries, such as project management and software development, the smaller pieces may
be deliverables, such as a marketing plan, or a prototype of the software.

During the design phase, some organizations break down outcomes, objectives, and/or
deliverables even further into the tasks and activities required to complete them. Others
save the task/activity breakdown for a later phase of the project life cycle, such as
during project scheduling. It’s up to your organization to decide what works best.

Whatever your process, it’s helpful to use the SMART acronym when identifying outcomes,
objectives, and/or deliverables. Make sure they are:

 Specific: Be as clear and direct as possible so that later, you can plan the tasks that will
be performed to achieve them. Provide specific guidance on which resources are
involved and their roles.
 Measurable: Outcomes, objectives, and/or deliverables must be quantifiable. This way,
you’ll be able to measure results and track progress.
 Achievable: Make sure goals can realistically be achieved given the resources, budget,
and time frame available.
 Relevant: All outcomes, objectives, and/or deliverables should logically result in
achieving project goals and producing intended results.
 Time-Bound: Provide a timeline for when they will be achieved/completed.

3. Identify Risks, Constraints, and Assumptions

Now that you’ve determined what you want your project to achieve, identify anything that
could stand in the way of its success. Document any risks and constraints on budget, time,
or resources that could affect your team’s ability to reach goals, milestones, and outcomes.
Then try to resolve as many of these problems as you can. This will help prevent delays
once the project is underway.

It’s also good practice to document any assumptions made during the project design phase.
These will come in handy when you create a Statement of Work (SOW) and/or project
schedule, and will also help you estimate costs more accurately.
“Look out for assumptions,” says Lonergan. “All projects are built on assumptions, and
smart project managers know this. At the start of the project, the scope for assumptions is
unlimited. Smart project managers capture these within the design process, then deal with
them in a very disciplined manner.”

For example, if you assume that a necessary piece of equipment will be available when the
project reaches the installation phase, this should be noted. That way, if the person who
makes the schedule discovers the equipment isn’t available until a later date, you’ll be
informed and can adjust the timeline and budget accordingly—before the actual work
begins.

4. Prepare a Visual Aid

Once you’ve determined your goals, outcomes, and risks, you can prepare a visual aid to
represent part or all of the project. Visualizations are particularly common in the creative,
construction, nonprofit, and software development verticals. However, using visualizations
can be useful when managing any type of project since they provide team members and
stakeholders an easily understandable snapshot of the project’s goals, outcomes,
deliverables, products, services, and/or functionality.

Visual aids may include:

 Sketches or drawings
 Plans, schematics, or rough blueprints
 Flow charts
 Site trees
 Gantt charts
 Screenshots or screen designs
 Photos
 Prototypes
 Mind maps
 Whiteboard drawings

The type of visual aid you choose may depend on your industry. In project
management, Gantt charts, mind maps, and whiteboard drawings are often used to
visualize early-stage project designs. In software development, diagrams, trees, charts, or
maps of the software architecture and/or functionality are common (more on this in the
software development section below). Prototypes or models may be created for product
development projects. While flow charts are common in the nonprofit realm.
 ‌Download Project Design Cycle Diagram Template

Excel | Word

In construction project management, blueprints, drawings, schematics, and/or plans are

produced, which are then reviewed by an engineer or architect. Once approved, working
drawings are created out of the preliminary plans, which are used when performing the
actual construction.

5. Ballpark Your Budget

It’s important to know the budget right from the start. Even if you don’t have a complete
picture of the costs and incomes your project will generate, create a budget in as much
detail as you can. The clearer you can be about your budget during the project design
phase, the less likely you are to experience unexpected cost overruns later.

Estimating your budget will also help you determine the feasibility of the project. If the cost
is more than your client, customer, funding source, or partnering entity can spare, the
project can’t realistically be undertaken.
6. Determine Approval and Monitoring Processes
Now that you have a picture of the project’s goals, risks, and budget, decide how success
will be determined. List the criteria you’ll use to judge whether deliverables, outcomes, and
the final product have been achieved. You should also determine what processes must be
followed in order for the project and its elements to be approved, and who is responsible for
approval

7. Use Proper Project Design Documents

Of course, you must also use the proper documentation to capture all this information. In
project management, the output of the design phase may be as simple as a Gantt chart,
flow chart, work chart, or hierarchy chart that is carried into the project planning phase.
However, many projects do not have a formal design phase. Instead, there is an initiation
phase, in which a detailed project plan, project charter, or project initiation document (PID)
is created. The approach you take will depend on your organization.

ANNEX 9 Project Work Plan and Budget Matrix

Project Title:
_______________________________________________________________
Problem Statement:
_______________________________________________________________
Project Objective Statement:
_______________________________________________________________
Root Cause:
_______________________________________________________________
Project Work Plan and Budget Matrix