Management of project

For postgraduate Nutrition

By Tesfahun M.
April 2018, Aksum
 Session objectives
At the end of this session the student will be able to :

 Describe the difference between Program & Project

 Describe & understand Project Cycle Management

(PCM)

 Design & develop a project

 Definition
 Programme: a series of projects whose objectives together
contribute to a common overall objective.
‗ e.g. Malaria Control Programme
 Project: a cluster of activities performed in a logical sequence
to attain a specific results or purpose in a fixed time frame
 A project is a series of activities aimed at bringing about
clearly specified objectives within a defined time period
and with a defined budget
‗ e.g. Administration of primaquine in a Malaria endemic area
• projects have a definite beginning and end whereas
programs continue perhaps for many years and often
evolve and develop.
 Characteristics of a project
• It consists of temporary activities
• It uses restricted resources
• It has definite time(start & end point)
• It is unique by its nature
• It is futuristic
• It achieves beneficiary change
 Characteristics of project . . . .
• It underpins strategic advantage(it is strategic
enabler)
• Value adding
• Flexibility
• Entrepreneurial in nature
 Factors contributing to project Success

• Well defined objective

• Detailed work break down structure
• Clear reporting relationship
• Formal change management discipline
• Adherent to scope
• Reliable estimate
• Reasonable time frame
 Project success . . . .
• High morale
• Good teaming
• Cooperating among participants
• Timely feedback
• Empowering people in community
• Receptive to new and un expected ideas
• Realistic expectation
• Good customer- supplier relationship
 Factors contributing to project Failure

• Conflict between project & system

• Unrealistic expectation
• Poor customer commitment
• Ill-defined work breakdowns
• No reporting infrastructure
• Too pessimistic
• No change management principle
 project Failure . . . .

• Lack of common vision

• In appropriate leadership style
• Poor information communication
• Not relevant to the beneficiaries
• Lessons from past experience may rarely incorporate
in to new practice
• Risks are insufficiently taken into consideration
 project Failure . . . .
• Poor interpersonal relationship
• Poor role definition
• Ill-defined scope
• Lack of trust among participants
• Culture not conducive to project management
• No or weak executive sponsorship
Phases of Project Cycle Management

The project cycle starts with the identification of

an idea and develops that idea into a working plan that
can be implemented and evaluated.

The generic project cycle has five phases:

 • EXECUTE
• THE PROJECT
•3
• M&E
• THE PROJECT
•4
• PLAN
•2
• THE PROJECT • PROJECT LIFE
CYCLE PHASES

•5
• CLOSE
•1 • THE PROJECT
• INITIATE THE
• PROJECT
 Phase I: Project Initiation

• This is
•A •A •A
the 1st
Problem project projec
Phase
or formed t
of
Opportu to team
projec
nity is produc is
t
Identifie e the appoi
start-
d solution nted
up.
 • Activities in Project Initiation Phase

• Develop a Business Case

• Undertake a Feasibility
Study
• Establish the Terms of
Reference(TOR)
• Appoint the Project Team

• Set up a Project Office

• Perform Phase Review

 A. Develop a Business Case

• The trigger to initiating a project is identifying a BUSINESS

PROBLEM or OPPORTUNITY to be addressed.

• A business case is created to DEFINE the problem or

opportunity in detail & identify a preferred solution for
implementation.

• Is just a justification for the initiation of a Project

 • The Business Case includes:

• A detailed
• A list of the
description of
alternative
the problem
solutions
or
available;
opportunity;

• An analysis of • A description
the business of the
benefits, preferred
costs, risks solution;
 Business Case . . . .

• The business case is then approved by:

• Identified project sponsor

• The required funding is allocated to proceed

with a feasibility study
B. Undertake a Feasibility study

• This is to assess the likelihood of

each alternative solution option
achieving the benefits outlined in the
business case.

• It also investigates whether the

forecast costs are reasonable,
the solution is achievable, the
risks are acceptable & the
identified issues are avoidable.
 C. Establish the Terms of Reference

• Defines;
• @ Vision,
• @ Objectives,
• @ Scope
• @ Deliverables
• for the
Describes
new project.•
@ Organization structure
• Identifies;
• @ Stakeholders,
• @ Risks,
• @ Customers,
• @ planning
assumptions • @ Activities,
• @ Constraints • @ Resources
• @ Funding required to
undertake the project.
 D. Appoint the project team

• The project manager creates a detailed job

description for each role in the project team,
& recruits people into each role based on
their relevant skills & experience.
 E. Set up a Project Office
• Equipment, such as office furniture,
computer, stationery & materials;

• Communications infrastructure, such

• The as telephones, computer network, e-mail,
Project Internet access, file storage, database
storage & backup facilities;
Office
Env’t • Documentation, such as a project
should methodology, standards, processes, forms
include: & registers;

• Tools, (for accounting, project planning

& risk modeling.)
 F. Perform a Phase Review

• @ Like in all phases, at

the end of the initiation
phase, a phase review is
performed.
• @This is basically a
check point to ensure
that the project is going
on as planned.
 Phase II :Project Planning

“A project is a problem scheduled for

solution.”
 Why Project Planning ?
 With out having a project plan it is hard to know:

• what problem really are you going to solve?

• What activities are you going to perform?

• How much cost will you incur?

• Who will involve in it?

• Thus, since good project planning is essential for

success, the planning session itself should be planned.

If you fail to plan you plan to fail !

 Steps in Project Planning

Step1: Define the problem to be solved by the

project.

“A project is a problem scheduled for solution.”

• A problem is a gap between where you are & where you
want to be,
So we should able to clearly state what the
issue is
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

Step 2: Develop a mission statement

• It could easily be argued that a project’s mission is to
solve an identified problem.
• Thus, as you work on defining the problem you begin to
see the mission more clearly.
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

• “If you don’t know where you’re going, how will you
know when you get there?”

• Mission statement to prevent confusion on the part of the

project team concerning the direction the project
should take.

• The mission statement used to set goals & objectives, to

make decisions, & to list the task.
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

A mission statement should answer three questions:

1. What do we do?
2. For whom do we do it?
3. How do we go about it?

• The first question focuses on objectives, deliverables, or

end-results.
• The second asks us to identify our customers.
• The third makes us think about how we are going to
achieve the desired results—what kind of processes or
methods we will employ.
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

Step 3: Developing Project Objectives

• Once a mission statement has been developed,
project objectives can be written.
• Objectives are much more specific
• An objective specifies a desired end result to be
achieved.
• A task is an activity performed to achieve that
result.
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

• An objective must be SMART:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Attainable
• Realistic
• Time-limited
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

Step 4: Develop a project strategy

— Identify different strategies to achieve the
designed objectives.

Step 5 : Write a scope statement to define project

boundaries (what will & will not be done).
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

Step 6: Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS)

• One frequent reason projects fail is that a significant
part of the work is forgotten.
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

• Thus, the most useful tool for accomplishing these

tasks is the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
• In other words the main idea of doing a WBS:

 To capture all of the tasks & to able to put

properly the time & costs required for each.
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

Step7: Estimate activity durations, resource

requirements, & costs

When you show a project in WBS form, it will be
easy to estimate
—Activity durations
—Resource requirements
—Costs.
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

Step 8: Prepare the project master schedule

& budget
 The primary reason for scheduling a project is
to ensure that an imposed deadline can be met.

 It is appropriate for this WBS to schedule the

tasks at the lowest level.
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

Step 9: Risks & Assumptions 

•What are the main risks associated with the project , their level
& way of mitigating?

•What assumptions have been made, e.g. what support is

needed from others?
 Steps in Project Planning . . . .

The basic steps in Summary:

1. Define the problem to be solved by the project.
2. Develop a mission statement
3. Developing Project Objectives
4. Develop a project strategy
5. Write a scope of project statement
6. Develop a Work Breakdown Structure (WBS).
7. Estimate activity durations, resource requirements, & costs
8. Prepare the project master schedule and budget.
9. Risks & Assumptions 
 Phase III :
Project execution/Implementation
3. Project execution/Implementation

Implementation is a stage where:

• The earlier designs

• Plans

• Assumptions

• Projections, etc. are tested in reality

• There are different activities that
should be performed to implement
Projects
1. Staffing : selecting qualified people
to do the work.
2. Directing: brining about purposeful
action towards desired objective.
 Project Execution/Implementation . . . .

Activities under Directing;

 Delegating : assigning responsibility & exact accountability
for result.
 Motivating : convincing & inspiring people to take desired
action.
 Coordinating : relating efforts in most effective
combination.
 Managing differences: resolving conflict & encouraging
independent thought.
 Managing change : stimulate creativity & innovation in
achieving goals.
 Project Execution . . . .
3. Controlling : measuring results against the plan,
rewarding of the people according to their performance
& re-planning of the work to make corrections.
Activities under Controlling:
• Establishing reporting system
• Developing performance standard
• Measuring results
• Taking corrective actions-adjust plan.
• Rewarding Excellent performers
 Project Execution . . . .

 4. Management of time

 Ensuring that the project completes its work on time
 Scheduling use of resources
 Rescheduling the project in light of experience
 Predicting problems before they arise
 Project Execution . . . .
5. Management of people
• Ensuring that people are available at the right time
• Ensuring that employees know their roles & can perform
their functions properly
• Managing people’s expectations
• Resolving conflicts between people
• Changing people’s roles in the light of experience
 Project Execution . . . .

6. Management of other resources

•Ensuring that appropriate resources are allocated
•Ensuring that the appropriate resources are available at the
right time
•Reallocating resources in the light of experience
•Tailoring activities to limited resources
•Making maximum impact with available resources
 Phase IV
Project Monitoring & Evaluation
M&E fit to the following areas
Evaluation may focus on different aspects of a project

– Inputs

– Processes

– Outputs

– Outcomes

– Impact
 When is Evaluation Desirable?

 Project evaluation is often used when project have

been functioning for some time.
• Retrospective Evaluation.
 Evaluation should also be conducted when a new
project within a service is being introduced.
• Prospective Evaluations.
 When is Evaluation Desirable ?
• A prospective evaluation identifies ways to
increase the impact of a project on clients;

• It examines & describes a project’s attributes;

• It identifies how to improve delivery

mechanisms to be more effective.
 Who conducts evaluation?

• Internal evaluation (self evaluation), in which

people within a project sponsor, conduct &
control the evaluation.

• External evaluation, in which someone from

beyond the project acts as the evaluator &
controls the evaluation.
Guidelines for Evaluation (FIVE phases)

A: Planning the Evaluation

B: Selecting Appropriate Evaluation Methods
C: Collecting & Analysing Information
D: Reporting Findings
E: Implementing Evaluation recommendations
 Phase A: Planning the Evaluation
• Determine the purpose of the evaluation.
• Decide on type of evaluation.
• Decide who conducts evaluation (evaluation team)
• Review existing information in project documents
including monitoring information.
• List the relevant information sources
• Describe the project. *
• Assess your own strengths & limitations.
 Phase B:Selecting Appropriate Evaluation Methods

• Identify evaluation Goals & Objectives.

(SMART)
• Formulate evaluation questions & sub-
questions
• Decide on the appropriate evaluation design
• Identify measurement standards
Selecting Appropriate Evaluation Methods . . . .

• Identify measurement indicators

• Develop an evaluation schedule

• Develop a budget for the evaluation.

 Sample evaluation questions: What might
stakeholders want to know?
Project managers:
Project clients:
• Does this project provide us with
• Does this project provide our
high quality service? clients with high quality service?
• Are some clients provided with • Are there ways managers can
better services than other improve or change their
clients? If so, why? activities, to improve project
Project Staff: processes & outcomes?
• Does this project provide our Funding bodies:
clients with high quality service? • Does this project provide its
• Should staff make any changes clients with high quality service?
in how they perform their work, • Is the program cost-effective?
as individuals and as a team, to
• Should we make changes in how
improve project processes &
outcomes?
we fund this project or in the
level of funding to the project?
 Indicators..... What are they?

An indicator is a standardized, objective measure

that allows :-
─ A comparison among health facilities
─ A comparison among countries
─ A comparison between different time periods
─ A measure of the progress towards achieving
project goals
 Characteristics of Indicators
• Clarity: easily understandable by everybody
• Useful: represent all the important dimensions of
performance
• Measurable
▫ Quantitative: rates, proportions, percentage, common
denominator (e.g., population)
▫ Qualitative: “yes” or “no”
• Reliability: can be collected consistently by different
data collectors
• Validity: measure what we mean to measure
Evaluation Area Evaluation Question Examples of Specific
(Formative assessment ) Measurable Indicators

Staff Supply Is staff supply sufficient? Staff-to-client ratios

Service Utilization What are the program’s Percentage of utilization

usage levels?

Accessibility of Services How do members of the • Percentage of target

target population perceive population who are
service availability? aware of the program in their
area
• Percentage of the “aware”
target population who know
how to access the service

Client Satisfaction How satisfied are clients? Percentage of clients who

report being satisfied with
the service received
Evaluation Area Evaluation question Examples of specific
(Summative Assessment) measurable indicators

Changes in Behaviour Have risk factors for cardiac Compare proportion of

disease have changed? respondents who reported
increased physical activity

Morbidity/Mortality • Has lung cancer mortality • Age-standardized lung

decreased by 10%? cancer mortality rates for
• Has there been a reduction in males & females
the rate of low birth weight •Compare annual rates of
babies? low-birth weight babies over
five years period
 Phase C: Collecting & Analysing Information

• Develop data collection instruments.

• Pre-test data collection instruments.

• Undertake data collection activities.

• Analyse data.

• Interpret the data

 Phase D: Reporting Findings

• Write the evaluation report.

• Decide on the method of sharing the evaluation

results & on communication strategies.

• Share the draft report with stakeholders & revise as

needed to be followed by follow up.

• Disseminate evaluation report.

Phase E:Implementing Evaluation Recommendations

• Develop a new/revised implementation plan in

partnership with stakeholders.

• Monitor the implementation of evaluation

recommendations

• Report regularly on the implementation progress.

• Plan the next evaluation

LAST PHASE( V ) : PROJECT
CLOSURE
 Project Closure
• Project closure: wind up of the project

• Activities related to wind up the project :

– Assessing whether the project completion criteria
have been met
– Identify any outstanding items (for: example
activities, risks or issues)
– Producing a handover plan to transfer the
deliverables to the customer environment
– Listing the activities required to hand over
documentation, cancel supplier contract &
release project resources to the business
 Project Closure . . . .
• Communicating closure to all stakeholders & interested
parties

• Project closure report is submitted to the customer &/or

project sponsor for approval

• Project manager is responsible for undertaking each of

the activities identified during project closure on time &
according to the budget.

• The project is closed only when all activities identified in

the project closure report have been completed.
 Review Project Completion

• The final activity under taken on any project is a

review of its overall success by an independent
resources.

• Success is determined by how well it performed

against the defined objectives & conformed to the
management processes outlined in the planning phase.