DVA2601 EXAM PREPARATION NOTES {UPDATED 2021}

DVA2601 EXAM PREPARATION NOTES {UPDATED 2021}.When you complete this module, you are expected to be able to: demonstrate an understanding of the interrelationship of projects, programmes and managers in development evaluate the benefits and restrictions of blueprint models in project management demonstrate an integrated understanding of information gathering for development projects analyse techniques that appraise development projects explain the goals for monitoring and evaluating development projects Learning Unit 1- Development Planning Programmes & Projects Plans Policies Programmes & Projects • Policies and plans determine what programmes and projects are to take place • Programmes have a broad scope in terms of space and time: can be regional or global and may be executed over a broad timeframe • Projects have specific locations, objectives, budgtes and timeframes • Projects are similar in scope and can be used to achieve development programmes objectives Project environment • Physical • Economic an dfinancial • Institutional and political • Sociocultural • The project environment may need to be assessed through CBAs, SIAs and EIAs which are discussed in Learning Unit 4 Roles of a project manager • Chief executive - has to oversee the execution of the project, e.g. how funds are used, meeting objectives and deadlines • Leader - controls the moods, ethics, norms and values of the team • Diplomat - makes sure things run smoothly • Facilitator - listens to the community and makes sure the project runs accordingly Examples of project planning models • Conyers & Hills - Project management cycle (blueprint project planning) • MacArthur - Project sequence -(blueprint project planning) with room for entry points and exit routes during project implementation • Rondinelli's and Cusworth & Franks - adaptive approach (interactive/participatory project planning approach) Conyers & Hills’ (1984) conventional project management cycle MacArthus’ project sequence • Also blueprint planning • Differs from the PMC as it is: Not cyclic Entry points in other places besides the identification phase Has exist routes – abandons what does not work Allows for plans to go back to the drawing board before continuing Focuses on the operation stage Participatory planning • Dreams/ideas • Identification/Conceptualisation • Appraisal/Diagnosis • Options analysis • Project design and planning • Implementation • Evaluation • New project cycle • When an approach such as PPMC is NOT used, we can ask: Are the ideas, requirements and concerns being addressed through the project those of the beneficiaries, other local stakeholders or service providers? The adaptive/participatory approachCusworth & Franks • The adaptive approach provides for successive stages of experimentation Piloting demonstration replication/production • There is little certainty about which techniques will work in the long term for a particular country • Selected techniques are therefore applied and exposed to regular field tests after which project activities are designed in accordance with what was learnt • There should be continual dialogue between planners, implementers and the inhabitants of the area affected by the project Arguments in favour of the participatory approach • Considers the project environment: An improvement on the typical cyclic model since it is a reflection of reality • Can be improved at different stages: Different options are analysed before the project is designed • Places emphasis on individual projects and not the general processes • The model refers to M&E as activities that should continue throughout the establishment of a project: Monitoring is not only done at the end but throughout the whole project cycle Learning unit 2 – Project Planning • Project planning can be directive or interactive • Directive planning- planners make assumptions about the project environment, local people are not involved and the local context is not considered • Interactive planning - planners are aware that planning is incomplete before understanding local context, environment: willing to learn before project execution • Directive planning more like a top-down approach - planner knows and communities should just be recipients of development project • Interactive planning - planners interact with the project environment Advantages and constraints of blueprint planning • Lessons learnt can be adopted for a new cycle • Projects are systematically and carefully planned in advance, implemented strictly according to formulated plan • Ideally suited to the provision of large physical infrastructure (industrial plant or concrete dam) • Easy to obtain information, easily controlled and outcomes readily achieved • Very rigid, changes can only be adopted in a new cycle • Local environment not considered • Planned for the people without the people Rondinelli’s corrective measure to blueprints Rondinelli's Adaptive Approach (1983): • Seeks to correct project planning which is done without full knowledge of project environment • Suggests that problems accompanying the blueprint approach can be decreased by using an adaptive approach that relies on adjunctive and strategic planning administrative procedures that facilitate innovations responsiveness and experimentation; and, decision-making processes that are interactive Logical frameworks What is a logframe? • A tool for planning and managing projects • A framework that is designed to help project teams to manage and structure their projects logically to achieve their goals • It packages development objectives, inputs, actions and outcomes in a way that makes it a good business proposal (worthy of funding) • Developed by an American consultancy firm in the late 1960s and was first used by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the early 1970s • Popular with foreign aid organisations - requirement for funding It aims to: • summarise the project • record the assumptions which underpin the strategy • outline how the project may be monitored • provide a hierarchy of objectives Advantages of a logframe • Can be used as a tool to define and clarify the objectives of a project • It brings together a clear, concise and accessible statement of the key components of a project (understanding of its various components) • Can strengthen the logic of the planning at different levels of a project's performance • Internal coherence - whether the project is logical in terms of its stated objectives and in terms of where it fits into a more comprehensive programme • External plausibility - ensuring that the project design team clearly stipulate the assumptions that they take as their starting point • It identifies the main factors related to the success of a project • It clarifies how the project is expected to work and what it will achieve Disadvantages of a logframe • Logframes can be disempowering • Methodology is lacking (see logframe template next page) • Inflexible • Ridig reporting Example of a logframe template Blueprints & PPMC compared Blueprint • Goal: To deliver a pre-set package of outputs (goods and services) to specific target groups • Expected results: Can be listed as set and predictable outcomes • Decision-making: Generally resides externally, at project managers level • Suitable for large scale projects e.g. infrastructure projects PPMC • Goal: To create positive CHANGE in a community, by way of promoting people's capacity to take charge and lead their own development process • Expected results: Unpredictable, bound to people's choices, know-how, assets and action • Decision-making: Resides within the community, based on consensus or interests of collective groups • Suiatble for small scale projects e.g. agricultural projects Learning Unit 3 Information and Data Collection • What is data and what is information? • What is information or data needed for and when is it required? Information for project design Information for managing projects Information for evaluating projects