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Chapter 8

Project management chapter 8

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Meron Zebene
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22 views4 pages

Chapter 8

Project management chapter 8

Uploaded by

Meron Zebene
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CHAPTER EIGHT

PROJECT PLANNING FOR IMPLEMENTATION, MONITORING AND EVALUATION

8.1. Planning for Implementation


This is a stage either before actual implementation begins or before the start of a new
implementation phase of a project. The exercise is conducted at the level of the project and
involves the implementers, the beneficiaries, and the funding agency, or all stakeholders.
The exercise involves enabling the project management to address the important implementation
issues including the realism of project objectives, scope, financial arrangements, and
implementation schedule, given the overall resource structure of the project and the working
environment.
The likelihood of further changes occurring either in design or physical and policy environment
to affect the project are also considered.
During the exercise, the team should define, as clearly as possible, the objectives and hierarchy
of objectives.
One technique for defining and analyzing the objectives is the Logical Framework Approach
(LFA) or
Goal Oriented Project Planning (GOPP).
It allows definition of activities, or inputs, outputs, and objectives with corresponding verifiable
indicators and assumptions to attain the goals of the project.
A plan of operation for a specified period is usually desirable to form a basis for activities to be
undertaken during the plan period.

8.2. Implementation
This is a crucial concern in any project planning process since the ultimate objective is to see
projects being implemented on the ground as planned and the long-term goals would be realized
in the continuum.
During implementation, the basic activities required for physically realizing projects are actually
carried out and funds are actually disbursed to enhance the process.
The project management team, in this regard, need to ensure whether the project is carried out
according to the design.
Monitoring of progress in implementation and reporting, therefore, becomes a crucial concern at
this stage.
In general, depending on the physical and policy environment, there may be a need for
flexibility in the implementation process as required in order to respond to the changes on the
ground or go with the reality.
Implementation, thus, is a process of refinement or learning from experience and can actually be
considered as a "mini - cycle" within the larger project cycle.
The implementation period usually involves three phases. These are the investment period, the
development period, and full development period.

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The investment phase, in this regard, refers to period over which major project implementation
activities are undertaken, which might take one to three years depending on the nature of the
project.
The development period occurs as the production builds up; while full development is reached
when the production peaks up and continues until the project ends.
These phases form the life of the project and hence, both financial and economic analysis of
projects relate to this time horizon.

8.3. Monitoring and Reporting


This should be an on-going activity during implementation. The beneficiaries, the implementing
staff, supervisory staff, and the project management staff can carry out monitoring. The aim
should be to ensure the activities of the project are being undertaken on schedule and as well to
facilitate the process of implementation as specified in the project design. In the course of
monitoring, any constraint in operational sing the project design can quickly be detected as well
as corrective actions can be taken. Monitoring, therefore, enables the management to be
proactive rather than being reactive in correcting mistakes during implementation. In this regard,
relevant actions would be taken and the barriers to implementation should be monitored for
smooth implementation. The channels of communication & reporting should also be clear and
easy to allow transparency and accountability for all staff involved.

8.4. Project Evaluation


Evaluation involves a systematic review or examination of the elements of success and failure in
the project experience during the project life, which helps to learn how better to plan for the
future. This implies that evaluation is a continuous exercise during the project life and is much
related to project monitoring. Monitoring provides the data on which the evaluation is based.
However, formalized evaluation is undertaken at specified periods. There is usually a mid-term
and a terminal evaluation. Evaluation can also be undertaken when the project is in trouble as the
first step in a re-planning effort. Careful evaluation is also undertaken before any subsequent
project. Evaluation can be done internally or by external reviewers. Some organizations have
monitoring and evaluation unit. Such a unit can provide management with useful information to
ensure efficient implementation of projects, especially if it operates independently and
objectively, because what the unit needs is to judge projects on the basis of objectives, original
project design, and the reality on the ground (i.e. the operating, physical, and policy
environment). With no free hand, the feedback mechanism will be stifled and information may
be “held back" instead of being “fed-back". Some projects may even be subjected to external
evaluation. In general, the aim of evaluation is to determine the extent to which the objectives are
being realized.

8.4.1. Aspects of Project Evaluation


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There are two aspects of evaluations in projects.

i. Project monitoring (characteristics)


 Emphasize on preventive mechanisms
 Follow up the progress of the actual activities (ongoing evaluation)
 Anticipate deviations from implementation plans
 Analyze emerging problems
 (Proactive feedbacks)
 Considerations (in Monitoring)
 Focus on critical aspects
 Emphasize on physical milestones and not on financial targets
 Keep the control system relatively simple (should not be complicated)
 Unless it leads to:
 Redundant paper work
 Diversion of resources
 It may become an end in itself rather than a means to implementation
i. project controlling (characteristics)
 Focuses on corrective mechanisms (often at latter times)
 Regular comparison of performance against targets
 Anticipate deviations from implementation plans
 Search for causes of deviations (variance analysis)
 Commitment to check adverse outcomes (or variances)
 Feedbacks for future projects

Apart from this, you need to comprehend the fact that, as there are diverse obstacles in the course
of project management, which are impeding the achievement of project's objectives, project
planners need to ensure whether a sound project organization is designed and/or realized in order
to mitigate, at least, some of the project related (or internal) constraints for implementation.
 A sound project organization, among others, gives a critical attention to the human element,
as they are the forefront players that actually realize what is prepared and presented in a form
of project document.
 The understandings, experiences, skills, and motives of the human element in general and of
those involving in the project implementation team in particular, among other things, are
very important variables as they are influencing the realization of project ideas.
 In other words, the overall quality, in terms of the above variables, of the individuals
involving in the implementation process has important implications in ultimately defining the
success or failure of the project as a whole.
Together with this, individuals (i.e. members of the project implementation team) and/or
institutions that are responsible for implementing the project would better identify in advance the
dimensions (and/or the relevant criteria) that define the success of project implementation.

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8.5. Project Management: Organization, Obstacles, and Success
 Sound Project Organization
 Lead by a competent leader who is accountable for project
 Commensurate authority and responsibility (given to project leader and team)
 Attention to the human side of the project
 Performance related rewards and penalties
 Obstacles in Project Management
 Projects complexity
 Customers’ specific requirements
 Technology changes and obsolescence
 Economic policy changes
 Supply difficulties (supplier problems) associated with rise of raw materials prices, delay by
suppliers, likely defaults of suppliers, etc
 Availability of inputs such as raw materials, utilities, labor, etc
 Project risks (political or local society actions)
 Design and civil works problem
 Successful Projects (Dimensions)
 Completed within the allocated time, cost, and performance specifications
 Minimal or mutually agreed upon scope changes (financial, size, coverage, etc)
 Creating positive images for future projects
 Minimal restructuring (without disturbing the main workflows in the organization)
 Without changing the corporate culture

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