Management of Educational Projects and

Program Evaluation
EdPM 3075
Mulugeta Wende Geleta (PhD)
2023 /24
Ambo University

1
 Unit One
Project and the Scope of a Project.

Unit objectives

• After completing this unit you should be able to:

 Explain the meaning of a project
 List the importance of education projects
 State the characteristics of projects
 Identify project parameters
 Differentiate between plans, projects and programs

2
 Reflection questions

1. What is a project for you?

2. How do you characterize a project?
3. Why a project is important ?
4. Why projects phase out?

3
 1. Definitions of a project
 The Webster‟s New World Dictionary defined a Project as follows:
Project is a proposal of something to be done; plan;
scheme; an organized undertaking; specifically, a special
unit of work, research, etc., as in school, etc.,
 A Greek term- Projectum which means „what comes before anything
else‟.
 A Latin verb “ projicer” which means to “throw forward”. It denotes
the idea that proposals, which may introduce new ideas,
improvement and changes are put forward.

4
 A project…
 Some of its definitions are:
 A project is an investment activity in which specific resources are
committed within a given time frame, to create capital assets over an
extended period of time in expectation of benefits that exceed the
committed resource.
 A project is a unique set of coordinated and controlled activities, with
definite starting and finishing points, undertaken by an individual or
organization to meet specific objectives within defined schedule, cost and
performance parameters.‟
 A project is a task of considerable magnitude that must be completed
within a budget and by a specific time; usually but not always carried out
at once.

5
 A project…
 A project is a non-repetitive/ non-routine activity that is goal
oriented, that has a particular set of constraints, the output of
which is measurable, and that changes something when carried out.

 A project is a set of proposal for investment of resources in to a

clearly identified set of actions that are expected to produce future
benefits of a fairly specific kind, the whole series of actions being
the subject of individual planning and examination before being
adapted and implemented within a single overall financial and
managerial framework.

6
 A project…

• A project is a discrete package of investments, inputs and activities,

designed to remove or alleviate various development constraints in
order to achieve one or more objectives aimed at improving the
quality of life of a group of target beneficiaries over a given time
span.
• A project is “a set of investment and of other planned activities
aimed at achieving specific objectives within a pre-determined time-
frame and budget.”
• All the definitions indicate that a project is something unique or
different from the usual way of doing things in order to solve societal
or organizational problems
7
 A project…
A project is a task with a beginning , a middle and an end which
the manager needs to complete. It will have :
• Objectives: a definite goal or an outcome to achieve.
• Benefits: what you expect to achieve by the project
• Time scale: definite period of time for achieving it.
• Inputs of resources: investment of scarce resources in the
expectation of future benefit.
• Conceptual boundary: usually geographical but
sometimes theoretical
• Specific mode of work: a project can be planned, financed
and implemented as a unit.

8
 A project…
The following characteristics are common to all the definitions:
 Projects operate within defined objectives, activities, time, cost,
location, target group, and expected outputs.
 Projects require the commitment of scarce resources for a specific
line of action, such as investment capital, raw material, labor, etc.
 In many cases, projects involve special financial arrangements
including loans and grants from different agencies, contributions
from communities, budget allocations from government sources, etc.
 Projects are designed to improve the socio-economic status of the
targeted community

9
 Types of Projects
 One can identify four major types of projects:
 Experimental Project: attempts to address a problem in an innovative
manner using the alternative approaches.

 Pilot Project: strengthens the applicability of the experience derived from

experimental projects to local levels. It also highlight the problem of
implementation, test the effectiveness of the approach adopted and can
provide valuable training experiences for personnel.

 Demonstration project: is basically a forum to exhibit new techniques or

approaches of a pre tasted experiment.

 Production project: has the role of increasing productivity, adjusting to

scale requirements and a high degree of replicability.
10
 Characteristics of projects
 Project involves the investment of scarce resources in expectation
of future benefits

 Involves a single definable purpose

 Every project is unique
 Has a defined life span with a beginning and an end.
 A project is a temporary activity
 A project utilises skills and talents from multiple organisations
and professions

 Completed by a team of people – team spirit

 Dynamic in nature 1
1
 Examples of a project
 Developing a new product or service
 Change in the structure, staffing, or style of
an organization
 Developing or acquiring a new or modified
information system
 Constructing a building or infrastructure
 Building a water system for a community
 Running a campaign for political office

1
2
 1.2 why Education Projects matters?
• In education as well as other sectors of development there
are development activities that may not always be
undertaken through regular work procedure, formal
organizations and regular budgets/resources.

13
 Reasons for educational projects

There are many reasons for undertaking education projects.

Some of the reasons are:

• Resources can be gathered together for a limited period in

order to achieve a certain goal

• A certain question (problem) can be solved more quickly and

smoothly than in the usual regular line of organization.

14
• Needs better coordination and cooperation in decision making
of the projects

• Project in education Require huge resources (at times including

hard currencies)

• It can be complex and require experiences and inputs from

various sources

• Some problems are urgent and has to be executed quickly

• Projects call for the participation of diverse organizations

• Projects need active community participation

15
Other reasons that specific to education that indicate the rational for
using projects in education are:

 The link that education has with all development activities

 Education cannot be the sole responsibility of government
 The huge resources that the expansion and operation of education
needs

 The need to track and keep-up with constantly changing and

growing knowledge, technology, information and experiences -
locally, nationally and globally - in order to continue making
education relevant with the necessary level of quality.

16
Knowledge of what types of jobs need projects is as important as why projects are
needed.

• Routine and repetitive jobs that can be carried out within the regular line
organization do not require projects. It is mainly special situation that require
projects. This is when:

 The task is complicated and light must be shed from several directions.
 The task is entirely new and there is uncertainty about how to handle it.
 The task involves several organizations or units and demands cooperation.
 The task is cost intensive and requires special follow up
 The task to be carried out with in a definite period of time.
 The task is limited and specified
 The task is demands broad and active participation
17
 Advantages of undertaking Projects
The main advantage consists in the logical structuring of problem, of
development objectives, of proposed solutions and of projected
investment.
• This logical framework necessitates a certain degree of rigour on the
part of policy makers and administrators in its elaboration and
expectation.
• It makes possible to ensure that the initial objectives are not lost sight
of, and that the allocated resources are used in a rational manner.
• The specificity of the objectives and the need to define them clearly
force the planner to design projects realistically.
• The concrete nature of projects gives them good viability, which is
highly appreciated by external aid sources.
• Fragmentation of actions and clarifications of their objectives make it
easier to assess results and to learn lessons for the future.
18
 Disadvantages of Projects
On the other hand, project utilisation has its limitation:
 It would seem to be poorly suited to sub-sector that require many small
investments in the field, such as primary education. Experience shows,
however, that programmes designed to implement such investment gain a lot
from being elaboration on the basis of the methods used for projects.
 Shortage of precise data that could be used to clearly define problems and
objectives. The discipline required in the elaboration of a project makes it
possible at least to identify gaps and to try to fill them.
 The accusation is sometimes made that projects eliminate any coherence the
plan might have, because of the fragmentation they introduce into its
implementation. Such incoherence occurs when the problem is aimed more at
seeking and receiving external financing than at implementing national
development policies.

19
 Disadvantages of Projects
As Aime Damiba has put it, the planning process is then completely inverted
 First the projects likely to enjoy the support of a foreign aid source are
identified, and only as a stage are the consistency and coherence of the
objectives of the projects established in order to elaborate the plan‟s
general orientation.
 Under these(conditions) circumstances, national objectives play second
fiddle to external aid policies.
 This danger is very real. However its root cause is not the breakdown of
investments into projects, but rather the excessive dependence of the
countries in question on foreign donor for investment funding.
 The dearth of national mangers trained in the methods of project
elaboration and management is also a severe handicap for these
countries.
20
 1.3 Origin and Characteristics of project
Nature of Projects
•The specific natures of a project that distinguish it from other endeavors.
Purposes: - a project is a one-time activity with a well - defined set of
desired end result (deliverable)
•Unique and non-routine:- every project has some elements that are unique.
Every project results in a new or unique deliverable or set of deliverables.
Every project activities are basically non repetitive.

•Time, cost and quality constraints: - Projects have specified time, Cost,
quality constraints. The triangle of time, cost and quality lies at the heart of
the project management.

•Life cycle:- like any entities, projects have their own cycles i.e. from a slow
beginning they progress to build-up in size, reach their peak, then begin to
decline, and finally need to be terminated.

21
In addition to the above characteristics there are several other traits that
projects often exhibit. For example projects tend to:

 Carry risk and uncertainty

 Be organizationally complex, requiring the interaction of many
people, departments and other organizations.

 Be managed against time budget and human resource plan

 Suffer conflict due to competition for resources required by other
projects and non project work

 Have single point responsibility provided by the project manger

 Require team work and the ability of participants to use effective
leadership skills. 22
 The Project Triangle

The Three Project Constraints

Scope: What work will be done?
Time: How long should it take to complete?
Cost: What resources should be committed?

2
3
 The Project Triangle

Scope Time

Cost 24
25
The Great Pyramid of Egypt, an early large-scale project
26

(some 2500 B.C.).

The international space station, a modern large-
27

scale project.
28
 Project Environment and Stakeholders

Project Environment
 All projects are planned and implemented in a
social, economic, technological, political and
international context.
1. Cultural and Social Environment: is that how a
project affects the people and how they affect the
project.
 This requires understanding of economic,
demographic, ethical, ethnic, religious and
cultural sensitivity issues.

2
9
2. International and Political Environment: refers to the
knowledge of international, national, regional or local
laws and customs, time zone differences,
teleconferencing facilities, level of use of technology,
national holidays, travel means and logistic
requirements.
3. Physical Environment: is the knowledge about local
ecology and physical geography that could affect the
project, or be affected by the project.

3
0
 Project Classification
 Projects can be classified based on several criteria. Some of
them are:

1. Based on Ownership
 Private sector- mostly projects undertaken by business
enterprises.
 Public sector- projects undertaken by national and local
government body.
 NGO‟s – development projects are most often undertaken
by non-government and not for profit organizations.
3
1
 2. Based on the Sources of Finance
• Government treasury- projects may be entirely financed by
government budget as per its priority. For instance, construction of
regional airport.
• Government treasury and external sources- most projects are
financed by the joint partnership of the government and donor
groups. For example, a road project may be financed 50% by the
government and 50% by a foreign donors
• External Sources of Finance- projects may be financed totally by
parties other than the government but established for the wellbeing
of the citizens and the ownership may be for the government or the
public.

3
2
 3. Based on purpose
• New projects: New investment is designed to establish a new
productive process independent of previous lines of production.
They often include a new organization financially independent of
existing organizations.
• Expansion projects: They involve repeating or expanding an
existing activity with same output, technology and organization.
• Updating projects: They involve replacing or changing some
elements in an existing activity without a major change of output.
o They involve some change in technology but within the
context of an existing through possibly reformulated
organization.

3
3
 Relationship between Policy, program , projects
and plans
• The relationship between policies, programs, and projects can be understood as
a hierarchy of planning and implementation in organizational and governmental
contexts.

Policies

Definition: Policies are overarching principles or guidelines that inform decision-

making and define the direction for actions within an organization or government.
They establish the framework for what is to be achieved.

Purpose: Policies set the goals and objectives and outline the desired outcomes.
They provide the rationale and justification for actions taken by a government or
organization.

Examples: Environmental policy, education policy, healthcare policy etc.

34
 Programs
Definition: Programs are collections of related projects and activities designed to achieve
specific objectives outlined in policies. They are broader than individual projects and often span
multiple sectors or areas.

• Purpose: Programs operationalize policies by coordinating various projects and resources to

achieve the intended outcomes. They involve on-going activities and can be long-term in
nature.

Examples:

• General Education Quality Improvement Program (GEQIP) - aims at strengthening the

quality of the general education system, in order to improve learning outcomes and
management and planning capacities of public educational institutions.

• A national healthcare program that includes various initiatives to improve public health; a
renewable energy program that incorporates multiple projects focused on solar, wind, and
bioenergy.
35
 Projects
Definition: Projects are specific, time-bound initiatives with
defined objectives and outcomes. They are the smallest unit in
this hierarchy and are often part of a program.

• Purpose: Projects are designed to deliver specific outputs that

contribute to the goals of a program, which in turn align with
policy objectives. They have clear timelines, budgets, and
resource allocations.

• Examples: A project to build a solar power plant; a community

health initiative aimed at increasing vaccination rates;
Capacity tainting for school on School leadership 36
 Plan

• A statement of anticipatory decisions, their interrelations

and the criteria employed in making them

• Designed as a means to accomplish strategies

• A national plan covers an entire region, e.g a district or entire

economy and it is made up of proposed programs and
projects to be implemented over a period of time

37
 National Development Planning & Projects
Dev‟t goal

Dev‟t
Strategi
es
Dev‟t
plan

Program 1 Program 2 Program 3

Project Project Project Project Project Project

Project 1
2

2 3 1 2
1

38
 Development Goal/ objectives

• Statement of intention or aspiration of a government to

improve the living conditions of its people

• It is a comprehensive statement which guides development.

o For example, growth, equity in income distribution,

reduction of unemployment.

39
 Development Strategies

• The general methods of achieving specific objectives at

national or organizational levels.

• Describes the essential resources which will be committed to

achieve objectives & how these resources will be organized

o Example, it may ask how to organize the labor force of the

organization or the project. It can take different forms such as
import substitute, export promotion, ALI etc,

40
 Differences between program and projects

Program

• A program is open ended in nature and could be on going

investment activities which are not time bound.
• A series of coordinated, related, multiple projects that continue
over an extended time and are intended to achieve a goal.
Project
• A discrete activity aimed at specific objective with a defined
budget and limited timeframe
• Projects often constitute a clear and distinct element of a larger
program.
41
 Programme
The word “programme” means a series of permanent activities
with a broader scope than project.
 Unlike projects, programmes do not necessarily include
investments
 The domain of activity of a programme can be an entire
sector (for e.g.. education) or a sub-sector (primary
education) or a major function of the system(for example,
elaboration of school curricula and textbooks)
 The execution of a programme is often longer than that of
a project.
 A programme may consist of a set of projects, aimed at
achieving several related objectives.
4
2
 Project

A project is likely to comprise several or all the following five

elements:
 Capital investment in civil works, equipment or both
 Provision of services for design and engineering, supervision
of construction, and improvement of operations and
maintenance
 Strengthening of local institutions concerned with
implementing and operating the project including the
training of local managers and staff
 Improvements in policies-such as those on pricing, subsidies,
and cost recovery
 A plan for implementation of the above activities to achieve
the projects objectives within a given time. e.g. a project may
involve the expansion of primary education in a given region
of a country.
43
 Projects and Programs Compared
Project Program
Differences Specific in objectives Has general objectives
/purpose
Has specific geographic May not have specific area
unit
Has specific target group May not have specific target group

Has clearly allocated fund May not have defined financial

allocation
Has specific life May not have specific time of ending

Similarities Has purpose /objectives

Require input(financial, manpower and material)
Generate output(goods and/or services)
44
Operate over space and time
 Projects and Programs Compared…

A programme with the objective of improving the quality

and relevance of primary education might consist of
three projects:
a) Elaboration, production and distribution of school
textbooks
b) In-service training of teachers
c) Creation of a system of continuous evaluation of
the quality of education

45
 Projects and Programs Compared…

 Project does not apply only to authorities financed with the

support of outside assistance.

 While it is true that a major part of extreme and to developing

countries is supplied through projects, there are other projects
for which financing is entirely functional in origin.

46
 1.6. Scope of a project

Defining the scope, is about developing common understanding as to what is

included in, or excluded from, a project. Time and cost are outputs of scope.

• A project‟s scope defines the broad parameters of the project. A project „s scope
can be geographic and thematic scope.

• Geographic Scope means the area covered by a model or analysis used to

calculate physical changes resulting from a proposed project.

Example:

• Efforts to conserve or effectively manage eco regions, priority areas, or

protected areas typically have a geographic scope or project area.

47
• Thematic scope of a project - Efforts to address threats, enabling conditions,
or species

• Developing a solid project scope and socializing it with your project team,
sponsors and key stakeholders is critical.

• Research showed that clearly defining scope and objectives was in the top-3
most important start-up activities.

48
• To help you define your scope, answer the following questions:

• What processes are included in the scope of our project? What processes are
NOT included in the scope of our project? Where does each process begin and
where does each process end?

• What system used in these processes is included in the scope? What system used
in these processes and is not included in the scope? Note: some legacy systems
may be out of scope because of the embedded investment in these systems, or
because the systems are used by other organizations that are not in the scope of
the project.

• What organizations involved in these processes is included in the scope? What

organizations involved in these processes and is NOT included in the scope?

49
 1.7. Project Parameters
• Five constraints operate on every project: Scope, Quality, Cost,
Time, and Resources.

• These constraints are an interdependent set. A change in one

can cause a change in another constraint to restore the
equilibrium of the project.

• In this context, the set of five parameters form a system that

must remain in balance for the project to be in balance.

50
 Scope
• Scope is a statement that defines the boundaries of the
project. It tells not only what will be done but also what will
not be done.

• Scope is often referred to as a functional specification,

statement of work a document of understanding, a scoping
statement, a project initiation document, and a project request
form.

• Whatever its name, this document is the foundation for all

project work to follow. It is critical that scope be correct.

51
 Quality
Two types of quality are part of every project:

• The first is product quality. This refers to the quality of the

deliverable/ out put / from the project.

• The second type of quality is process quality, which is the quality of

the project management process itself.

• The focus is on how well the project management process works and
how can it be improved.

• Continuous quality improvement and process quality management are

the tools used to measure process quality. Quality management is one
area that should not be compromised.

52
 Project quality management breakdown into three processes:

 Quality Planning (QP)-describes the activities, standards, tools and processes

necessary to achieve quality in the delivery of a project

 Quality Assurance (QA-It refers to the process or actions taken to ensure a

product meets all of its requirements

 Quality Control (QC)- It consists of inspection, measurement and testing to

verify that the project outputs meet acceptance criteria defined during quality
planning.

 Overarching these three processes is the concept of continuous improvement

by planning, doing, checking, and acting to improvements project quality.

53
 Cost
• The cost of doing the project is another variable that defines the
project. It is best thought of as the budget that has been established for
the project.

• Cost is a major consideration throughout the project management life

cycle.

• The first consideration occurs at an early and informal stage in the life
of a project.

• In more formal situations, the project manager prepares a proposal for

the projected work. That proposal includes an estimate (perhaps even a
quote) of the total cost of the project.
54
 Time
• The should be specific a timeframe or deadline date within which the project
must be completed.

• To a certain extent, cost and time are inversely related to one another. To
complete a project faster, it's necessary to raise costs. Conversely, completing the
same project with lower a cost requires increasing the time it will take to
complete.

• Time is an interesting resource. It can‟t be inventoried. It is consumed whether

we use it or not.

55
• The objective for the project manager is to use the future time allotted to the
project in the most effective and productive ways possible.

• Future time (time that has not yet occurred) can be a resource to be traded
within a project or across projects.

• Once a project has begun, the prime resource available to the project
manager to keep the project on schedule or get it back on schedule is time. A
good project manager realizes this and protects the future time resource
jealously.

56
 Resources

• Resources are assets, such as people, equipment, physical facilities,

or inventory that have limited availabilities, can be scheduled, or
can be leased from an outside party.

• Some are fixed; others are variable only in the long term.

• In any case, they are central to the scheduling of project activities

and the orderly completion of the project.

57
Reading Assignment
History of Project of education
The evolution of education projects financed by multilateral banks
and funds, we need to look at the three phases roughly
corresponding to the sixties, seventies and eighties.
1. What where the areas of financing educational projects in 1960s,
1970th and 1980th By multilateral bank?
2. What where the policies of multilateral bank assisted projects in
1960s, 1970th and 1980th?

58