Rationale should be provided for the project. Due to its importance usually this section is divided into four or more sub-sections.
Problem statement
The problem statement provides a description of the specific problem(s) the project is trying to solve, in order to “make a case” for the project. Furthermore, the project proposal should point out why a certain issue is a problem for the community or society as a whole, i.e. what negative implications affect the target group. There should also be an explanation of the needs of the target group that appear as a direct consequence of the described problem.
Priority needs
The needs of the target group that have arisen as a direct negative impact of the problem should be prioritised. An explanation as to how this decision was reached (i.e. what criteria was used) must also be included. For example, if the problem is stated as “… poor infrastructure in the community” the list of needs associated with this problem may be:
- improved water supply in quality and quantity;
- better roads; and
- improved solid waste collection.
These three needs would then be given higher or lower priority according to the level of importance for the community, and a description would be given of how that decision was reached (e.g. a poll taken from the local population, costs associated with project intervention, etc.). This procedure provides credibility to the selected intervention.
The proposed approach (type of intervention)
The project proposal should describe the strategy chosen for solving the problem and precisely how it will lead to improvement.
One way to describe the approach related to the need previously stated as improved water supply could be: “intervention to provide basic water supply facilities in the community,” with some description of the specific features of the solution proposed.
Tips for Successfully Presenting an Organisation
The implementing organisation
This section should describe the capabilities of your organisation by referring to its capacity and previous project record. Describe why exactly your organisation is the most appropriate to run the project, its connection to the local community, the constituency behind the organisation and what kind of expertise the organisation can provide. If other partners are involved in implementation provide some information on their capacity as well.
See Figure 4 for some tips on presenting an organisation. This list should by no means be considered exhaustive
Project aims
The first issue to deal with is naming the objectives. Several other English terms may be used including “project goal/aim,” “project purpose,” etc. Often one major “goal” is declared and then broken down into various objectives.
Once this issue has been dealt with, the hierarchy between objectives needs to be established, as well as how many levels the hierarchy should present. In reality, an organisation should have already resolved this issue in the project planning phase.
Project Goal
This is a general aim that should explain what the core problem is and why the project is important, i.e. what the long-term benefits to the target group are
Some examples of a project goal might be:
- raising environmental awareness;
- improving the quality of life in the community; and
- fostering social empowerment among women from deprived rural areas.
Some rules for setting a project goal are shown in the sidebar. If it is difficult to follow these rules then the project itself may have to be redefined or reconsidered
Project objectives
The objectives should address the core problem in terms of the benefits to be received by the project beneficiaries or target group as a direct result of the project as shown in Figure 6. The objectives from Figure 5 may be defined as:
- improving the water supply in quantity X and quality Y for the population of village Z; and
- reducing by X the rate of acute infections.
Project objectives provide a more detailed breakdown of the project goal. A project will likely have multiple objectives.
Project Results
Results describe the services or products to be delivered to the intended beneficiaries. This is what the project management is promising to deliver. The results are more detailed than the objectives and the goal, and should be possible to measure through the use of objective indicators. Special consideration should therefore be paid to this area.
The results should address the main causes of the problem that the target group faces.
To ensure relevant results, project management should have correctly identified the group’s needs
Relating back to the previous example, the results would be written as:
- increased number of households connected to the water supply system; and
- increased number of water taps in the village.
The arrows in Figure 6 show how the results of the project can be tied back to the project’s objectives.
Indicators provide the project team with a quantifiable basis on which to judge the project’s success in reaching its objectives. The specification of indicators acts as a check on the viability of the results and project objectives. It forms the basis for a project monitoring system. Once the indicators are defined they should be developed to provide details of quantity, quality and time. The sidebar gives a five step check on how well the indicators have been chosen.
Target group
Define the target group and show how it will benefit from the project. The project should provide a detailed description of the size and characteristics of the target groups, and especially of direct project beneficiaries.
The criteria for target group analysis may be ethnic composition, gender, age, etc. When these analyses are more elaborate, they may be attached as an appendix.
