2. PROJECT PLANNING

Summary: Focuses on identifying and defining project problems through systematic analysis, laying the foundation for setting clear project objectives aligned with addressing these problems.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of conducting thorough problem analysis in project planning.
2. Learn techniques for identifying and defining project problems.
3. Recognize the relationship between problem analysis and setting project objectives.

Problem tree analysis (also known as causes-and-effect diagram) is a useful method to see the root causes and effects of a problem together and to create goals and strategies accordingly (Mahto and Kumar, 2008, p. 22-23). It also allows for teamwork and creation of hierarchical order of problems and effects. In the middle of the problem tree is the main problem to which the project aims to intervene. Your main problem in the project, if solved, should contribute to the overall purpose of the project. In other words, the general purpose of the project will not directly include a problem that you will completely overcome during the project but will express a general situation targeting a negative situation resulting from the effects of this problem. For example, if you have identified youth unemployment as the main problem in your project, all of the goals and activities to combat this situation will contribute to the achievement of the overall goal. Therefore, your project will contribute to overall objective to a certain extent by addressing this problem.

You can also use a grant guide or call for proposals if you find it difficult to relate your main problem with the overall objective. Grant institutions and programs have their own priorities and objectives. You can use the sub-purposes of these programs while determining your general purpose. Thus, by referencing these goals, you also demonstrate the relevance of your project to the program. In this case, you can use these programme sub-objectives as they are, or you can use original sentences. On the other hand, you can define a unique overall objective using the tree you have created. In this case, you will need to briefly summarize the effects at the top of the hierarchy in a unique and comprehensive sentence. When we consider a grant program related to young people, an overall objective can be determined as follows: “to contribute to reduction of the social and economic disadvantage of young people and to improvement of their psychological well-being”.

Once you have identified your main problem, you need to identify the factors that cause it. You should arrange which element causes which problem hierarchically by putting them in an order. If we take the example of youth unemployment in a region, lack of working experience may be one of the main reasons for youth unemployment. The reason for the lack of working experience can be listed as the lack of internship opportunities, the low number and capacity of companies in the field where young people graduate, the lack of basic communication skills among young people, the lack of career planning, support, and guidance for young people, etc.. Among these sub-problems, it is possible to make a more deep analysis. If we take the sub-problem of the lack of basic communication skills in young people as an example, the lack of adequate training in basic communication skills in schools, the lack of sufficient knowledge, skills and capacity of families about basic communication skills, the limited spaces and activities for socialization and communication can be listed as root problems. This sequencing can be performed and detailed until root causes are reached.

To the extent that the main problem is detailed, it will be able to be analyzed well, and targets and strategies can be determined. Planning the necessary activities for these goals and strategies is also related to a good analysis at this stage. The sub-problems you have identified will turn into activities that will be organized in order to reach the goals and objectives in the following stages (Vesely, 2008).

At the top of your main problem in the problem tree, there are the effects of this main problem. The effects you will detect should be detailed in the "impact" section of your project proposal form. For this reason, it is important to consider all effects and stakeholders while analyzing the problem at the first stage. Similar to the problem analysis, the more detailed the impact analysis, the more successful and comprehensive intervention logic will be put forward. This will enable you to detail the indicators you will determine in measuring the effects of your project and to measure the success in a more comprehensive and objective way. Again, if we were to give an example from the main problem of youth unemployment, this problem can lead to an increase in depression, in crime, in the use of harmful substances, cigarettes and alcohol, in social idle capacity, social exclusion of young people, and in jobs that require low qualifications rather than value-added jobs in the fields where young people are educated. These effects can be further deepened and detailed. For example, the emergence of depression in young people may cause an increase in suicide rates, a decrease in young people's expectations from life and hopelessness, an increase in depression drug use, an increase in psychologist / psychiatry services, etc..

The causes and effects of the main problem may also be related to more than one sub-cause and effect. In this case, connecting the items in your problem tree with arrows and lines will prevent confusion.

Summary: Involves setting SMART objectives that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound, ensuring clarity and alignment with project goals.

Learning Objectives:

1. Learn how to set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) objectives for projects.
2. Understand the process of analyzing objectives to ensure clarity and alignment with project goals.
3. Recognize the role of objective analysis in guiding project strategy and activity planning.

Another step after problem tree analysis is goal analysis. The success and extent of the goal analysis is related to how well and correctly the problem analysis is done. Goal analysis is performed by transforming the problems identified in your problem tree into goals.

If we give an example through the problem of youth unemployment, our goal will be defined with positive sentences such as reducing youth unemployment or increasing youth employment. However, as mentioned in the problem analysis, your project will provide the solution to the main problem, but will not be at a level to solve the overall problem alone. Therefore, if you turn the general problem into a goal, your overall goal/objective in your project proposal will be "To reduce the social and economic disadvantage of young people and to contribute to their psychological well-being.". Your purpose should be defined in a more specific framework that includes the stakeholders of the project. For this, stakeholder analysis is required.

Once you have determined your project goals, the activities you will perform while achieving these goals will have results. These results are related to root causes at the bottom of your problem tree analysis. Similarly, you need to transform your sub-problems and root causes into results with positive and desirable sentences (Usha Rani et al, 2022, p. 32).

After converting all the statements in your problem tree into goals, a draft version of your goal analysis will be prepared. However, to complete the analysis, it is helpful to double-check the hierarchical connection of the targets and add new targets as needed. After these revisions, your target analysis will be complete.

Summary: Discusses the development of effective strategies to achieve project objectives, considering various approaches and tactics to address identified problems.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the concept of strategy analysis and its importance in project planning.
2. Learn how to develop effective strategies for achieving project objectives.
3. Recognize the relationship between strategy analysis, problem-solving, and project outcomes.

Strategy analysis is the final stage in creating the main scheme of the project. As mentioned in the previous stages, project resources are limited, so only a contribution can be made to the solution of the main problem. On the other hand, while providing this contribution, it will not be possible to fulfill all of the sub-goals. For this reason, one or more of the sub-targets will have to be excluded from the target analysis.

When determining your strategy, you need to analyze which goals you can achieve effectively, efficiently and accurately. Identifying the methodology with the lowest risk will result in fewer problems in the implementation phase.

Other additional issues that you should pay attention to may vary depending on the content of the grant program. It is important to determine the strategy that will maximize the sustainability of the objectives and the activities determined accordingly, promote green economy and climate change awareness, gender equality, positive impact on the disadvantaged, synergy and capacity development that can be created among the stakeholders.

In the strategy analysis

• You have limited resources.
• Therefore, you need to choose a strategy to determine the problem that you want to tackle.
• Choose 1 or more than 1 objectives as you see fit.

You can tackle with the remaining problems in other projects.

• Analysis the identified (potential) objectives in relation to a set of ‘feasibility’ criteria
• Selects an appropriate strategy for project implementation,
• Decision is based on policy priorities, budget, human resources, urgency, social acceptability, etc.

Part of the objective tree is possibly not a part of the project but should be considered in the analysis of assumptions and risk.

Summary: Emphasizes the importance of understanding stakeholders' interests, influence, and involvement in project planning and implementation to ensure their needs are addressed.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the significance of stakeholder analysis in project planning and management.
2. Learn techniques for identifying and categorizing project stakeholders.
3. Recognize the importance of stakeholder engagement and communication throughout the project lifecycle.

Stakeholders in the projects are actors, individuals (target group), organizations, institutions at local, regional, national, international levels directly or indirectly affected by the activities that you will carry out (Aaltonen, K., & Sivonen, R. 2009, p.132). Stakeholders are essential part of a Project. Therefore, it is important to make a proper analysis before preparing your proposal. It is important to identify your stakeholders and partners while you are preparing the rationale part of the proposal. The most effective, important and key actors/institutions/organizations should be identified.

You can split stakeholder analysis into two components: Beneficiaries and Consortium Partners

Beneficiaries can be examined under two categories:

Target Group(s): Project target group(s) is (are) directly and positively affected by activities at Project purpose level. Workers from consortium partners can be also included to target group(s). (EU Commission, 2004, p.62)

Final Beneficiaries: Final beneficiaries are also people that will benefit from the Project activities. However, the difference from the target group(s) is that they will be affected in the long term. For example, if you implement a Project aiming for promoting social entrepreneurship in an area and you are directly supporting 50 potential entrepreneurs, those 50 potential entrepreneurs are in your target group. Once the Project activities ended and those entrepreneurs started their businesses, unemployment in the area will be started to reduce, economy will flourish to a certain degree, social problems will be reduced.

While you are identifying your final beneficiaries, it is important to be realistic and objective. You should make a good analysis with tangible and specific objectives. If you expect an impact in a specific area and time, you should state it in your proposal elaborately. You should justify your estimation / expectation by stating your methodology and the way of thinking. The impact on the final beneficiaries should be verified from objective sources. For example, if your Project activities reduce the employment in a specific area and time, this result can be verified from local statistics.

Consortium Partners: Proposal writers should contact with them and held meetings. Since these organizations are involved with the Project thematic area, they may provide a better perspective and approach to the Project. They can significantly contribute the activity design, methodology, implementation parts of the Project. They also are in contact with the target group, so it is possible to create a more comperehensive needs analysis by benefiting from their deeper understanding with the target group. Also, it can be easier and more effective to reach the target group(s) via these organizations.

In line with the call for proposals document, your partners can be (the list is not exhausted):

- Non-formal youth groups,

- Municipalities, local administrations, public administrations,

- Universities, schools, education centers,

- Non-governmental organizations, associations, foundations, unions,

- Private institutions, companies,

- Umberella organizations, national/international networks.

Most of the call for proposals restrict the number of partners in a Project. This makes sense, because the more partners you have the more management load you will have. Usually, the number of partners is in line with the scope (therefore budget) of the programme. So, it is important for proposal writers to select most effective and suitable partners for the Project.

• Financial and organizational capacity,
• Ability to reach the target group effectively,
• Willingness to undertake the tasks, activities and the Project,
• Relevance of the partner with the Project topic and the target group are important factors for selecting partners.

One of the most common mistakes is selecting a partner due to having a good relationship with it. While knowing and having a good cooperation with an institution/actor ensure a stable functioning of the Project, it may reduce the potential / impact of the activities.

Summary: Highlights the iterative relationship between problem, objective, and strategy analysis, emphasizing the need for alignment and refinement throughout the project lifecycle.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand how the findings from problem, objective, and strategy analysis inform each other.
2. Learn how to ensure alignment between analysis results and project objectives.
3. Recognize the iterative nature of analysis and its role in refining project goals and strategies.

It is also helpful to standardize the way the hierarchy of project objectives is defined.

In this regard, the following method can be followed:

(i) Express the Overall Objective as "contributing to…..";

(ii) Express the purpose of the project in terms of the benefits provided to the target group such as ‘Increased/improved/etc……….’,

(iii) Express the results tangibly and concretely in past tense as 'Delivered/produced/executed etc.’, and

(iv) Express the activities in the present tense, starting with an active verb such as 'Prepare, design, build, research....'. (EU Commission, 2004, p.77)

Summary: Examines the importance of ensuring project activities and outcomes remain relevant to stakeholder needs and project objectives to maximize impact and effectiveness.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the concept of relevance in project planning and implementation.
2. Learn how to assess the relevance of project activities and outcomes to stakeholder needs and project objectives.
3. Recognize the importance of maintaining relevance throughout the project lifecycle.

An integral part of project proposal forms is relevance. In the Relevance section, you will be asked to associate your main purpose, sub-goals, activities and outputs in your project with the priorities in the program guide (Henriksen & Traynor, 1999, p.163). For this reason, it is recommended that you read the program guide well and think about which priorities you will refer to and how before preparing the proposal.

You are also expected to make a needs analysis in the proposal form. This needs analysis is not limited to just converting your problem tree to text. You should well justify your methodology with statistical data, research studies, reports, policy documents, scientific articles, etc. related to your project topic for solving problems, that you identified, with high added value activities. While doing this work, if the project text does not exceed the character limit, you can also specify references to articles and sources. If you are applying for a project with national or international stakeholders, you should address the entire consortium, not just your institution and region, when making these references. In this context, it is recommended that you get some feedback and data from your stakeholders. With this information, you can strengthen the relevance of your project.

For example, if you are going to make an application at European level and your project partners will be from European countries, you are expected to include local, regional, national and European levels in your project form. If you have a Project with an environmental aspect, you will also need to refer to European policy documents in this area. In addition, you will need to make an analysis of the situations in Europe and the applicant countries and support this analysis with concrete data and reports as much as possible. You can also justify using these data and analysis when choosing your project partners. Make sure that your justification is realistic, objective, concrete, understandable and based on data. On the other hand, many grant programs limit characters in the proposal text. This will require you to do your analysis as concisely as possible.

Summary: Focuses on translating project objectives into actionable tasks through detailed activity planning, ensuring tasks are organized, sequenced, and scheduled effectively.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the process of activity planning and its role in translating project objectives into actionable tasks.
2. Learn techniques for organizing and sequencing project activities.
3. Gain proficiency in developing detailed activity plans to guide project implementation.

After the situation analysis, you need to plan some activities in order to achieve the overall objective, purpose and results you have determined. These activities should be structured as simply and uncomplicatedly as possible. Some grant programs and/or organizations require activities to be disclosed in the format they have determined. For this reason, it is recommended that you carefully review the application guide and form. For example, the Erasmus+ program demands the creation of Workpackages in Cooperation Partnerships projects (and if possible, no more than 5 of these WPs) and has adjusted their application systems accordingly.

When organizing work packages or activities, it is important that you specify the activities that are related to each other under a main heading and explain them in chronological order (Esteves & Pastor, 2002) While determining your activities, you can start from the results you have determined at the bottom of the situation analysis. If you set up the necessary activities to achieve these results, you will achieve your project goal and contribute to the overall objective. This will ensure the success of your project.

You can specify sub-activities under each activity you have determined and write sub-items as much as your application form allows. However, it is recommended that you do not create a number of items that would make it difficult to evaluate the project form. Sub-activities may directly influence the main activity or include supporting and complementary activities. Activities that do not contribute to the achievement of the project purpose should not be included in the project. Such and poorly justified activities may be subject to criticism by evaluators and result in a low score.

It is recommended that you match each activity you undertake to your purposes and, if possible, explain its relevance. While organizing your activities, you should also specify the outputs and the effects that will occur as a result of the relevant activity. Information on outputs and effects may be requested in the same part of the application form or in different parts. It is important for the consistency of the project that you specify this information in the relevant sections according to the format requirements of your application form.

You need to determine how long each of your activities will take and be realistic when determining this duration (Dawson & Dawson, 1998, p.300). Any activity that you cannot perform on time will lead to shifts and deviations in your project goals and plans. In addition, if you keep the time span large, less time may be allocated to other activities of the project than necessary. This is one of the factors affecting the overall performance of the project during the implementation phase. It is important that activity times are well-designed, consistent, measured and realistic, as evaluators will score with these considerations in mind while working on the project proposal.

In the project proposal, you must also specify all needs and resources required to realize each activity, to be met from the project budget and/or to be provided as in-kind contribution (Chen & Zhu, 2011). These issues are especially important when creating the budget. In some programs, a separate template may be requested for the budget. You will need to consider these issues together in the document that you worked for preparing for the activities and specify them in different parts of the project proposal form if requested. When creating the activities, taking notes of these issues in the working document will prevent you from going back to the beginning if information is requested at different points in the proposal form.

When creating your activities, remember that the project is a team effort. This team work includes the coordinating organization's work teams as well as the stakeholders and their employees (Usadolo & Caldwel, 2016). You need to specify which partner(s) will undertake each activity or whether they will take place simultaneously in different venues. In addition to this, it is important to explain the duties of the employees in the project, the qualifications of those who will take charge and the employment processes if additional employment is required.

• In order to realize the objectives of your Project, you need to plan proporational and impactful activities.
• You need to use the lower part of the objective tree and devise activities to achieve these objectives.
• Once you designed the activities, you can split them into smaller ones.
• e. Activity 1. Design of the training programme.
• Activity 1.1 Literature review
• Activity 1.2 Survey and Survey Analysis

Activity 1.3 Needs Analysis (Based on the results of the 1.1 and 1.2)

Summary: Provides an example activity plan to illustrate its structure and components, serving as a reference for designing effective activity plans for other projects.

Learning Objectives:

1. Analyze an example activity plan to understand its structure and components.
2. Identify best practices in activity plan design and implementation.
3. Apply lessons learned from the example to design effective activity plans for other projects.

Suppose you are preparing a project proposal for a 12-month grant program. In the first months of the project, the necessary coordination, assignment, procurement, recruitment processes, and the establishment of a project office are carried out for the smooth functioning of the rest of the project.

1. Realization of Project Coordination Procedures

1.1 Meeting of the Project Executive Board

1.2 Establishment of the Project Team and the Meetings

1.3 Realization of Project Orientation Training and Meetings

1.4 Establishment of a Project Office

2. Making Transactions for Purchases

2.1 Creating Technical Specification Files for Purchasing

2.2 Market Research, Receiving Bids and Offers from Firms

2.3 Initiation, Follow-up and Finalization of Tender Processes

3. Project Kick-Off Meeting, Project Promotion, Visibility and Dissemination Activities

3.1 Project Kick-off Meeting

3.2 Activities Regarding the Promotion and Visibility of the Project and Professional Development Center

3.3 Creating the Project Web Page

4. Opening and Operation of the Professional Development Center

4.1 Realization of the Center Opening Ceremony

4.2: Directing the Target Audience to the Professional Development Center

4.3: Creating Career Plans and Personalized Education Curriculum for Young People in the Target Group

4.4: Realization of Training Activities

4.5: Conducting Vocational Guidance and Counselling Studies

5. Bi-Monthly Reporting

6. Organizing the Project Final Meeting

7. Interim and Final Reporting

When planning your project activities, do not only consider the applications you will make and the areas/centers/offices you will establish and/or maintain. You also need to plan the preparatory work required to perform these activities. As can be seen in the example above, the 1st and 2nd activities cover the processes necessary for the progress of the project to be carried out smoothly and in accordance with the legislation, regulation and programme rules.

Visibility, promotion and dissemination activities specified as the 3rd activity include the activities that should be included in each project. In this example, you can specify these activities, which are elaborated in row 3, in different orders. On the other hand, it is important that the activities are planned and carried out to cover the whole or a significant part of the project. In the first months, you can provide visibility and promotion without making a purchase. Social media, statements to press, interviews, briefings, kick off meeting can be done free of charge or without the need for a purchase process. Apart from the ones given in the example here, you can make additions or make explanations by making the titles more detailed.

For example, in the 4th row, the main activities of the project are presented. Depending on the size or methodology of your project, you can also define more than one of your main activities. You can also plan your main activities simultaneously.

For example, it is foreseen that in the 5th activity, interim and final reports will be prepared every 2 months, and in the 7th activity. In line with your project program guide and call for proposals, you should include your work on reporting, auditing and quality work in your activity calendar and provide the necessary level of explanation.

In the example, the closing meeting is given in the 6th activity. It is possible to consider this activity as the sub-activity of the 3rd activity. On the other hand, if you want to explain the kick-off and closing meetings in more detail, or if the project activities foresee large and detailed promotional meetings, it would be useful to examine these activities under a separate heading. In this context, you can explain and justify the preparation process of your kick-off and/or closing meetings in detail.

Summary: Introduces the use of Gantt charts as visual tools for project scheduling and monitoring, enabling stakeholders to track progress and manage timelines efficiently.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the purpose and benefits of using Gantt charts in project planning.
2. Learn how to create and interpret Gantt charts to visualize project schedules and dependencies.
3. Gain proficiency in using Gantt charts to monitor project progress and manage timelines effectively.

The chart developed by Henry Gantt, called the Gantt chart, is used in almost all project proposals (Wilson, 2003). This schedule can be generated automatically in programs that allow application through a web platform or system such as Erasmus+.

While the Gantt chart enables the coordinators and partners to easily monitor all activities and processes during the project planning and management stages, it also provides the independent evaluators to make an overall review and evaluation.

As can be seen in the chart, activities and all sub-activities are located in the left column. The columns on the right show the months of the project. If you anticipate the months in which each activity will take place, you will need to color or mark the relevant parts. In the far right part, you should state who your stakeholders are and who will carry out the activity.

Summary: Discusses the importance of defining measurable indicators to track project progress and outcomes, facilitating informed decision-making and project evaluation.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the importance of defining project results and indicators for monitoring and evaluation.
2. Learn how to identify and define measurable indicators to track project progress and outcomes.
3. Recognize the role of results and indicators in assessing project effectiveness and informing decision-making.

Indicators are important for coordinators, managers and evaluators to follow up and examine the success and completion of the project and its tasks (Parmenter, 2015). Therefore, it is important for proposal writers to identify objective and verifiable indicators. Each indicator should be related with the activities, tasks and/or outputs of the Project.

In order to follow up the activities and tasks, SMART indicators should be identified (Shahin & Mahbod, 2007, p.27-29). SMART means:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Realistic
• Time-Bound

Examples:

• 2 surveys conducted to 500 young people (age range: 18-25) by the end of the 3rd month of the Project.
• 10 training session were organized to 250 disadvantaged people between 8th and 10th month of the Project.
• 1 website is created for the dissemination and valorization of the Project, its viewcount is 300.000 by the end of the Project.

• Well defined indicators will allow you to check the quality of the Project results and to determine the potential risks and deviations from the objectives.

It is good to use quantitative statements. Also you can support it with qualitative statements as well.

Additionally, you can refer target groups and geographic location in your indicators, if it is requested or deemed necessary.

Summary: Provides an overview of the methodology involved in effective project planning, encompassing analysis, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, and the selection of appropriate approaches based on project context and goals.

Learning Objectives:

1. Understand the methodology involved in effective project planning, including analysis, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
2. Learn about different approaches and techniques used in project planning and management.
3. Recognize the importance of selecting appropriate methodologies based on project goals, context, and stakeholders' needs.

You may need to specify the methods you will use while implementing your project in the project proposal form. The methods you will use may differ according to the activities you will apply. As a matter of fact, your project methodology covers the methods and techniques you will follow while performing the activities. You can refer to issues such as inclusion, participatory management, environmental and climate change mentioned in the sustainability section, which are mentioned in horizontal topics, in the method section.

Apart from these, you can specify some of the methods you can use while performing your activities as follows:

Needs analysis: It is expected that you have prepared your project proposal based on the needs of the target audience. As a matter of fact, you need to create the framework of your project by performing your problem, target and strategy analyzes within this framework. However, you may need to conduct an objective needs analysis to determine the specific and detailed needs of your target audience. For example, within the framework of your project, you determined that your target audience had a training need and you designed your activities accordingly. However, the impact of a general education method on your target audience will be limited. Considering the needs of your target audience, a tailor-made training program that you will prepare for them will have more impact and permanence (Long, 2005).

Surveys: Surveys are one of the most objective and effective ways to obtain and analyze feedback from your target audience and those involved in your activities. You can include survey studies in your project in order to analyze needs, improve your activities and provide better service.

Focus meetings: You can hold focus meetings as an alternative or complementary to the feedback you get from surveys. While specific questions are included in surveys, you can get new ideas, structured/unstructured feedback and results in focus meetings. You can hold focus meetings with your target audience or with different people and communities to improve your activities.

Maximum use of internet, social media and technology: In recent years, parallel to technological developments, education, production, management etc. and other sectors are in rapid change and transformation. On the other hand, employees and/or those in the target group may not be able to adapt to these changes quickly and may contribute to the development of new methods in a limited way. For this reason, it is important to include technology, internet and social media in the activities of the project and to encourage the participants to use these new tools. On the other hand, the use of social media has increased considerably today. You can actively use social media in your project for the purpose of reaching your target audience and for visibility, promotion and dissemination.