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This toolkit is an overview of the different aspects involved in planning for an organisation or project. It should enable the user to make a clear distinction between strategic planning and action planning, both of which are dealt with in detail in separate toolkits. It also provides some ideas about techniques to use in planning. It should provide a fairly inexperienced planning team in any organisation with a clear picture of what planning should involve, and of how planning links to monitoring and evaluation. A further toolkit deals with monitoring and evaluation in detail. The site map will guide you around this overview of planning.
Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: firstname.lastname@example.com) Page 1 of 52
Overview of Planning
Why have a toolkit that gives an overview of planning? Planning is a complex process that can take many forms. There are different kinds of planning and different ways of planning. There are many planning tools. Knowing what kind of planning is needed for what situation is a skill in itself. This toolkit is intended to help you sort out what kinds of planning you need when, and the tools that are appropriate to your needs. The toolkits that deal with strategic planning, action planning and monitoring and evaluation will give you more details of how to carry out the actual processes. Who should use this toolkit? This toolkit is aimed specifically at those who have had only limited experience in planning. Perhaps you have not been involved in running an organisation, project or department before. Or perhaps you have not been involved in the planning side of the work before. Now you are faced with the task of planning for your organisation, project or department, and you are not quite sure where to start. If you are in a situation like this, then this toolkit will be useful for you. When will this toolkit be useful? When you need to plan strategically as well as operationally and to make a distinction between the two. When you need some ideas to help you plan a planning process. When you begin the planning for a new project or organisation. When you need some ideas about planning techniques. When you need to understand the relationship between planning, and monitoring and evaluation.
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Overview of Planning
BASIC PRINCIPLES pp. 4-46 BEST PRACTICE pp. 47-49 RESOURCES p.50 GLOSSARY OF TERMS pp.51-52
Example – a full overview example of a planning process. This will help you integrate the Basic Principles.
What is planning? Page4 Why plan? Page5 Who does what?
Page 6
Doing the ground work Page14
Existing organisation/ project–review progress/do organisational diagnosis p.14 New p.17 organisation/ project – do problem analysis/needs assessment Prioritising p.22 Thinking about partnerships p.23
Tools 1: Structuring the work progress analysis Tools 1: Format for Organisational Diagnosis report Tools 2: Doing a problem analysis Tools 2: Considering the organisational options
Regular planning step-by-step Page25
Progress review p.26 Environmental scan p.27 Review of strategic framework p.28 Review strategy p.30
Planning tools – overview Page35
SWOT p.36 PEST p.38 Elements of a strategic framework Futuring p.39 Stakeholder Analysis p.40 Gap Analysis p.41 LFA p.42 Time Management
Monitoring and Evaluation Page43
When do you plan? Page8 Different kinds of planning Page9
Strategic planning/ framework p.9 Business/Action/ p .10 Operational Planning Planning for an organization p.12 Planning for a project p.13
Planning for monitoring and evaluation p.44 Indicators p.45 Planning to measure p.46
Set new objectives p.31 Form follows function – plan/review structure p.32 Action planning p.33
Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: email@example.com)
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Overview of Planning
Planning is the systematic process of establishing a need and then working out the best way to meet the need, within a strategic framework that enables you to identify priorities and determines your operational principles. Planning means thinking about the future so that you can do something about it now. This doesn't necessarily mean that everything will go according to plan. It probably won't. But if you have planned properly, your ability to adjust, without compromising your overall purpose, will be that much greater.
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Overview of Planning
The combination of a good strategic framework (arrived at through strategic planning) and a good operational plan or action plan: Provides a clear understanding of what you need to do in order to achieve your development goals; Guides you in prioritising and making decisions; Allows you to focus possibly limited resources on the actions that will benefit your work the most; Keeps you in touch with your context – global, national and local; Provides a tool to help you communicate your intentions to others; Provides a coherent guide for day-to-day implementation. It is important to think about the benefits of planning because there will be many excuses for not doing it and for just "getting on with the work". Sometimes it seems easier not to plan, because: Good planning takes time and money. But if you do it well, it is worth the investment. Sometimes "effective muddling" can see you through. That is true – if you are lucky. But muddling can be costly and confusing, as well as inefficient (poor use of resources) and ineffectual (not achieving desired results). You can't plan in the middle of a crisis. But if you plan well, you will avoid some crises, and while you may have to deal with your crises immediately, irrespective of your plans, once the crisis is over the plan will give you a way to engage with the work again. Planning is only useful if people are committed to implementation. True. But, don't use this as an excuse for not planning, along the lines of: "No-one ever follows the plan, so why bother?" It is the role of the leadership in the organisation to make sure that the planning is useful and gets implemented. People buy into a plan they have been part of developing, as long as it makes sense and is possible.
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Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. then the team must report back to staff and Board and get consensus on a final vision. (See also the section on doing an environmental scan. Look at the table below: Phase of planning Planning to plan Who is involved? Someone has to make sure that regular planning takes place and that it is the appropriate form of planning. or by senior staff. There is a whole tool kit that deals with monitoring and evaluation. Some organisations or projects like to have beneficiary input as well. but preferably within units. Thereafter. If it is manageable. projects. All programme or professional staff and at least some Board members. if manageable. Goal setting and structure review (see also the section on Form follows Function). It is usually a good idea to get in an outside person with a broad understanding of the general context and of your sector. This could be part of a planning workshop or take place separately. This can be done by the planning team. unless administrative staff show a clear interest. departments. until you get to action planning. Action planning – this involves developing step-by-step activities necessary to achieve objectives. the structure of the organisation can be reviewed. to do a presentation. you may decide to include everyone in this. This should be done by all professional staff. It is usually the management team that puts planning on the agenda. Objective setting (see also the section: Set new objectives).org) Page 6 of 52 . All senior staff. It is useful to include administrative staff in these preliminary strategic steps. You may have an internal person who is very good at this. or. administrative staff should be involved again. given our specific context.Overview of Planning WHO DOES WHAT? Who does what in an organisational planning process? Different stakeholders are involved in different phases of planning. This should give you some indication of how best to structure the work of the organisation. internally and externally?) and then revisit the mission statement to check that it makes sense. Understanding the context Vision planning – developing an overall vision for the organisation. or are likely to have an impact on. At this point. As above. As part of this process it is useful to do a SWOT Analysis (see the section that explains how to do this). Mission formulation – turning the vision into a mission statement for the organisation – what it will do to achieve the mission and how it will do it. Organisations often ask whether or not administration staff should be included in these processes. the organisation from outside.) Depending on the size of your organisation. This is more specific than overall goal setting and requires a work unit to work out what objectives it needs to achieve in order for the overall goals of the organisation to be met. Once the prioritised goals are clear. it is not so important. Situational analysis – this involves analysing the current situation within the organisation and those things that are having an impact on. by all programme or professional staff. or to set up a planning team. If you go for the planning team option. (There is a whole tool kit that deals with action planning.) Implementation Monitoring and Evaluation. Goal setting involves setting broad overall goals or result areas for the organisation. All staff. Strategic options and completion of mission – here those involved in programme work look at the strategic options for the organisation (what is the best way to make an impact on the problem we are addressing. The presentation should be for all Board and staff members. As above. or get it done project-by-project or department-bydepartment. you can do this with the whole staff. reporting to the Board.
departmental or project level must be approved by the staff management team of the organisation – the structure directly accountable to the Board. This helps to push the organisation or project out of the old ways of thinking and to get them to think about new ways of doing new things. Our experience is that it is often very useful to have an outside facilitator for the strategic part of the process.org) Page 7 of 52 . Look for a facilitator who understands both your sector and how organisations work. Never be afraid to ask for outside input or technical input if you think it is necessary. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: firstname.lastname@example.com of Planning Note: Work done at the unit.
A "year" is not necessarily a calendar year.org) Page 8 of 52 . Full-scale strategic planning should probably take place every three to five years.every second year . Your year may be determined by your financial year or by a project cycle period.Overview of Planning WHEN DO YOU PLAN? There are no hard and fast rules about when planning takes place in an organisation or a project.and evaluation of activities as a basis for detailed planning of activities for the year) should usually take place towards the end of the previous year. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. with enough time to allow for plans to be implemented in the new year. Implementation needs to be monitored constantly so that action planning can be reviewed and altered if necessary. unless the environment is changing rapidly and dramatically. you need to do a full-scale planning process – this applies to a new organisation and to a new project. Annual planning (review of strategy . Here are some guidelines: Before you begin something new.
It does not spell out specific activities. review strategic options for achieving its goals and select the most appropriate (see the section: Review strategy). prioritise what it needs to do (see the section on Prioritising). or developing a strategic framework. identify opportunities and threats in the environment that may affect its work (both a SWOT Analysis and a PEST Analysis will help you do this – see appropriate sections). is about the bigger picture. They are too busy planning "to do things". analyse its strengths and weaknesses in addressing the identified problem (see the section on doing a SWOT analysis for a method to use here). your own strengths and weaknesses. The two main kinds of planning are: strategic planning (see the section on strategic planning/framework). reflect on its value system in order to create parameters (a frame) for its activities (see also Elements of a strategic framework). A strategy is an overall approach. It is through strategic planning that an organisation develops a strategic framework. identify the problem or problems within the situation that the organisation believes it is well-placed to address (see also Elements of a strategic framework). and the problem you are attempting to address. formulate a vision and mission statement based on its problem analysis and identification (see Elements of a strategic framework). political and economic) so that it understands the context and is able to formulate a vision (see also Elements of a strategic framework). A strategy gives you a framework within which to work. in summary. something that falls under business/action/operational planning. It is possible to plan at the strategic level.org) Page 9 of 52 . set goals for itself (see Review strategy). This framework helps the organisation determine its priorities and the strategies that are likely to help it achieve its vision of the future.Overview of Planning DIFFERENT KINDS OF PLANNING "Planning" is a big term that includes a number of different kinds of activities. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. you need to go to the specific toolkits that take you through each process. or for a programme or for a project. it clarifies what you are trying to achieve and the approach you intend to use. to plan for an organisation. based on an understanding of the broader context in which you function. at the activity or operation level. For more detail. and business/action/operational planning On the next few pages we look. at what is involved in each kind of planning. Organisations often get so caught up in everyday problems that they do not think about the big picture. Where do you go with strategic planning? Strategic planning enables a development organisation to: analyse the situation or context in which it is operating (social. Strategic planning/strategic framework Strategic planning.
Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. established or existing organisations. is this the most strategic action for us to take? Will it have the maximum impact for the investment of resources made? Is this the most appropriate way for us to go about achieving our goals? Any new organisation. you have no way of assessing whether the workshop or the campaign or the approach is what you really should be doing! Take. without strategising first? It is now that we get to the "doing". it failed to impact on the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the developing country. Situations change. it is very likely that you will end up doing a range of activities that may not always add up to a co-ordinated effort.org) Page 10 of 52 . because the organisation went directly into action. and a fullscale strategic planning process every three to five years. strategies don't work. different opportunities become available. It is not recommended that you do strategic planning every year. can work well. However. Without the strategic planning phase. a strategic review every two years. in African countries the disease is mostly spread through heterosexual sex and people are much less open about homosexuality than they would be in San Francisco or New York. However. A different strategy was needed but. without going through a strategic planning process first. projects or programmes also need to revisit the strategic planning process from time-to-time. It provides a touchstone against which to answer questions such as: Is this the sort of work we ought to be doing? Will this activity contribute to the achievement of our vision and goals? Given that we have scarce resources. in fact. Once this is done.Overview of Planning structure itself appropriately (See the section on Form follows function – plan/review structure). Most organisations find this much easier than "being strategic". This turns a strategy into implementation. This could well lead to you chopping and changing your strategic choices without giving them a real chance to work. project or programme needs to do strategic planning in order to develop a strategic framework in which to work. The organisation focused on homosexual sex and used a kind of "shock strategy" to get people in the developing African country to understand how to prevent the spread of the disease. Business/action/operational planning What happens if you move directly into doing. It was funded to do the same work in a developing African country and sent out a very experienced programme director who had great success in his work in the USA. the organisation is ready to move into the next phase of planning which is doing the business/action/operational planning. The strategic plan keeps you on track. But. for example. the organisation from the USA that had great success in its HIV/AIDS prevention work at home. A workshop to plan? A campaign to launch? Let's get on with it! But without the preliminary strategic work.
How. This can then be summarised in: an output plan for the project. a curriculum published in a format that can be replicated. Your objective is to train a certain number of home-based educare teachers in every region of the country. your vision may be that every child in the country has access to affordable early childhood education. the action plan answers the following questions: What needs to be done? How will it be done? Who will do it? By when must it be done? What resources are needed to do it? Answering these questions will give you the basis on which to plan a budget and raise money or generate income. Once you have a strategic plan. Your goal becomes ensuring that there are enough trained teachers to make this possible. where they will be held and who will be in charge of organising this. So. we generally refer to the process as action planning and the plan as an action plan. 25 trained trainers. For the sake of simplicity. 200 workshops. Each of them refers to a plan for implementation in order to achieve your broader goals and your objectives. When the workshops will be held. What curriculum will be used. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. A detailed budget. a summarised budget or financial plan for the project. for example. Your action plan will answer the key questions by detailing the "what" as follows: The exact number of workshops and the targets for attendance at each (including a profile of the kind of participants you want). a human resourcing plan for the project. How participants will be recruited. who will be involved and by when this will take place. etc. when and by whom the workshop strategy will be monitored and evaluated. who will develop it and by when. a time plan for the project. The output plan summarises the "things" that will be produced e. What resources will be needed to implement each step. 4 000 trained educare teachers.Overview of Planning What is business/action/operational planning? These are different words for a very similar process.org) Page 11 of 52 .g. (Another toolkit deals specifically with the budgeting process). through running a certain number of workshops in each region.
The work you do on needs assessment/problem analysis at this stage is vitally important. The time plan will show the time relationship between activities and what needs to be done first. an administrator to deal with logistics in each region. with some minor differences. (Both of these are dealt with in detail elsewhere in this toolkit). (See the section on Form follows function). two skilled trainers from current staff of organisation. look also at the section on planning tools – overview. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. etc. It is up to the management team to ensure that resources are appropriately allocated according to the action plan. For tools and techniques you can use for action planning. units. On the next two pages we look at the different emphasis. There are tools for doing this and these are dealt with in the toolkit on action planning. the structure of the organisation may need to change too. depending on whether you are planning for an organisation or a project. Do regular (two-yearly) strategic reviews and regular (three-to-five-yearly) strategic planning to make sure that your strategies are still sound and the best available. For a step-by-step action planning process and a more indepth discussion go to the toolkit on action planning. Don't assume that the division of work has to be the same as it has always been – if the work changes. pay particular attention to the strategic planning phase. Once you have done your strategic planning and your action planning. The summarised budget will include your main line item categories and a cash flow plan. 25 trainee trainers in whom capacity will be built to run training and who will be selected from community-based organisations in each region. etc. you are well on the way to implementation. Leave action planning to the responsible projects. (See the section on planning for monitoring and evaluation in this toolkit and the separate toolkit on Monitoring and Evaluation). Does it matter whether you are planning for an organisation or planning for a project? The principles are the same.Overview of Planning The human resourcing plan provides details of how the human resourcing needs of the project will be met e. units. management by the Head of the Training Department. but follow the guidelines given in the section on Who plans? It is up to the management team to integrate plans so that the organisational plan is coherent. projects and programmes in an organisational planning process. seconded from a local organisation. instead of a patchwork of different plans. Base your strategic reviews and strategic planning processes on some form of evaluation.g. Involve all departments. (The toolkit on budgeting explains how to do a cash flow plan). etc.org) Page 12 of 52 . Planning for an organisation Some of the things to take into account when you plan for an organisation as a whole include: When you set up a new organisation.
It must fit with your vision. understand the implications of the planned length of the project. You need to do careful initial strategic planning. It is likely that you will try to raise money specifically for the project and so it is important to get this right. This will enable you to make adjustments in good time. You cannot just add a project to the work of an organisation because it seems like a good idea. It is important not to let projects become separate "empires" that are not seen as part of the organisation. and the organisation as a whole. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. You need to plan your entry and exit points so that other stakeholders. You need to draw up your human resourcing plan with reference to spare capacity already existing in the organisation. because you are working within a limited timeframe. You need to be sure that your action plans do not interfere with the normal activities of the organisation. A project usually has a limited time-span and you need to be able to produce the proposed outputs in the time specified. You need to plan for your resource requirements carefully. or clash with the activities of other projects and/or departments. You need to plan how you will link the work of the project to the ongoing work of the organisation. There must be an organic relationship between them. (See the section on Elements of a strategic framework).org) Page 13 of 52 .Overview of Planning Planning for a project Some of the things to take into account when you plan for a project include: You need to be very clear about the relationship between the project and the organisation of which it is a part. You need to plan the time carefully. and then. values and mission statement. regular strategic reviews (possibly six-monthly).
Doing an organisational diagnosis to determine the ongoing internal health of the organisation. There is a great deal to do first. Each project. Tools 1: Format for Organisational Diagnosis Report suggests one way of doing this. The review of work done is probably best done in projects. This sort of review should also be done by the directorate and the administration and finance sides of an organisation. The groundwork you need to do for planning will differ slightly depending on whether the organisation or project has been in existence for a while or is just starting up. etc. Existing Organisation/Project – Review Progress/Do Organisational Diagnosis When an organisation or project has been in existence for some time.Overview of Planning DOING THE GROUNDWORK Some organisations announce that "we are going to do our planning on November 27 and 28" and then have a workshop where everyone looks at what needs to be done in the new year and agrees on times. In the section: Tools 1: Structuring the work progress analysis. unit could also do an overall SWOT Analysis (see the section that describes this. This is not what we have in mind when we talk about "doing the groundwork" for planning. after the previous planning process. An organisational diagnosis is something that the leadership of an organisation should be doing on an ongoing basis. department or unit sets up a format for itself against which to measure progress and to report to the rest of the organisation on progress.org) Page 14 of 52 . Identifying key problem issues. Although the assignment of tasks is part of action planning. Analysing the apparent causes of the problems.). Now what is required is to put this together and to analyse what helped and what hindered the work. Ideally. Diagnosing the underlying causes and linking them. Organisations that rely on this kind of planning are likely to come apart when anything in the environment changes or when anything inside the organisation goes wrong. a way of structuring the work review. analysed and summarised to feed into the planning process. However. in preparing for a major planning exercise. it is something that happens way down the road in any planning process. is suggested. against the targets set. the insights from this diagnosis need to be brought together. Organisational diagnosis involves: Constantly scanning the organisation internally to explore issues and trends that are coming up. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. each project. departments or units where the work was actually located. department. part of the groundwork for any planning process involves: Reviewing the work that has been done since the last major planning process. areas of responsibility.
why not? Are we prepared for likely challenges in the near future? If not. why not? Tools 1: Structuring the work progress analysis WORK REVIEW – ANALYSIS OF ACHIEVEMENTS OF _________________________ DEPARTMENT FOR THE PERIOD _______________ TO ___________________ Targets set for period in terms of outputs: Targets set for period in terms of efficiency: Targets achieved: Targets we failed to achieve: Helping factors: Hindering factors: Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. consistently not meeting output targets? What sorts of crises do we deal with and could they have been avoided? How much conflict surfaces in the organisation and how does it impact on our work? Why has staff turnover been so high in the past year? Has there been some sort of trend in the complaints and grievances that have emerged? Are our administration and finance systems keeping up with the work? If not.Overview of Planning What sorts of questions should an organisational diagnosis be able to answer? The sorts of questions an organisational diagnosis is concerned with are: Why is the organisation as a whole or some part of it.org) Page 15 of 52 .
can we see in staff turnover? What are the current weaknesses in our administration and finance systems? What challenges are likely to face the organisation in the next year? What concerns are there about the ability of the organisation to meet these challenges? What are the apparent causes of current internal organisational problems and weaknesses? What underlying causes can we identify? Look at: Strategy: Value system: Structure: Systems: Staff: Skills: Management style: Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. if any.org) Page 16 of 52 .Overview of Planning Tools 1: Format for Organisational Diagnosis Report ORGANISATIONAL DIAGNOSIS: PERIOD _______________ TO _______________ What issues/trends have you identified internally in the past six months? What have the points of conflict in the organisation been over the past six months? What has the staff turnover been in the past year? What trends.
and to develop a strategic and action plan for it. In Tools 2: Doing a problem analysis. A community can be all people in a broad geographical area (a region). that you are a group of nurses with experience in the public health sector. or home-based care for people with HIV/AIDS. it is important to have a thorough understanding of the apparent problem. for example. What they are not skilled in is how to mobilise the communities to address the issues of bad services from local authorities. A preliminary assessment of what will be needed to address the problems. advising on such things as rehydration. In fact.Overview of Planning New Organisation/Project – Do Problem Analysis/Needs Assessment The groundwork involved in setting up a new organisation. In Tools 2: Considering the organisational options. however. a particular group of people in a geographical area (all teachers in Region A). all people in a defined geographical area (the community of Shacktown). caring for the elderly at home. Once you are clear about the problems of the community.org) Page 17 of 52 . You want to know as much as possible about the community you hope to benefit or assist. well. It is important to involve the communities you are hoping to help in the problem analysis. a particular group of people nationally (the youth of our country). there is a tool to help you analyse the problems you think exist in a rigorous (see Glossary of Terms) way. It is on this understanding that you then look at what is needed in an organisation that could be useful to the community. This is not your area of expertise either. What do you do? Do you go ahead and do what you had planned to do anyway? Or do you tell the communities: "Oh. when you do the problem analysis. now we see you don't need us. It is important to be rigorous here too. Say. The baseline investigation will help you to understand the relationship between different problems. sewage and rubbish collection. In the long run. the areas have well-trained health workers who are doing a good job in providing support and care. you can begin to talk about the function of the organisation that should be built. and where it is reasonable to make assumptions about cause and effect. you may end up with a project or organisation that no-one wants. Then you involve the community in identifying the most important problems which they face. Before planning. based on a baseline investigation (see Glossary of Terms). However. You thought you would train these people to provide a primary health care service. and then the form or structure. If you don't. the effectiveness of development work should be measured by its ability to address the underlying problems experienced by beneficiary communities. including drainage. you will find some questions that are appropriate to ask at this stage. You started out with an idea about a project or organisation that would train health care workers from disadvantaged areas with a poor health record. It requires: A focus on what the problems are which the organisation wants to address. you find that the underlying cause of most of the illnesses in the areas you want to work in is poor sanitation. as well as using your health expertise? Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. Thanks for your co-operation and goodbye"? Or do you look at ways of expanding your group to include the necessary campaigning skills. New development organisations usually start with an idea that is meant to address a problem. You do this by finding out the facts and investigating the actual situation. other organisations (all NGOs doing literacy work). is challenging.
on the basis of your problem analysis and your needs assessment. that you should go ahead with your new organisation or project.Overview of Planning Remember that a whole infrastructure will be built around a decision to go forward. and a rigorous assessment of the need for what you offer. If you decide. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. then this will be done on the basis of a thorough understanding of the situation. It is important to consider the opportunity cost (see Glossary of Terms) involved.org) Page 18 of 52 .
and take out repetitive cards. 5. Make each problem statement as specific as possible. We suggest you use the problem tree as a way of analysing your understanding of a community or context which you have already investigated thoroughly. In this diagram. So. the box with the final year failure rate is the focal problem. for clean water" is better than "women have to travel far to get water". Review the problem tree to reach agreement that the cause and effect relationships are valid. the reduction in teaching staff lowers staff morale and makes it even less likely that they will be willing to run a winter school. understand the relationship between the problems. is both a cause and an effect. it is a good idea to use a problem tree (see Glossary of Terms) as a tool to help you. It may not be the most important problem but it provides a focus around which to build your understanding of cause and effect. Write down about 10 problem statements. The problem tree will help you to: understand the problems that face people in a particular context or community. and at possible solutions. Each level in the diagram. Write each on a separate card. Select one problem as a starting point. The steps involved in developing a problem tree are: 1. Each card should describe one problem experienced by people in a particular context or community. e. Any one of the boxes could have been your focal problem and you would still have produced a similar tree. "women walk 4 kms. 2. wall or table) into cause and effect relationships around the focal problem. They would look something like the diagram on the next page. understand how cause and effect operate in relation to the problems. the easier it is to look at cause and effect. Organise your other problem statement cards (on a board. check the cause and effect logic. 3.Overview of Planning New Organisation/Project – Do Problem Analysis/Needs Assessment Tools 2: Doing a problem analysis When you do your problem analysis.org) Page 19 of 52 . "50% of school leavers do not find jobs" is better than "there is high unemployment". working from the bottom up. The more specific your problem statement. Add any cards you think are important. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: firstname.lastname@example.com. 4. Write it on a different colour card. for example. and the causes and effects are closely linked even when they are not directly joined.
There is a poor culture of teaching and learning in the schools. Teachers are unqualified Frequent teacher boycotts occur. Absenteeism among teachers and learners is high.) Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. Thanks to Olive for this explanation of the problem tree.org) Page 20 of 52 . Fewer than 2% of school leavers qualify for tertiary education. Some points to remember about the problem tree: Include the people who are experiencing the problems when you do your problem tree.Overview of Planning There is a high rate of teenage pregnancy in the area. (See the section where we list Resources. Our children have no hope for the future. school fees are low and facilities are minimal. There is a 64% unemployment rate in the 18 to 24 age group. Teachers refuse to organise a winter study school for final year students. Numbers have dropped dramatically and teaching staff have been cut. Only very poor children attend the school. Crime is a major problem in the area. To do a useful problem tree. you need to have the facts – real information about the community. There is a 74% failure rate in the final year for the schools in the area. Those parents who can afford it have sent their children to other schools. There is no perfect problem tree – the point is to get a comprehensive understanding of the problems and the relationship between causes and effects.
the organisation decided that its original assumption that the real problem was that the teachers were unqualified was a small part of the whole. parents and people from the education department. in the situation described in the problem tree example. how do we deal with the expectations that have been raised in the community so far? So. with what sort of focus. you need to consider the organisational options.) Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. do we need to find partners? If not. for example.Overview of Planning Tools 2: Considering the organisational options Once you have done a thorough problem analysis. the organisation planning the project specialised in teacher upgrading. (See also the section on Thinking about partnerships. principals. could address the key problem areas? Should we go ahead and plan an organisation or project? If so. After doing a problem tree with a group including teachers.org) Page 21 of 52 . The organisation decided to go ahead but formed a partnership with an organisation that did organisational development work in schools and they worked together on a whole school development intervention. Useful questions to ask at this point are: How valid were our original assumptions about the problems facing the community? Which set of problems are we best qualified to address? Will addressing those problems make a significant development difference and change the overall situation? Do we have the expertise and resources to address these key problem areas and to have an impact on the problems? What sort of an organisation or project.
it could alter the whole situation in the area. enable more learners to go on to further education or to find employment or self-employment. However. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. and you have decided that you have something to offer in the situation. the organisation that was involved decided that if it improved the culture of learning and teaching in the schools. Where can you make the impact that is most likely to change the situation overall? In Tools 2: Doing a problem analysis. is the skill of prioritising. improve final year results. the organisation was new. So. and its objectives included appropriate teacher upgrading and whole school development. it may well be the time to start thinking about partnerships. it might have focused on developing entrepreneurial skills among unemployed youth. but also to existing organisations setting up new projects. and impact on poverty alleviation. When you prioritise. do we have anything to add? In the areas where we are qualified.Overview of Planning PRIORITISING One of the important skills you need in both the groundwork phase and the actual planning phase. This is dealt with on the next page. where can we make the most significant difference? Where will we have the most leverage (See Glossary of Terms)? What are the pros and cons of intervening in this way? Will this make the best use of the resources we have available? Is it worth the opportunity cost (see Glossary of Terms)? In our example. the organisation asked itself these questions: What are we best qualified to offer in order to address the problems identified? Is anyone else already doing what we can do? If so. Often. you need to be able to prioritise what the most significant impacts are likely to be. asking these questions can get an organisation that has diverged (moved away) from its mission back on track so that it focuses on what it does best. Its next level goal was to improve the culture of learning and teaching in the schools. you decide what is most important. When an organisation realises that it is getting involved in areas where it does not have the skills or expertise to address the problems. Had the organisation specialised in small business development. the overall goal of the organisation was to improve morale and quality of life in the area. or even reviewing their ongoing involvement in an area of work or in a community. In order to clarify its priorities (prioritise). raise the overall morale of the area. its expertise was in formal education and it believed it could make a difference to the situation by working in that area. This applies to new organisations and projects.org) Page 22 of 52 . but the questions are just as valid for organisations with an established involvement. Once you understand the development problems facing the community or communities.
Getting work directly funded (this involves a donor investing in a project or organisation). collective responsibility for final outcomes. Setting up a consortium (where several organisations contribute different skills and expertise in order to meet the requirements of the situation).org) Page 23 of 52 . Where do you look for partners? Possible partners include: other civil society organisations. the partners are linked by a common desire to make a difference in areas that ultimately improve the quality of life of ordinary people. While partnership relationships can be complicated. the private sector. Participating in a network (or informal affiliation designed to share information of common and/or collective interest). Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. individuals. Possible partner relationships include: Sub-contracting work (this is a fee-for-service relationship). mutual learning. the partners learn from one another. Some of the reasons for forming development partnerships are: The needs in the situation are greater than your organisation alone can meet. they do enable civil society organisations to meet the needs of situations where multiple problems and complex relationships of cause and effect are present. A development partnership should be characterised by: mutual respect. shared purpose. They also complement (fill gaps) and add value to one another's inputs in order to maximise the outputs and outcomes of a development intervention. and influence one another as part of the learning process. In an ideal development partnership. Other organisations or projects may already be active in the area and you want to avoid duplication and unhealthy competition. in some sort of collaborative. Working together on a joint project (where those involved are full partners). The client or donor may insist on it. co-operative or joint effort. the state.Overview of Planning THINKING ABOUT PARTNERSHIPS A partnership involves the joint activity of more than one party. In development partnerships. shared values. especially those who are considered disadvantaged in some way. donors.
Control is shared. you will need to invest time and energy in building a co-operative and constructive partnership. However. Here planning is at a very broad level. control is shared.Overview of Planning What difference does a partnership make to the planning process? The impact of partnerships on the planning process depends on the kind of partner relationship it is: Type of partnership Sub-contracting Impact on planning The organisation which initiates the sub-contract plans what needs to be done and presents the "partner" with a scope of work. the main burden of the planning falls to the implementing agency. 2000) Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: firstname.lastname@example.com) Page 24 of 52 . even if one partner "manages" the consortium. then networks usually appoint or elect a co-ordinating team. In principle. Here. The detail of activity planning can be left to the appropriate partner. but agreement from all members is still required. The detail of activity planning can be left to the appropriate partner. The planning should be done jointly and consensus should be reached. although some may invite donor partners to participate in certain stages of the planning process. The planning should be done jointly and consensus should be reached. Olive Publications. (This section has taken many ideas from Ideas for a Change: Part 7a: Beginning to work together. some partners are more active than others. but not that much is at stake as long as activities remain at the information-sharing level. When some kind of joint action is envisaged. Direct funding Joint ventures/ developmental partnerships Consortium Network When you work in a partnership of any sort. Usually. this depends on the capacity of the partner organisations. largely involving the co-ordination of communication.
In this section. In order to see how these steps would work in practice. and you are taken through the process as it would unfold in a workshop.org) Page 25 of 52 . This section looks briefly at the following steps in a planning process: Step 1: Progress review Step 2: Environmental scan Step 3: Review of the strategic framework Step 4: Review strategy Step 5: Set new objectives Step 6: Plan/review structure Step 7: Do action planning. Although the section assumes an existing organisation or project. focusing on being thorough and rigorous (see Glossary of Terms). In the toolkits on strategic planning and action planning. the steps are much the same for a new project or organisation. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: firstname.lastname@example.com of Planning Regular planning step-by-step Once you have done the ground work. you are ready to move on in the planning process. we go through the normal steps of planning to give you an overview of what needs to be included in a planning process. based on a solid foundation. go to the Example given at the end of the toolkit. these are discussed in more detail.
You can also use the SWOT Analysis to help you understand your strengths and weaknesses and the opportunities and threats in the environment. For organisations and projects that have already been functioning for a while. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. the progress review. Under Tools 1: Structuring the work progress analysis you will find a structure you can use to report on your work review. and why you have or have not met the targets set. what you have failed to achieve. you need to know what you have achieved.Overview of Planning PROGRESS REVIEW Step 1 of your planning process should involve a work progress review.org) Page 26 of 52 . We have already discussed the progress review in the section on Doing the groundwork. Before you can move on. is the logical place to begin planning. against targets set in the previous planning process.
economic. political. It recognises that no organisation is an island and that the social. and legislative contexts in which a project or organisation functions have a profound effect on the ability of the organisation or project to do their work. or someone from the outside who understands both the bigger picture and the sector within which you function. challenges and threats. technological. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. ecological.org) Page 27 of 52 .Overview of Planning ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN What is an environmental scan? An environmental scan (Step 2) is a way of assessing the context in which an organisation or project is functioning and will function. It is very useful to do your planning in the context of a background that raises questions about relevance. This could be a well-informed person from within the project or organisation. After the input. and which enables you to question assumptions (beliefs) you may have had about the context in which you operate. The PEST technique (see on the site map) will help you to do an environmental scan but it is also useful to have someone "paint" the broader picture for your project or organisation. you should list the main trends or issues in the environmental context that are likely to affect your organisation over the next three to five years.
accurately? Are we clear about our overall goal? About what we want the overall outcome of our work to be? Are we clear about the broader goal towards which any particular specific goal. what we do and who we do it for. you look at things like: vision. The questions you are asking at this point are: What is our vision? Has it changed? Has any progress been made towards achieving it in the past five years? What are the values that underpin our work? Are we adhering to our values? Is there a clash between our values and what we do or how we do it? Does our mission statement still describe what we are.org) Page 28 of 52 . development goal. this step would be to establish a strategic framework. For a new project or organisation.Overview of Planning REVIEW OF THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK Step 3 is to review the strategic framework within which you have located your organisation or project. project or objective should be contributing? Is there a clear link between this development goal and the overall goal? Is there a clear link between our project purpose (the immediate goal of our work) and the development goal and overall goal? Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. project purpose. When you establish or review your strategic framework. overall goal or aim. mission. values.
There needs to be a logical connection between these levels of goals. the world ought to be organised. They are what you believe is the right way to do things and to deal with people. If. with each lower level contributing to the achievement of the next level up.Overview of Planning REVIEW OF THE STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK Step 3 continued Elements of a strategic framework What are the elements of a strategic framework? Your organisational vision is your overall picture of how you would like things to be as a result of your efforts and those of others working in related fields. then you are likely to involve beneficiaries. and what you believe about the way that. What you do to achieve this will be the strategic options you have selected. The important thing is to have a framework that is logical and coherent. a mission statement includes a very brief summary of what you do. Typically. It is important that you develop a vision together with Board and staff members. All your plans ought to be focused towards the eventual achievement of this vision. for example. Your organisational values will determine your strategies and your operational principles. your overall goal might be poverty alleviation. or potential beneficiaries. It is how your organisation sees the ideal society. For a way to arrive at. you have an organisational value that emphasises doing things with rather than for people. Your project purpose might be an increase of those employed or self-employed from 30% to 75% within five years. ideally. or clarify. An example of a mission statement in a development context might be: We work to improve the conditions under which elderly people in our society live by providing people over the age of 65 who have limited resources with transport. how you do it and for whom. So.org) Page 29 of 52 . and who it is aimed at. Your development goal might then be that all the economically active people in the areas where you work are either employed or self-employed. Your overall goal will focus on a specific aspect of your vision. your organisational vision. while your vision might include human rights for all. Your mission is a description of the work the organisation or project does. closely in your planning process. see the section on Futuring. Note: Different people give different names to parts of the strategic framework. meals and the opportunity to socialise. Your organisational values are the shared values that underpin your work as an organisation and your relationships with users and other stakeholders. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus.
You need to be constantly reviewing your strategy on the basis of monitoring and evaluation (see the section dealing with this) so that you can change it if necessary. It realised that the need to generate an income was more important to its target group than social gatherings to address loneliness. the projects and activities you choose to carry out in pursuit of your vision and goals.org) Page 30 of 52 . It decided to redirect some of its resources towards providing business support services for microenterprises. Initially the organisation felt it was doing very well because it was meeting all its training targets. it found that most of the people trained were still unemployed after a year. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. It decided to focus on this aspect of the needs of elderly people and. 70% of the people being trained had set up in their own microbusinesses. and the elderly people involved in its projects agreed. Within a year. or the selection of. The questions you are answering here are: What can we do that will help us achieve our project purpose? What activities will do this? Does what we are doing make sense in terms of our strategic framework? Are there other things we should be doing? So. for example: An organisation that served the needs of the elderly did a survey of its beneficiaries as part of the groundwork for its planning process. However. Your strategy is the approach. therefore. It felt that this would be a more useful strategic choice in its efforts to improve the quality of life of elderly people. While your strategic framework (your vision and overall goal) is fairly fixed. one of its activities in the past. your strategy is not – you can and should change it if it doesn't work. and in the context of your values and mission statement. and within that.Overview of Planning REVIEW STRATEGY Step 4 is the review of. in monitoring and evaluating its work. a strategy. to convert its recreation centre into an industrial park where elderly people would be encouraged and supported in setting up micro-businesses. It formed a developmental partnership with an NGO that supported the development of micro and small businesses. Another example: An organisation that had as its project purpose increased selfemployment in a particular area had chosen the strategy of training people in production and entrepreneurial skills to achieve this purpose.
and owned by people over the age of 65 who previously used the recreation centre. functioning out of the newly established industrial park. or setting objectives from scratch for a new organisation. tool hire. or adjusting the existing objectives where necessary. a SMART objective might be: Support the set. you need to formulate SMART objectives. and marketing advice services to micro-enterprises by the end of July next year. or Set up a business support service able to offer bookkeeping. for example. All objectives need to be SMART: S M A R T = = = = = Specific Measurable Agreed upon (by everyone involved) Realistic Timebound So.Overview of Planning SET NEW OBJECTIVES Step 5 involves setting new objectives. based on the revised strategy. before the end of the year.up four micro-businesses. or Train a group of at least 20 elderly people (over 65) in production and entrepreneurial skills by the end of March next year.org) Page 31 of 52 . Once you have decided on your strategy or strategies. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus.
projects.Overview of Planning FORM FOLLOWS FUNCTION – PLAN/REVIEW STRUCTURE Step 6 looks at how you need to organise yourselves. what additional skills do we need? What information systems will we need? In the end. particularly if your strategy changes in some way. the form or structure of the organisation should follow its function – what it plans to do. if the objectives are to be met. Here the questions to ask are: How should we group ourselves? What units. departments. or re-organise yourselves. Be open to changes. Don't assume that the structure you have used before will fit.org) Page 32 of 52 . teams are needed to achieve all our objectives for the next two years? What administrative and financial support will be needed? What policies do we need to have in place? Does it make sense to change any of the existing structures? Do we need any additional structures? Do we have the skills to do what needs to be done? If not. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus.
an organisation or project needs good time management. Provides a basis for budgeting. Sometimes things don't get done and no-one notices until it is too late. the plan just won't work.org) Page 33 of 52 . Work tends to be confused and uncoordinated. implementation is very difficult. Provides a basis for job descriptions. and what resources will be needed to do it (money and people). A good action plan: Forces the organisation or project to decide how it intends to reach an objective. Without this. Helps to resolve issues of sequence or the order in which things should be done. On the next page we look briefly at time management. Provides a basis for measuring progress and doing a work progress review. Without an action plan.Overview of Planning ACTION PLANNING Step 7 involves business/action/operational planning. An action plan is the hands that lead to efficient and effective implementation. This means identifying the tasks that need to be done in order to achieve the objectives. In order to use an action plan effectively. A strategic framework is the skeleton of planning that results in impact. The action plan records what must be done. who will be responsible for getting it done. the date by which it will be done. Helps the organisation or project move beyond crisis management to sensible planning and use of resources. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. (See also the toolkit on action planning). Provides a basis for holding people accountable for what they do. It is difficult to know who should have done what by when.
"). regular work progress reviews. personal planning. sufficient efficient administrative support. and 1 p.m.Overview of Planning Time management Both organisations/projects and individuals need to be able to manage their time well if planning is to translate into implementation. good management from those in supervisory positions. good planning with clear deadlines.g. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. an ethos or culture that is flexible and supportive but task-oriented.org) Page 34 of 52 . good management – available to deal with potential and actual crises. delegating. self-discipline. What helps individuals manage their time well? diaries. clear boundaries (e. good management – monitoring progress and identifying potential hold-ups and delays. keeping meetings to the necessary minimum. What helps organisations/projects manage their time well? departmental/project/organisation monthly and year planners.m. "I am not available between 10 a. saying "no".
overview There are many tools you can use when you do your planning.Overview of Planning Planning tools . We have included some of them.org) Page 35 of 52 . The techniques simply help you to focus your thinking – it is the thinking that is important. simply by asking the right questions. July 1997 for this section). This does not mean that you have to use them. It is possible to do your planning without any clever techniques or tools at all. (We have drawn heavily on the Olive Publication Ideas for a Change: Part 1: Strategic Processes. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. Do not fall into the trap of making your planning process just a move from one technique to the next. If you think they might be useful. then use them.
Opportunities and threats are external to the organisation and provide challenges to the organisation. It can make a useful contribution to an organisational diagnosis. Ask participants to identify Strengths and Weaknesses and follow the same process as above. Time: Steps: 1. The process can be done for the organisation. They must answer the questions: What are the Threats facing us in the next period of time? What are the Opportunities facing us? They should write only one threat or one opportunity on each card. Get rid of duplicates. Give each participant in this stage of the process a set of blank cards to record Opportunities and Threats.org) Page 36 of 52 . departments. You probably need about an hour to do a SWOT Analysis. and the external opportunities and threats the organisation or project face. but can have as many cards as they need. projects and units. Ask the participants to place the cards in columns under the headings Opportunities and Threats which you should put up on a board or wall. SWOT stands for: S W O T = = = = Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats Strengths and weaknesses are factors that are internal to the organisation and can be addressed within the organisation. Cluster similar issues and discuss. 2. Reformulate if necessary. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. The best time to use a SWOT Analysis is after you review progress and after you have done some sort of environmental scan.Overview of Planning THE SWOT ANALYSIS Purpose: To identify the internal strengths and weaknesses of an organisation or project.
answer the following questions: What can we do to maximise our strengths? What must we build or develop to overcome weaknesses or problem areas? What do we need to do to make use of the opportunities? What can we do to minimise or neutralise threats? 5. In discussion. prioritise by asking these sorts of questions: What is really important for our current and future work? What is too serious to ignore? Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. Finally.org) Page 37 of 52 . You should end up with something that can be transferred into the following format: Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities Threats 4.Overview of Planning 3.
The best time to use a PEST Analysis is probably after you have had input on "the big picture" and before you do a SWOT Analysis (see previous pages). If you add any categories. Legislative. discuss the ideas presented. 3.g. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. Cultural.Overview of Planning THE PEST ANALYSIS Purpose: To scan the external environment for forces and trends that may be opportunities or threats for the project or organisation. Ask the participants in the process to break into four groups. Time: Steps: 1. form extra groups. with a third colour for a factor that could be both. PEST stands for: P E S T = = = = Political Economic Social Technological You could add other categories if you thought they might be useful. As a variation. Ecological. They should then identify potential opportunities and threats under the headings given.org) Page 38 of 52 . Let the groups put up their cards under the appropriate headings on a wall or board. To help the project/organisation understand its context. e. Psychological. 4. You probably need about an hour for the PEST Analysis process. Each group should deal with one aspect. you could get them to use different coloured cards for opportunities and threats. Get the groups to write one opportunity or threat only on each card. 2. Identify those things that are most significant for your current and future work. Cluster similar things.
Cluster the ideas that seem similar and take off duplicates.Overview of Planning FUTURING Purpose: To enable a group to free itself of the constraints of current work and context in order to develop a true vision of how they would like the future to look. Divide the participants into groups of six or seven people each. They have just arrived back in their home country. In plenary. 3. They have been away for that period of time on an extended sabbatical. and they find it changed in every possible way – all for the better. but would then require some synthesis or putting together. Explain to them that they should imagine it is 10 years down the line (you should choose the time period that seem most suitable – removed from the present but not lost in the mists of the future). turn the cards into a vision statement for the project or organisation. This is probably best done before the group tries to develop a vision or mission statement. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. Time: Steps: 1. What do they see? Give them cards and ask them to write each exciting thing they see on a card – one development per card. 2. Ask the groups to put their cards on a wall. This country is now everything they ever dreamed it could be. (This could also be done in groups.org) Page 39 of 52 . Discuss the "future vision" that emerges. 4.) You probably need about an hour to do futuring with a reasonable sized group.
The other organisation is still a stakeholder. It has an active interest in the organisation or project. 5. there may be another organisation that sees this one as a competitor for funds. 6. key stakeholders and their concerns and expectations. and to explore how they influence the organisation. 1. You can do this as a brainstorm. It will look something like this: Stakeholder Interests What is their interest in the organisation? Expectations What do they expect from their relationship with the organisation? Potential What contribution could they make to the organisation? You probably need about an hour to go through this process. Ask the participants what influence the stakeholder has on the organisation. Divide participants into groups to answer the following questions about each stakeholder group: What is their interest in our organisation? What are their expectations from their relationship with us? What contribution could they make to the organisation? 3. or project's. Do a stakeholder map on a flipchart. Let the participants rank the stakeholders in order of importance for the organisation when it does its planning. Ask the participants in the process to identify all the organisation's or project's stakeholders. for example. 4. So. Evaluate the organisation's performance against the positive expectations. Time: Steps: 1.org) Page 40 of 52 . Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. 2.Overview of Planning STAKEHOLDER ANALYSIS Purpose: To identify the organisation's. This is a useful exercise to do when you are thinking about partnerships and also before you do your action planning. 3. They must understand that stakeholders are not necessarily positive. A stakeholder is anyone or any group or any institution or structure that has any kind of stake in your organisation or project. 2.
Identify the gaps between what we have NOW and what we must have IN THE FUTURE what we can do NOW and what we must be able to do IN THE FUTURE. and an environmental scan. This is a good technique to use after you have done a vision and mission statement. methods.org) Page 41 of 52 . relationships. an organisational diagnosis. You probably need about an hour to do a Gap Analysis. 2. You need to know where you are. etc.) These gaps show what must be done to make the organisation efficient and effective. financial resources. knowledge. systems. Identify those gaps which are quantitative (we need more … people. and programme planning. and where you want to be. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus.) and which are qualitative (we need improved … capabilities. It is a good introduction to planning the internal changes needed to meet your targets and goals. etc.Overview of Planning GAP ANALYSIS Purpose: To identify the gaps that need to be addressed between where the organisation is now and where it aims to be in the future. systems. Time: Steps: 1.
The LFA can take about a week to do properly. the matrix usually looks something like this: Narrative summary Objectively verifiable indicators (see Glossary of Terms) Means of verification Important assumptions (see Glossary of Terms) about conditions Overall goal/development goal Project purpose Result Areas (what must be achieved in order to fulfil the project purpose) Activities Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. from overall goal to activities.Overview of Planning LOGICAL FRAMEWORK ANALYSIS (LFA) Purpose: The LFA is an overall planning tool. It is. and the columns represent the way in which achievement of these goals and objectives can be verified (shown to have taken place). The rows represent a hierarchy (top to bottom) of goals and objectives. Many donors now insist that organisations use the LFA to do their planning. Time: Steps: Although different headings are used by different LFA practitioners. however. It uses a logframe or matrix (table) with columns and rows to help you plan a project. a very complex tool and it does not work if it is not used rigorously (see Glossary of Terms).org) Page 42 of 52 . This makes the LFA a very good tool for planning for monitoring and evaluation (see this section later in the toolkit). It really requires a toolkit of its own to take you through the process.
Here we are concerned to touch on some of the aspects of monitoring and evaluation that are closely linked to planning. This is one of the reasons why the LFA (see previous page) is such a useful planning tool – it builds in indicators (see Glossary of Terms) against which development work can be monitored and evaluated. development decision-makers are given the information they need to improve. effectiveness and impact of the work. change or develop their work. with the aim of determining the efficiency. and to learn from their experiences. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. then you make monitoring and evaluation much easier. A whole toolkit has been devoted to monitoring and evaluation. ongoing collection of data (information) in order to assess progress and make changes and adjustments where necessary. Information collected through monitoring makes an important contribution to evaluation. If you plan with monitoring and evaluation in mind. Evaluation is the systematic and objective assessment of a development organisation or development work.Overview of Planning Monitoring and Evaluation (see also the separate toolkit on Monitoring and Evaluation) Monitoring is the systematic.org) Page 43 of 52 . Through monitoring and evaluation. maintain.
is part of planning – but this kind of clarity also makes for the most useful evaluation and guides the monitoring process. Your strategic framework provides a qualitative framework for the evaluation by providing guidelines for assessing operations against operational principles. and on through the planning stages. then employment levels after the intervention will be measured against employment levels at the beginning of the intervention in order to evaluate impact. and impact evaluation will be based on the improvement in this pass rate. but also that. so you are able to assess or compare your achievements against your targets. then monitoring information will be collected on this. So each planning step becomes part of the monitoring and evaluation process. as the work progresses. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. Your problem analysis (see section on this) is the starting point for both your planning process and the evaluation process. It should also provide you with indicators (see Glossary of Terms and the next section) or signposts that become the focus points for monitoring and evaluation.Overview of Planning PLANNING FOR MONITORING AND EVALUATION The most useful evaluations are those that are built into the work of the organisation or project as part of the planning process. Your overall goals provide the target at which you are aiming.org) Page 44 of 52 . Your planning process should tell you what kind of information you need to collect so that monitoring and evaluation can take place. Did you do things the way you said you would? Did you involve beneficiaries? Did you collaborate? Did you maximise the use of resources? and so on. Being clear about the impact you want to have (the difference you want to make). the right kind of information can be collected to make evaluation easier. If the problem analysis highlighted poor final year schooling results as a key problem. Planning for evaluation should begin from the moment that a needs assessment is done. while your more specific objectives and your action planning provide interim targets for what you must do. If the problem analysis established that low employment levels were a key problem and the project undertook to address this. and the objectives you want to achieve in order to do this. Not only does this mean that evaluation is planned from the beginning. It provides a baseline (see Glossary of Terms) against which future work can be measured: the evaluation of impact measures where you are now against the starting point that was established in the problem analysis.
We deal with this in the next section: Planning to measure.Overview of Planning INDICATORS Indicators are measurable or tangible signs that something has been done. based on organisational values (see the section on Elements of a strategic framework). Information sharing takes place on an ongoing basis. These indicators included: Consultation with key stakeholders takes place regularly. Clearly. Defining these indicators was part of its planning process. Efficient use of resources. Reduction in the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases. It is not always obvious how one actually measures indicators even when they are as tangible (concrete) as the examples given. It was planning for monitoring and evaluation – this is another way of saying it was planning so that it could be held accountable for the money spent on the programme. Increased distribution of barrier methods. as part of the strategic framework. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. there would be no point in establishing these "how" indicators when the time arrived for evaluation. So. Another example: a government HIV/AIDS programme had as its impact indicators: Reduction in the incidence rate of HIV infection. Baseline shifts in specifically targeted groups. the programme hoped to be able to show that it was having an impact. Reduction in teenage pregnancies. an increase in the number of students passing is an indicator of an improved culture of learning and teaching. They needed to be stated upfront in the planning process. But the programme went further than this. for example. then you do need to establish ways of measuring. usually in the form of operational principles. It also established indicators of good practice by which the "how" of its work could be assessed.org) Page 45 of 52 . Implementation is marked by transparency – open communication with the public. By measuring these indicators over time. If you want to have information on your indicators available for monitoring and evaluation. Collaboration with other actors takes place whenever possible. The means of verification (proof) is the officially published list of passes.
These surveys would need to be included in the action planning and in the budgeting. civil society organisations rely on government statistics to measure impact at the macro (big) level. it is. All that is required is a simple filing system with a folder headed "Consultation with key stakeholders".Overview of Planning PLANNING TO MEASURE How do you measure indicators? This is another question that needs to be answered during the planning process so that systems of measuring and recording can be put in place immediately. for example. and then regular follow-ups in the same households. but they need to put in place methods for measuring impact within a project context. So. These analyses can inform management practice (should we be doing more with any group?) as well as provide backup in the accountability process.org) Page 46 of 52 . the government programme on HIV/AIDS needs to be sure that statistics are available to enable it to measure its indicators such as "reduction in teenage pregnancy" or "increased distribution of barrier methods". if the hoped for impact is "better quality of life" in a community. there would need to be a baseline survey of what was spent on education and recreation at the beginning of the intervention. for example. All action plans should include the setting up and/or maintenance of a monitoring and evaluation system. A record of these meetings is then filed in this folder each time they occur. All this is dealt with in far more detail in the toolkit on Monitoring and Evaluation. and one of the indicators is "increased percentage of household income spent on education and recreation". Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. This folder then forms the basis for regular analysis and reporting on the types of stakeholders who have been consulted. So. and the frequency of such consultations. Very often. What about qualitative indicators? Is it possible to measure an indicator such as "consultation with key stakeholders takes place regularly"? Yes. provided you know in advance that you will need to be able to show this. The important point to note here is that this kind of measurement is only possible if it is included in the action planning process.
and in preparation for the World Summit on Sustainable Development. When the organisation was set up.Overview of Planning BEST PRACTICE Example An organisation called Enough for All (EFA) had been set up in the early 1990s to promote sustainable development in a developing country (Country A). EFA commissioned two experts on sustainable development to do an evaluation of what it had achieved in the past seven years. the Board of EFA agreed to a request from the management team for EFA to initiate a full-scale planning process. as EFA had not done surveys. The survey had found this group to be very ignorant of the fundamentals of sound environmental practices. The evaluation team found that there had been a signficant growth in understanding of sound environmental practices in the targeted age group in Country A. the fact that it did not do lobbying and advocacy work as a major field of activity meant that it had lost some of its most knowledgeable and valuable staff members over the years. It focused on educating young people at schools about environmental issues. Professional staff complained that the scope of activity in the organisation was very limited. to determine their attitude to the environment. it had been agreed that its impact would be measured in terms of a baseline survey which had been done in 1992 with adults in the 18 to 24 age group. among its direct beneficiaries. Publications and a Secretariat which included the financial and administrative arms of the organisation. Several now worked for international agencies. it was difficult to attribute this change to the work of EFA. and had three departments: Education. EFA spent a lot of time and effort training professional staff who seldom stayed more than two years. and requested that they work with an organisational development consultancy which would do an organisational diagnosis. However. planned for 2002 in Johannesburg. South Africa. the evaluation team noted that.org) Page 47 of 52 . or before and after studies. and that the sample of students included in the evaluation who had gone through the EFA education programme were better informed on environmental issues than the control group (see Glossary of Terms) that the evaluators had set up. Internally. unlike many civil society organisations. looking at internal issues within EFA that impacted on the work. The evaluators further noted that the EFA strategy of focusing on school-going youth was limiting the impact of its work as it did not reach those who were more immediately likely to be involved in environmental decision-making in Country A. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. while the organisation was wellmanaged. At the end of the year 2000. had gone to scale and reached 20 000 high school children each year. They did note that EFA. that its publications were of a high quality. Step 1: In preparation for the planning process.
who tended to be in their forties and older. EFA began to think that its original problem analysis which had focused on the ignorance among the young people of the country needed to be rethought.org) Page 48 of 52 . to come in and lead a morning seminar in which all staff and some Board members participated. had not been influenced by EFA's work at all. The revised mission statement was: EFA is working towards a situation where Country A has sound environmental policies and can guarantee ongoing sustainable development for the benefit of all. The topic of the seminar was: The current status of sustainable development internationally and nationally. they felt that having an outsider with an in-depth understanding of the organisation would push them to be more rigorous (see Glossary of Terms). including: At least 70% of all current legislators have a score of 80% or more on a sustainable development questionnaire before the 2002 summit. the programme staff reworked their problem tree and decided that the focal point was the lack of sound policies. most people in the organisation felt that the mission statement needed to change to accommodate what they had learned from the evaluation and the challenges that had emerged during the seminar. as did the values on which their operating principles were based. Although they could have done this themselves. we use all available avenues to educate and inform our citizens about environmental issues and to encourage the promulgation and implementation of environmentally sound legislation. Its immediate goals (project purpose) were to see that the country's legislators understood the issues. (It was agreed that a baseline questionnaire would be done for comparative purposes). and that this was integrally linked to the general ignorance about environmental issues at every level of the society. values and mission statement. the staff and some Board members examined their vision. More specifically. To this end. They found that. The policy-makers. and through ensuring that our legislators are well-informed on environmental issues.Overview of Planning Step 2: As a further preliminary step to the planning process. and to ensure that the country had an informed citizenry overall. We believe that this is best achieved through the education of all our citizens. EFA set some measurable indicators for success. Step 3: Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. So EFA's overall goal/development goal of sound environmental policies and sustianble development for all remained unchanged. it now saw itself as bringing about legislative or policy change as well as ensuring that all school children were educated on the issues. The expert's input was followed by some lively discussion. while their vision remained much the same. EFA got one of its exstaff members. who was then working for an international agency. The management team then asked one of the members of the evaluation team (from the organisational development consultancy) to facilitate a strategic planning workshop. With her help. We do this in partnership with other agencies in civil society that share our beliefs. from which it became clear that Country A was sadly lagging behind international trends in its environmental policies and legislation. At a special session.
in preparation for drawing up job descriptions and human resourcing plans. reviewed its strategy and decided that it was very limited and would have to be extended so that a wide target group and a wide variety of educational techniques were included. an education and media unit. At this point. The programme staff felt that they could build on their publications and training skills but that they did not have expertise in lobbying and advocacy which should be a major part of their strategy. The newly structured departments worked individually to draw up action plans and budgets which were then reviewed by the management team. helped by the external facilitator. On the basis of its reworked strategy. it decided that it needed an advocacy and lobbying unit. as well as the formation of partnerships. EFA developed new SMART objectives and reviewed its structure.org) Page 49 of 52 . This would need to be taken into account when the organisation did its action planning. and a secretariat. Its strategy now became mass education and lobbying and advocacy work. Step 5: Step 6: Of course. This would clearly involve capacity development and some staff recruitment. but the Board and staff of EFA were excited and filled with energy and enthusiasm. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. EFA. As they did not yet have a staffed advocacy and lobbying unit. still with the external facilitator. the external facilitator wished them luck and withdrew. the management team worked on this action plan and budget. leaving EFA to do its own action planning. the work had only just begun. In a further session.Overview of Planning Step 4: With this clarified.
Overview of Planning RESOURCES CIVICUS would like to acknowledge the following as invaluable resources in the preparation of this toolkit: Olive Publications Ideas for a Change: Part 1: organisational change? July 1997 How are you managing Olive Publications Ideas for a Change: Part 2: Organisation diagnosis? December 1997 Project Planning for Development. Janet Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. Olive 1998 Evaluation: Judgement Day or Management Tool? Olive 1996 Olive Publications Shapiro.org) Page 50 of 52 .
So. for example. If they are spent on your organisation or project. they cannot be spent elsewhere. but who have not had the intervention. A control group is a group of people. It provides you with data (information) about the situation before an intervention. if you are planning a project that supports informal sector businesses. So. a control group provides some data about impact. A baseline investigation is a study done before an intervention. An indicator is a measurable or tangible sign that something has been done or achieved. an increase in the number of students passing is an indicator of an improved culture of learning and teaching. This information is very important when you get to monitoring and evaluation as it enables you to assess what difference the intervention has made. Where no baseline study exists with which to compare a sample. this may lead to the collapse of the project. assumptions are the beliefs you have.org) Page 51 of 52 . When an incorrect assumption leads to the collapse of a project it is referred to as a "killer assumption". if the government starts to arrest people running informal sector businesses. or imposes unrealistic taxes on them. for example. founded on knowledge and experience. The means of verification (proof) is the officially published list of passes. about the conditions under which you will be operating. then you may have an assumption that the government of the country in which you are operating is supportive of the informal sector. In our example. Leverage means the ability to make a big difference through a relatively small action or step because it involves many aspects of the problem.Overview of Planning GLOSSARY OF TERMS Assumptions When used in the context of a logframe analysis. A problem tree is a tool or technique which will help you to analyse the problems in a community and the causes and effects of the problems. If you are wrong in your assumption. this is likely to have very bad consequences for your project. Baseline investigation Control group Indicator Leverage Opportunity cost Problem tree Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. similar to those who have been involved in an intervention. It is always important to assess the worthiness of your ideas and plans rigorously in terms of opportunity cost. Opportunity cost is the cost in terms of alternative ways in which money and time can be spent.
corner Quinn Street Newtown. Suite 540 Washington D. even if they are difficult.O. Johannesburg 2001 South Africa P.org) Page 52 of 52 .org We wish to acknowledge GTZ for its support in translating these toolkits into French and Spanish. For further information about CIVICUS: CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation 24 Pim Street. honest. in MS-Word and PDF format at www.org Web: http://www. strategic planning and dealing with the media.civicus. you do not look for easy solutions or easy ways out. growth and protection of citizen action throughout the world. CIVICUS envisions a worldwide community of informed. to developing a financial strategy and writing an effective funding proposal. Box 933 Southdale. especially in areas where participatory democracy and citizens' freedom of association are threatened.Overview of Planning Rigorous Rigorous is a word that describes a systematic. These CIVICUS Toolkits have been produced to assist civil society organisations build their capacity and achieve their goals. 2135 South Africa Tel: +27 11 833 5959 Fax:+27 11 833 7997 1112 16th NW. You look for real understanding and honest responses. inspired. Toolkit on Overview of Planning by Janet Shapiro (email: toolkits@civicus. The topics range from budgeting. CIVICUS: World Alliance for Citizen Participation is an international alliance established in 1993 to nurture the foundation. All are available on-line.C.civicus. disciplined way of working. When you are rigorous. committed citizens in confronting the challenges facing humanity. 20036 USA Tel: +202 331-8518 Fax: +202 331-8774 E-mail: email@example.com and on CD-ROM.
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Sometimes complaints rise to the surface faster than good pr. The score evaluation may or maynot be a factor for you and your family. If the school has programs and teachers that will provide the best education atmosphere for your family, then the score is not relevant.
Take time from your busy schedule and visit the school.
Best regards,
Lynn Brock
Brock Realty Inc.
I might suggest to to Hillsborough's school system website and using that instead of Trulia for this, as it appears to be outdated.

subset: commoncrawl


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Location:USA - Austin, TX Job Category:Finance Employment Duration:Full Time # of Openings:1 More and more companies with complex, outsourced networks of suppliers, logistics providers, and distributors lack much needed visibility, collaboration, and control over the6/2/2016 Austin, TX Save This Job
Customer Support San Jose, California Description Intacct?s best-in-class cloud ERP software is driving more than 10,500 midmarket organizations to the highest levels of performance. We empower finance professionals with unsurpassed depth of functionality, real-time financial6/18/2016 San Jose, CA Save This Job
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Well, New York Daily News, The Ticket's a Station, Not a "Show." But Other Than That ...
Yesterday our new New York Times contributor offered eight ways the Dallas Cowboys can win the NFC East tomorrow night, each one a thoughtful, stat-driven how-to. The New York Daily News counters this morning with one of those (yawn) things-we-hate-about lists, which, as you can see, even graces the the back-page cover in this morning's edition. It's all quite slight and very silly and occasionally even complimentary ("Cowboys Stadium is much cooler than MetLife Stadium, and it cost less") and contains at least one point we can all agree on:
4. Jerry Jones is out of control, even for Jerry Jones.
He just won't stop. The megalomaniac owner/GM showed up on the sideline of the Cowboys' game against the Eagles last week, updating the coach on Romo's bruised hand and on out-of-town scores. Jones recently went on a local radio show, "The Ticket," to assure everyone that he has no intention of reducing his role.
For those who missed it earlier in the week, here's Bob and Dan listening to and talking about Norm's interview with Jerry about that "eye-to-eye" sideline visit. Said Jerry: "I did want nothing to drop between the lines communications-wise." Prediction: 38-10 Giants. At half.
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