How to plan EC-funded projects

How to Plan Projects Funded
by the European Commission?
Inka Píbilová
inka@evaluace.com
4 June 2013
1

Managing (not only EC) Projects
Programming
Identification
FormulationFinancing
Implementation
Evaluation
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/qsm/index_en.htm
Aid Delivery Methods PCM - Project Approach Guidelines
2

Non-State Actors Local Authorities
Migration and asylum
Investing in people
Food security
The Environment and natural resources
EC Financing Mechanisms - What are the options for CSOs?
Nuclear Safety
European Instrument for Democracy & Human Rights
Instrument for Stability3

(IPA)
http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/thefunds/ipa/index_en.cfm 4

Geographic Instrument - ENPI
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/overview/index_en.htm5

Geographic Instrument - EDF
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/edf_en.htm
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/acp/country-cooperation/index_en.htm
http://www.eurosurveillance.org/images/dynamic/EE/V16N29/Gossner_Fig1.jpg
ACP
6

Geographic Instrument - DCI
Latin America, Asia and Central
Asia, the Gulf region (Iran, Iraq
and Yemen) and South Africa.
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/dci_en.htm 7

How successful were V4 CSOs in getting EC grants in 2007 – 2010?
The Involvement of Development NGOs from Visegrad Countries in the Financial Instruments of the EC
http://fors.cz/user_files/dokumenty/v4verzeweb.pdf 8

How many EC grants did V4 CSOs get per year in 2007 – 2010?

In which sectors (per OECD/DAC) did V4 CSOs get EC grants?

In which regions did V4 CSOs get EC grants?

In which regions did V4 CSOs get EC grants?
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/where/neighbourhood/regional-cooperation/enpi-
east/documents/annual_programmes/tacis_success_story_final_en.pdf
12

What are some other opportuntities in the EC financing?
http://fors.cz/user_files/dokumenty/v4verzeweb.pdf
Possibility to work with
other V4 entities
on contracts !
13

How many V4 CSOs received EC funding for humanitarian aid?
ECHO http://ec.europa.eu/echo/partners/humanitarian_aid/fpa_int_en.htm
14

In which sectors have V4 CSOs provided EC humanitarian aid?
15

In which regions have V4 CSOs provided EC humanitarian aid?
Contact VOICES!
http://www.ngovoice.org
ADRA Czech, PIN...
16

Non-State Actors Local Authorities
Migration and asylum
Investing in people
Food security
The Environment and natural resources
What was the application success rate in 2012?
Nuclear Safety
European Instrument for Democracy & Human Rights
Instrument for Stability
0-11%
global, 0-55%
local
7-23% global
0-10% local
2%
0-4%
0-2%
2% global,
0-29% local
?
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/funding/index_en.htm
?
17

So.... Why (not) to apply for EC funding?
Why to apply
• Match with own priorities
• Learn from experienced
partners, with shared vision and
approach, complementary SWOT.
• Improve own systems and
processes
• Receive additional funding
• Get more visibility and references
• Sufficient capacities
• Reasonable risks and sustainability
• Reasonable success rate expected
– Experienced lead agency
– No similar action
Why not to apply
• Mismatch with own priorities
• Lack of experience with institutional
donors
• Lack of human / financial resources
– Previous turnover, co-funding...
• High administrative burden
• Unstable partnership
– No previous cooperation
– Unfair relations
– Strategic changes
• Risk of funding loss
– non-complience (EC audits)
– non-functioning partnerships
• More promising alternatives
18

How to check relevance and get ready? - key documents
• EC Budget / Financial Regulations
• Offical EC Communications
• Country / Sector Strategy Papers, other national strategic documents
• Previous projects, reports of other CSOs / actors
• Annual Action Programme & Action Fiches
• Annual Work Programmes
• Calls (Guidelines, Applications, Results, Forecasts)
• Grant Contracts, General Conditions, Annexes, Plan/Schedule/Report Templates
• Guidelines/FAQs, PRAG, CONCORD Reader
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/work/funding/index_en.htm
CONCORD Europe, FDR - Financing for Development and Relief
Follow CONCORD – FDR, VOICES, national platforms!
Do not wait for calls, plan ahead!
19

EC DevCo – Who and what was successful? What is planned?
Forecasts, Applicatio
n Statistics!
20

What is expected in NSA LA Call Objective 2 on 16/9/2013?
NSA
Lot1: Global Learning projects within
formal education
Lot2: Global Learning projects outside of
the formal education system
Lot3: Campaigning and Advocacy
projects
LA
Lot 4: Global Learning projects within
and outside of the formal education
system, and Campaigning and Advocacy
projects
Key Changes (some under negotiation) ! ! !
3 – 5 mil. budget per project
Min. 15 partner countries in ALL Lots
Unlimited subgranting
Electronic submission via PROSPECT
22

Development
Cooperation Instrument
(DCI)
•Proposed funding: € 14 billion
•19 countries in Asia and Latin
America not to benefit from
bilateral aid anymore
•Pan African programme to
support the Joint Africa-EU
Strategy
European Development
Fund (EDF)
•Proposed funding: € 34.2
billion
• From 6 to 7 years programme
•Some countries will receive
less funds that under 10th
EDF
•Intra ACP share remains same
European
Neighbourhood
Instrument (ENI)
•Proposed funding: € 18.2
billion
•16 countries covered
•Principle of « more for more »
and mutual accountability
•From 29 thematic priorities to
6 objectives
•Bilateral, multi-country and
cross border cooperation
programmes
• Alignement to National Development Plans
• 3 priority sectors for EU intervention
• Multi-annual Indicative Programmes (MIPs)
• Common Implementing Rules (CIR)
What geographic programmes are expected after 2014?
CONCORD Europe - FDR 23

CSO-LA instrument
DCI
• Regions: all third
countries
• Proposed budget: € 2
billion
• Complementarity to
geographic funding BUT
will not subsitute
graduated countries
Global Public Good &
Challenges
DCI
countries
• Proposed budget:€ 6.3
billion
• Scope: human
development, environmen
t, energy, food security &
agriculture, migration
• EC will not launch a CfP
per sector anymore
• EC wants policy alliances
with partner countries to
make sustainable changes
in a holistic manner
EIDHR
countries
• Proposed budget: € 1.6
billion
• Facility for human rights in
situation of crisis
(Emergency situations)
• Early warning
(new), temporary
relocation & legal support
• Networking, coordination,
capacity building &
support to national HR
institutes
CONCORD Europe - FDR
What thematic programmes are expected after 2014?
24

Decided! . . . How to assess the project relevance?
Programming
Identification
Implementation
Evaluation
25

Stakeholder Analysis
http://www.europa.eu.int/comm/europeaid/qsm/index_en.htm 26

Stakeholder Analysis Matrix
Example: River Pollution

Stakeholder Analysis – Power / Interest / AttitudeInfluence
/Power
KEEP SATISFIED INFLUENCE & ENGAGE
KEEP INFORMEDMONITOR
Interest
Industry X
Households
Fischermen
Attitude
28

Problem Tree

How to formulate the project proposal?
Programming
Identification
Implementation
Evaluation
30

Objective Tree

Strategy selection and logframe development

Why, when and how to use logical framework (logframe)?
Problem Analysis and Objective Setting
• Analysis of causes and effects / prioritisation
• Shows relevance to policies / context
• Checks risks and accountability for results
• Establishes measurement systém and data collection
Implementation
• Provides framework for Results Oriented monitoring
Evaluation
• Provides framework for evaluation as per OECD/DAC criteria
33

How to develop the logical framework (logframe)?

How to write objectives?

Quantitative - SMARTER
Specific / Simple (to understand, collect)
Measurable
Attainable/Available at cceptable costs
Relevant to project / stakeholders
Time-bound
Evaluate/Engaging
Reevaluate/Recordable
Use both quantitative and qualitative indicators
http://www.smarttoolkit.net/?q=node/391
Qualitative - SPICED
Subjective
Participatory
Interpreted and communicable
Cross-checked and compared
Empowering
Diverse / disaggregated (by gender)
Compare using trends (increase), thresholds (min. 30%), targets (strategy by 12/Y1)
Min. 30 % of teachers include fairtrade in
their standard curriculum within 1 year of
training completion.
Reasons why teachers have (not)
implemented fairtrade in their standard
curriculum (by school, experience...).
36

Keep data collection simple and triangulate sources / methods!
BOND papers - examples of indicators and data collection methods per sector!
http://my.bond.org.uk/impact-builder/background-papers
BOND Impact Builder (interactive) http://my.bond.org.uk/impact-builder
Check UNICEF, WHO, ILO... 37

Example of a logical framework (logframe)
38

Objectives and logical framework – issues and tips
Issues observed:
• Logical frameworks too complicated, too many objectives / indicators
• Too ambitious and/or too vague objectives
• Indicators difficult to measure / data not collected or difficult to collect
• Logframe not used for internal monitoring / evaluation and decision
making
Some more tips:
• Numbering Objectives (1,2), Results (1.1., 1.2., ...), Activities
(1.1.1., 1.1.2.)
• Check source of verification – how will data be collected, by
whom, when/how regularly?
39

Risks Analysis
Assump-
tions in
logframe
40

How to set-up and develop consortium and project management
• Lead agency should be experienced in the EC
management, financially strong, with similar approach and
vision
• Some partners should be experts in the subject
• Check references of partners
• The project should have a wide impact (e.g. NSALA Obj 2 –
min. 15 countries, 3-5 mil. EUR budget)
• Coordination needs time, mainly at the beginning
• Clear role devision per activity/result, adequate resources
• Know your rights and responsibilities even as partners, do not
rely on the lead agency (EC conditions, templates, PRAG... e.g.
request the full application incl. budget and all reports)
• Actively engage in project and financial management to
prevent any crises
41

Activity schedule with tasks and responsibilities
43

Critical Path – What can cause delays?
START END
Public Survey
Manual
Volunteers´
Training
Train the Trainer
Workshop
Campaign
Result 1
Result 2
Result
/ Activity
Year 1
Months
Year 2
Months
Year 3
Months
1.1. Campaigning
1.1.1 Public Survey
1.1.2. Training
1.1.3. Campaign
1.2. Teachers´Capacity Building
1.2.1. Manual
1.2.2. TTT Workshop
1.2.3. Workshops for Students
Workshops for
students 3 paths
44

Prepare budget per activity and partner
Chapter
/ Budget item
No. of
activity
Partner Unit Unit
rate
No of
units
Total
1. HR
1.2. Coordinator
• Do not use lump sumps!
• Check that activities are backed with sufficient resources
• Check who is responsible for which activity and its budget
• Check overheads (all 7%?, only lead agency?, otherwise?)
• Check co-financing (all per budget split?, joint
proposals?, what if one does not manage?
• Check resource schedule –What if activities are delayed?
What if EC delays payment? Can you self-finance it? Can your
lead agency pre-finance you? – include it in your MoU 45

Plan for sustainability!
Risks
Sustainability
• Financial /
Economic
• Institutional
• Policy /
Political
• Environmental
• Technical
• Social
• ....
46

Plan for sustainability!
Issues observed:
• Projects are often unsustainable – relying on subsequent funding. There
is hardly any co-funding by target groups, no planned handover,
sustainable communication/mechanisms etc.
• Budget and staff reduction affects continuation.
• Sustainability may be undermined by other, more urgent causes.
Some tips:
• Set up the sustainability plan from the beginning! (and adjust it on the
way)
• Involve stakeholders in decision making from the very beginning to
increase their ownership (e.g. set-up mechanisms within existing
structures, that are more likely to sustain after funding ceases)
• Involve target groups/beneficiaries financially and/or nonfinancially (co-
funding of wells, contribution of land / workforce...)
• Use diverse resources and in-kind contributions, e.g. volunteers
47

Evaluation terminology
Relevance – the project meets demonstrated, high priority needs
– Selection of the geographical area / topics / target groups... is in line with the
stakeholder analysis and (their) needs and as well as with the priorities of the EC
and the partner country.
– The project is complementary to any existing initiatives (for example, it brings
a missing element, or a new approach etc.).
– Use the same terms as in the call!
Feasibility – expected efficiency, effectiveness and impact of the project prior to the start
of implementation seems high, project will provide sustainable benefits to target groups
– The proposed activities are likely to produce the expected results, the results are
likely to produce the effects / impacts (reach the objectives)
– Alternative approaches/activities have been considered and the proposed project
design seems to be most efficient (taking into account time, funds, other resources)
and effective
Coherence – the project design reflects the problem analysis, stakeholders, external factors
– For high priority needs there are adequate results/activities
– Key stakeholders are involved adequately in key result areas/activities
– Assumptions and risks match the above
– Budget reflects the activities, number of outputs planned etc.
49

What does participation mean?
50

Evaluation of an EC concept note
https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/europeaid/
52

Evaluation of a full EC application
53

54

55

Got the funds?
Programming
Identification
Implementation
Evaluation
56

What is the difference between monitoring, evaluation, audit?
Evaluation
• Assessment of project efficiency, effectiveness, impact, relevance and
sustainability for the purpose of learning and accountability to stakeholders
Monitoring
• Ongoing analysis of project progress towards achieving planned results with
the purpose of improving management decision making
Audit
• Assessment of (i) the legality and regularity of project expenditure and
income i.e. compliance with laws and regulations and with applicable
contractual rules and criteria; (ii) whether project funds have been used
efficiently and economically i.e. in accordance with sound financial
management;; and (iii) whether project funds have been used effectively i.e.
for purposes intended.
• Primarily a financial and financial management focus, with the focus of
effectiveness being on project results.
57

How to develop a planning, monitoring and evaluation system?
1. Clarify project scope – stakeholders, institutional capacity,
logframe and resources
2. Understand the nature of organizational relationships,
management arrangements and capacity constraints
3. Determine the information needs of project implementers and
other key stakeholders (Who? What? When? Link to logframe?)
4. Review existing information collection systems and procedures
5. As appropriate, develop and document monitoring system
guidelines and formats
6. Provide training and resources to support systems development
and implementation
58

Why to have a proper planning, monitoring and evaluation system?
• Timely identification of successes and problems during project
implementation
• Informed and timely decision making by project managers to support
implementation
• Accountability for the resources used and results achieved
• Stakeholder awareness and participation
• The evaluation of project achievements and audit of activities and finances
Tips:
• Keep the users of information clearly in mind (who needs what information?)
• Build on local information systems and sources - costs and sustainability of
new systems!
• Collect only the minimum amount of information required – keep it simple
and practical, more information is not better information!
• Triangulate sources/ stakeholders, methods
• Use Inception reports when team differs from the proposal writters, or when
time passed by between identification and grants approval... Inception report
is done usually 3 months after project start, revises original project proposal -
updates logframe, sets annual action plan and monitoring plan
59

What is the difference between monitoring, evaluation, audit?
60
Document
success stories!

Use logframe to prepare Monitoring Plans
Year 1
Indicator / Country
CZ PL SK Total Note
15.000 copies of publications
distributed (5.000 each)
90% 110% 100% 100% Achieved
120 teachers trained (40 each) 45 40 35 120 Achieved
Min. 50% of teachers implement the
new tools within 6 months
60% 40% 30% 40% Not
achieved
• Use indicators from the logframe
• Split by year and partner
• Use plan vs. actual, % or trends over time
• Develop adequate sources of verification
• Distribution lists
• Attendance sheets with contacts!
• On-line feedback forms after 6 months (combined with
supervision of teachers)
• Media monitoring, public surveys...
61

Monitoring Visit Checklist

Monitoring Progress Report (Narrative)

Monitoring – Other tools
Shops at www.nazemi.cz Forms at docs.google.com Geolocation at www.googlemaps.com64

Regular reviews with partners

EC Results Oriented Monitoring
1. Relevance and quality of design
1.1 What is the relevance of this project?
• Are the general objectives and the specific objective coherent with the policies of the
Government partner and do they support them?
• Do these objectives support the development and cooperation European strategies from
the specific sector (considering in particular the Country Strategy Document
(DEP)/National Indicative Plan (PIN); the Paris Declaration; the Aid Efficacy European
Agenda)? ?
• Is the project still responding to the needs of the target groups?
1.2 In the current design, is the intervention logic still valid?
• Is there a logic framework or a similar tool? Which is its current quality? (Does it clearly
reflect how the activities will lead to achieving the results and the impact?). Why not?
• Are the general objectives, the specific objective and the results clear and logical and do
they clearly lead to the identified needs?
• Is it possible to achieve the speciic objective in the project's framework?
• Are there adequate and clear objectively measurable indicators? Are those SMART:
Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and illimited in Time?
• Are the planned activities, products and direct effects suitable for achieving the specific
objective ?
• Are the risks and hypothesis valid? Is there any disposition for risks management?
• Is it part of the sustainability design, in other words, is there an exit or transfer strategy?
B
66

EC Results Oriented Monitoring B
1.3 Do all the actors sufficiently support the current design?
• Have the key actors been involved in the designing process?
• Have the coordination, management and financing schemes been clearly defined? Do
they foment the institutional strengthening and the local appropriation?
• Do the project's partners clearly understand the sustainability strategy (transfer strategy
to the partners)?
• Do the project's partner clearly understand the general objectives (OG) and the specific
objective (OE)?
• Are the chronogramme and/or the activities realistic in accordance to the actors
capacities?
• If appropriate, how was the project's design adapted for improving its relevance? From a
contractual point of view, was it reflected in a simple and direct manner?
1.4 Are the transversal aspects in the current design adequately considered?
• Have the key transversal question, such as environment, gender, human rights and
governance, donors coordination or others, been adequately integrated to the project's
design?
67

2. Effectiveness
2.1 How are the availability and use of the media and inputs managed?
• Up to which point the inputs are put to disposal/supplied in time for the execution of the
activities between all the parties involved?
• Up to which point are the inputs provided/supplied at the cost expected (or lower than
expected) to the parties involved?
• Is there a regular assessment of the inputs for encouraging a cost-effective execution of
the activities? Who carries out the assessment?
• Are the project’s resources managed in a transparent and responsible manner?
• Are the contractual procedures clearly understood? Do they facilitate the project’s
execution?
2.2 How is the activities execution managed?
• Is the logic framework or any similar tool used as a management instrument? If not,
why?
• Is there an activity and resources calendar (or work plan)? Is it used for managing the
project or any other relevant agent?
• Up to which point are the activities executed in accordance with what was planned? In
case of delays, could they be corrected?
• Are there any committed or spent funds in accordance with the execution calendar? If
not, why?
68

• How are the project’s activities assessed? If necessary are there any corrective
measures?
• If necessary, how flexible is the project for being adapted to the changing needs?
• If necessary, how is the project coordinated with other similar interventions for
fomenting synergies and avoid duplications?
2.3 How are the products being achieved?
• Have the products been handed in on time and in a logical sequence?
• To this day, what is the quality of the products?
• Is it possible for the products achieved to contribute to the expected results?
• Are they properly reflected in the IOV/goals?
2.4 How is the partners’ contribution and involvement?
• Do the inter-institutional structures, for example the assessment committees or
assessment systems, allow an efficient execution of the project?
• Were all the partners capable of realising the financial and/or human resources
contributions?
• Is there good communication between the managers of the country partner, the
Delegation of the European Commission and the project’s management?
69

3. Efficiency until Now
3.1 How does the project achieve the expected results?
• Until now, have the expected results been achieved?
• Are the IOV/specific object goals appropriate? Are they being compared?
• What is the quality of the results/services available?
• Have all the target groups, until now, had access and used the available results?
• Are there any factors that prevent the target groups from having access to the
results/services?
3.2 Until now, in accordance with the execution, what is the probability of achieving the
specific objective?
• In which way has the project been adapted or can be adapted to the changing external
conditions (risks and hypotheses) for ensuring benefits to the target groups?
• In case of unexpected negative effects on the target groups or if there is a possibility that
they could occur in the project, to what point were appropriate steps taken by project
management?
• How do the unexpected positive effects contribute to the results generated/services
available?
70

4. Impact prospects
4.1 What is the project’s direct impact perspective on the general objective?
• Which impacts, if any, are already obvious?
• Which impacts seem probable?
• Are they the current IOV/realistic goals? What is the probability of achieving them?
• Are there any external factors that could put at risk the project’s direct impact?
4.2 How has the project or will it have any positive and/or negative impacts, whether
environmental, social, cultural, gender or economic?
• Has there been/will there be any positive unexpected impacts on the planned target
groups or other project’s non target communities? How has it affected the impact?
• Has the project taken any measures in time for mitigating the unexpected negative
impacts? What was the result?
• Is there any coherence, complementarity and coordination between the donors? Does
this have any indirect impact over the project?
Check Results Oriented Monitoring Website of the EC
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/ensure-aid-effectiveness/monitoring-results_en.htm
71

5. Potential sustainability
5.1 Financial and economic viability
• If the services have to be institutionally supported is it possible that the funds should be
released? If this is the case, by whom?
• Once the project finished, are the services/results accessible to the target groups?
• If the economic factors change can the benefits be maintained (ex. raw materials prices,
exchange rate, etc.)?
• Are the beneficiaries or relevant authorities/institutions capable of guaranteeing the
maintenance or substitution of technologies/services introduced by the project?
• Is there any economic/financial exit strategy? If this the case, what are the probabilities
that it will be carried out?
5.2 What is the project’s appropriation level by some of the targets groups? Will this
continue after the end of the external support?
• How much is the project inserted in the local structures?
• How have the target groups and possibly other relevant groups of interest or actors been
involved in the planning and the execution process?
• How actively are the relevant target groups involved in the decision taking regarding the
orientation and execution of the project?
• "How probable is the use of the relevant results by the target groups?"
• Do the target group got any plan for giving continuity to the benefits? If this is the case,
will they possibly achieve them?
72

5.3 What is the level of political support to the project? What is the level of interaction
between the project and the political level?
• What support have the relevant national, sectorial and budget policies given?
• Did the policy and priority changes affect the project? How is the project adapting to the
changes regarding the long-term support needs?
• Is there a possibility for a political or private sector to continue once the project is
finished?
5.4 How is the project contributing to the institutional and management capacity?
• To which point is the project inserted in the institutional structures that will probably
survive beyond the project’s life?
• Are the project’s partners trained in technical, financial and management terms for
continuing with the benefits/services of the project?
• Will there be an adequate level of appropriate and qualified human resources available
for continuing with the project’s benefits?
• Are the relations with the new or the existing institutions good? Are there any plans to
giving continuity to some or all of the project’s activities?
73

Wait.... are we actually making a difference?
Programming
Identification
Implementation
Evaluation
74

Plan external evaluation well aheadTermsofReference–Objectives,
scope,stakeholders,questions,
budget,schedule,outputs,use.
Desk study
Interviews
Surveys
Focus groups
Case studies
Preliminaryfindings&conclusions
Final
debriefing
of all partners
Communication with the Project Partners
Draft evaluation
report
commented by
all partners
Finalevaluationreport
Inception
phase
1-3 months
Field
research
1-3 months
Reporting
phase
1-2 months
Initialbriefingandinception
Evaluator
Selection
75

How to measure learning outcomes?
http://leanlearning.wikispaces.com/learning_analytics 76

Links
• EC - Non-state actors and local authorities in development
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/dci/non_state_actors_en.htm
• Forecasted NSALA calls
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/dci/documents/2011-2013_-
_calls_for_proposals_forecast_-_objective_1_in-country_en.pdf
• NSALA Eligibility
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/documents/non-state-
actors/frequently_asked_questions_en.pdf
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/how/finance/documents/non-state-actors/dci_en.pdf
(Article 24)
Check relevant calls and action fiches
• CONCORD Europe
http://www.concordeurope.org/111-reader-2012
• PRAG
http://ec.europa.eu/europeaid/prag/document.do?locale=en
• EPDET – European Program for Development Evaluation
http://www.dww.cz/index.php?page=epdet
• RISC: How do we know it is working? (for measuring learning outcomes / attitudinal
change of students)
77

Good luck!
Inka Píbilová
inka@evaluace.com
78

How to plan EC-funded projects

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