Project Planning and Design
A successful project can usually be traced back to the effort, care and skill that were applied to its initial planning. Agriteam has developed a methodology in planning and design that is framed by the principles of results-based management (RBM), appreciative inquiry, and capacity building, including:
- inclusion of local expertise
- identifying and building on local successes
- self-assessment practices
- participatory methodologies
We carry out participatory planning in all our projects through an inception phase that includes the development of a project implementation plan. Whenever possible, we include a participatory baseline to ensure that the implementation stage has a solid place from which to measure progress toward results. We plan with the end goal in mind based on our extensive experience in capacity development and systems change.
In Pakistan, we designed the HASP project through a participatory appraisal of the initial project design. This included an examination of the developmental context, gender and capacity analyses, an assessment of environmental issues related to the project and an analysis of business considerations. The design phase involved senior Pakistani government staff working with Canadian and local consultants with hands-on experience of HIV/AIDS programming and social science research issues. A participatory log-frame development workshop involved stakeholders from federal and provincial governments, medical and research institutions, NGOs and development partners to ensure that the project would contribute to the broader sector-wide Enhanced HIV/AIDS Control Program and generate strong local ownership.
In Malawi, the Governance Assistance Project (GAP) design mission team worked collaboratively with multiple stakeholders at very senior levels. Through this process, the team received ideas and suggestions for how to assist the ministries to meet new obligations in imminent government reforms. With these participatory inputs, the project design provided the project ministries with the technical assistance to take charge of designing their own sub-projects with direct funding from the GAP. At the behest of the Government of Malawi, CIDA extended this project in 2007 to provide other line ministries with similar assistance based on the success of the ministries initially supported by GAP.