YOUR INT PROJECT

IDENTIFY YOUR PASSION (BURDEN)IDENTIFY PROJECTIt might be something you are already doingORIt might be a new area you want to get involved in

IDENTIFY

Sections of the Project Document1. Cover Page

2. Table of Contents

3. Executive Summary

4. Introduction

5. Statement of Problem

6. Research

7. Justification

8. Proposed Solution

9. Structure/Platform for Change Project

10. Vision/Mission/ Goal and Objectives

11. Proposed Activities12. Expected Results13. Monitoring/Evaluation14. Strengths and

Innovation15. Resource Mobilization

Plan/ Budget16. Possible Collaborations17. Appendices

1. Cover PageThe cover page for your project document should provide key information such as

1. Title of Project

2. Sphere of Society targeted

3. Name of Oak Seed

4. INT Class: OS-RWA-001-03-2011 5. Submission Date

6. Optional: duration of project

7. Optional: Budget amount

2. Table of Contents

1. If your document is longer than five pages, include a Table of Contents on the next page to help the reader know what to expect, and that you have considered different aspects of project development.

2. If there are several abbreviations or acronyms, they can be listed after this

3. Executive SummaryAn Executive Summary is a summary of the entire

proposal usually written last. The recommended length for the Executive Summary is one page (or

two pages for a larger proposal). Executive Summary are written to help readers determine

whether your project interests them. The Executive Summary should be compelling—an invitation to

read further— and a good overview of the essential elements of the document. A well-written Executive Summary demonstrates that you know what your project is about because you can highlight the key elements. It should include brief descriptions of key

information from each section of the proposal.

4. Introduction• The recommended length for the Introduction is about

1 page and half. The introduction to a project covers two themes: the problem the project intends to address and the credibility /qualifications of the (proposed) organization planning to implement the project in paragraphs following one another.

• Describe the geographical, political, economic context of the problem or issue. An accurate understanding and definition of the problem should lead logically to a description of why the problem is of concern to you or your organization. Describe steps taken in the past by your organization, other NGOs and governments to address the problem. Present achievements as well as pending needs.

5. Statement of Problem/ Research

• This section talks about the specific problem you are trying to address. Convey a sense of urgency. Why should a donor pay attention to the problem you describe? Be thorough but brief.

• Do if possible specific research on the problem, its origins, and root causes, effects in that sphere and how it affects national development. What gap are you trying to fill? Provide up-to-date statistics and the most recent research findings.

5. Statement of Problem /Research

• Present statistics at the international, national, and local levels. Draw on information obtained from your needs assessment (interviews, questionnaires, focus group discussions) if one was conducted. Cite each statistic or finding with a footnote, endnote, or with a parenthetical citation. Show how recent your information is and the credibility of your sources. If the only available statistics seem out-of-date, mention that they are the most recent ones.

6. Proposed Biblical Solution/ Behaviour Theory

• Tie the solution to Biblical principles. This is predicated on the assumption that every problem

has biblical solution. Search the scriptures.• In practice it is called conceptual model/ conceptual

framework - a statement of how the proposed project will achieve the desired results in theory.

Your conceptual model should explain how the interventions being proposed would effect the

desired change based on scripture or otherwise. It clarifies the relationship between the intervention strategies, the expected results and the project goal by demonstrating the theoretical link between them

6. Proposed Biblical Solution/ Behaviour Theory

• E.g. A conceptual model that has been used widely in the field of reproductive health is the Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices (KAP) model. This conceptual framework theorizes that strategies designed to increase knowledge will affect attitudes, which will then lead to positive changes in behavior.

• Other models based on theories of behavior change (for example, the Health Belief Model and the Theory of Reasoned Action) have gained wider acceptance and incorporate the idea that interventions have to do more than increase knowledge in order to change attitudes and behavior, and thus focus on practices and skills development.

6. Proposed Biblical Solution/ Behaviour Theory

• Once you have reviewed the theories of behavior change or other theories that relate to your program area, you will need to determine whether your project is related to any of these. You may decide that one of the theoretical models in the literature is appropriate to inform your own project, or you may decide to develop your own based on scripture.

7. Structure/ Platform fore Project

• What platform will deliver most effectively your national transformation? NGO, Foundation, School, Church, Hospital, Orphanage, Eatery, Business etc

• Give an indication of your proposed organogram including a simple manageable start-up structure.

• Describe your organization and what makes it a good candidate for the proposed project. Do you have the ability to carry out the project successfully?

8. DEFINE YOUR VISION /MISSION

Simply put, a vision is a picture (in words) of a desired or preferred future of your particular sphere of society.

It is a description of where the sphere in the nation, your organization (and you within it) will be some years from now. A vision of success also helps you to establish benchmarks or milestones to indicate whether or not you are meeting your goals and strategic objectives.

While a mission statement is centered around the process of what you need to be doing, a Vision statement is the end result of what you will have done. It is your ‘ideal’.

Vision Questions

1. In five years, what would we be? How would we know we were there?

2. What do we really want to do or create?3. Whom do we really need or want to serve?4. What image, reputation, or influence do we want?5. Imagine and think about a time in the future, You

have accomplished all that is important to you6. What picture do you see in your mind that represents

that accomplishment? 7. Write a newspaper headline reporting on your

accomplishments in the year 2010

Mission Statement Answers Three questions:

• Who are we?• What are we committed to? (business/vision)

• What do we do? ( functions)• Where do we do it?• What do we believe in or stand for? (values)

Crafting a Mission Statement:

Based on the response to the questions and using the Mission verbs, value words, craft the Mission Statement of your project or NGO to read thus:Our NGO (Name of NGO)_________ Mission is to ________, ____________, _________ (3 verbs) through ________ (core values) to, for, with _____________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ (group or cause that moves or excites you)

8b. GOALS, OBJECTIVES, ACTIVITIES

From your vision, zero down on the specific goal of this project you are writing. Why set goals and objectives for a specific period?•Provides guide in planning, implementation and evaluation•It sharpens focus and direct efforts by breaking down your vision/mission •It reinforces self commitment, self planning, self motivation, self supervision, self discipline, self management and self reward•It provides sound basis for the selection or design of approaches and activities •It guides in the organisation of thought line of action

GOALS

•The goal is the desired state OR dream with a dead line•The proposed long range benefits of the program to the selected population, defined in general terms •Describes in broad, non quantified manner, long terms changes that will result from the work on identified problems.

To Identify the GOALS of your Program, Ask Yourself:

•What kind of change would you like your project to contribute to?•What are the specific problems in this area affecting the focus population or sphere?•Which of these problems are feasible for my organization/project to contribute to changing in the next five years? Face the brutal facts.

EXAMPLES OF GOALS• -Improved skills of community leaders to request

accountability from the local governments

• -Improved capacity of young people to make informed choices on matters of sexuality and sexual and reproductive health by promoting and supporting interventions that empower them.

• -Improved enabling policy environment for the implementation of RH and population policies and programs in X District

OBJECTIVES• An objective is the specific, operationalized

statement detailing the desired accomplishment of the project. It is the expected outcome or intermediate result that will lead to the accomplishment of your goal

• Or a series of specific accomplishments designed to address the stated problems and attain the desired/stated goal. An objective is an end point, not a process. It is a description of what will exist at the end of a project

Objectives must be SMART:

• Specific (to an issue/avoid differing interpretations)

• Measurable (to monitor and evaluate progress –quantify, go numerical!)

• Appropriate (to the problem, goal, setting, organization, culture etc)

• Realistic (achievable and not, yet challenging and meaningful)

• Time-bound (Specify time for achievement)

Nehemiah was time-bound

Nehemiah 2:6,76 Then the king said to me (the queen also sitting

beside him), “How long will your journey be? And when will you return?” So it pleased the

king to send me; and I SET HIM A TIME. 7 Furthermore I said to the king, “If it pleases

the king, let letters be given to me for the governors of the region beyond the River, that they must permit me to pass through till I come

to Judah,

To Identify Objectives of Your Project, Ask:

– What changes or intermediate results must happen in the focus population to accomplish this goal?

– Or what outcomes do you want to accomplish under this goal at the end of this 2-5 year period?

– Who do you envision as your target audience for this goal?

– What is the scope you want to embark on to accomplish this goal?

Sample Verbs for Objectives

APPROPRIATE VERBS

• Decrease• Increase• Strengthen• Improve• Enhance

INAPPROPRIATE VERBS

• Train• Provide• Produce• Establish/Create• Conduct

FORMULATING OBJECTIVESThe standard form for an objective is:(Verb Noting Direction Of Change) + (Area of Change) + (Target Population) + (Degree of Change) + time frame.– To reduce the unemployment status of all

nurses and midwives, so that 80% of all trained nurses and midwives are fully employed within six months of graduation.

Examples

• To increase awareness of HIV/AIDS transmission and prevention strategies amongst youth aged 14-25 yrs in Ikota by October 2007

• At the end of the three-year project, increase awareness among national policymakers (legislators and Ministry of Health officials), women’s groups and other non governmental organizations on the consequences and extent of unsafe abortion in Country Z and strategies to address it (emergency contraception, post-abortion care, and safe abortion services).

9. Proposed Activities /Interventions

• The activities are what your project proposes to do to achieve its objectives. The term “activity” generally

refers to a specific task. They are linked to particular objectives. When activities are referred to broadly or when they are grouped together, they are sometimes

called “strategies” or “interventions.”• When devising activities, consider the skills and expertise of your organization/collaborators. Become

familiar with similar past projects to learn from their successes and challenges in carrying out activities. Also list activities by number (this will help you refer to them in other parts of the proposal or in subsequent reports) and in chronological order.

To identify the INTERVENTIONS/ACTIVITES

• Ask yourself– What activities can we carry out that will help lead

to these changes listed in our objectives?

– Why do we think our activities will accomplish these changes?

– What order should these actions/activities follow?

Devising Activities

Be descriptive in the Activities section of the project. For each activity, discuss:•How will it be done or carried out?•Why did you choose these activities?•Who will conduct the activity?•Who are the beneficiaries? Will the beneficiaries/ target be involved in the design, implementation or evaluation of the activity?•How many beneficiaries will be directly involved?•How will you recruit or attract them? How can you maximize their participation in the activity?

Devising Activities

For each activity, discuss:

•When will the activity occur? For how long? What will be the frequency of the activity? (Will it happen once, or will it be repeated?)

•What materials will you need to conduct the activity? Will materials or curricula have to be developed/adapted or do the materials already exist?

•Will your organization collaborate with other organizations to carry out the activity? What will be the role of each organization?

10. DELIVERABLES/EXPECTED RESULTS

• Deliverables or expected results are changes that will occur in that sphere as a result of your interventions

• They are your objectives rephrased as actual outcomes

• Be specific, about ¼ to half page• These must be realistic• List them in bullet points

11. Monitoring and Evaluation

• This section provides details on how the effects of the intervention will be measured. A well-designed monitoring and evaluation plan will enable project staff to understand how the project is functioning and to make programmatic decisions throughout the life of the project. The monitoring and evaluation section should answer the following questions:– What indicators will be measured? – Where will the information or data come from?– Who will collect the data?– How and how often will data be collected?– How and how often will reporting occur?

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Monitoring is the routine process of checking and measuring progress toward the NGO’s program objectives.

• Evaluation is the use of special studies to measure the extent to which desired changes in NGO’s target community outcomes can be linked to the NGO’s activities or interventions.

What to monitor and evaluate• Inputs: Resources used to carry out project activities

(e.g., funds, hired labor)• Process: Activities and operations (e.g., advocacy

events, town hall meetings).• Outputs: Are the measurable items produced by a

project (e.g., number of school facilities renovated, Advocacy visits)

• Outcomes: Immediate or short-term consequences of a program or project (e.g., no of new women using health facility, no of girls completing primary education).

• Impact/Performance: Long-term consequences of a program or project (e.g., reduction in infant mortality rate, corruption in community)

Selecting Indicators

• An indicator is a measurable statement/ evidence of accomplishment of program objectives and activities

• Indicators are descriptions expressed as counts as percentages, Ratios, Proportions, Rates or Averages

• A program may have single indicators or multiple indicators –process, design, outcome indicators

12. Strengths and Innovations

–The recommended length for this section is half a page.

–It answers the question: Why unique?

• Reiterate what is innovative or interesting about your project, what sets it apart from other projects. Talk about the innovative features in the project design, in the process of conducting the project, or in the programmatic elements.

13. Budget/ Resources

• The Budget section should include costs for personnel, materials, equipment, and activities mentioned in the proposal.

• The Budget, presented in a table, should be accompanied by narrative Budget Notes on a separate page.

• The Budget relates directly to the Activities described in the proposal.

• Budget categories may include salaries, training, equipment supply, administration, travel etc

Resource Mobilization

Resources could be in terms• Money • Material• Human• Technology• Equipment, furniture and furnishing• Motor Vehicle• Infrastructure

14. Possible Collaborations

• Name other organizations (that is, collaborators) that will participate in the project, if any. Many donors are interested in funding collaborations, in order to draw on the expertise of various organizations, scale up programs, and obtain a greater return on their investment. If you plan to collaborate with another group, how will you collaborate?

• Describe your previous involvement with other groups.

15. Appendices: ACTION PLANS

• Action Plans are detailed descriptions of the bundle of activities that will take place, in sequential order, to achieve a specific strategic objective and the resources, especially monetary, that will be required to undertake them.

CONTENTS OF THE ACTION PLAN

• A detailed, well-articulated action plan should show not only specific activities, but also:

✔ Time frame for completion

✔ Persons responsible

✔ Resources needed

✔ Expected outcomes or results

✔ Indicators for monitoring and evaluating and documenting results

Sample Work Plan/Grant Chart

EXAMPLES OF PIONEER CLASS INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS

• PATRIOTISM: A proposal for the Development of a National Patriotism Program in Uganda (Ketty Lamaro)

• Breaking the Cycle of Poverty: Jatropha The Wonder Plant (Betty Muvuma)

• Pensions for National Development (Moses Segawa)

• Kikaatsi Valley Dam Project (Allen Kagina)

EXAMPLES OF PIONEER CLASS INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS

• Prayer Mobilisation for National Transformation by 2035 (Ronnie Bosa)

• Solid Waste Management in Kampala (Juliet Koreny)

• Dream Shuttle, Kampala’s Rapid Transit Service Operator (Peter Ben Hur Nyeko)

• Improving Household Incomes of Rural Women in Sapiri Parish Budaka District (James Kisaale)

EXAMPLES OF PIONEER CLASS GROUP PROJECTS

• POLITICS: MOBILISING NATIONAL LEADERS IN THE 3 ARMS OF GOVERNMENT FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• BUSINESS: BAOBAB FUND