Wednesday, January 6, 2016
Friday, December 11, 2015
PhD Graduation Ceremony at Chimwaga.
Friday, March 27, 2015
PRIORITIZING THE POST-2015 MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A CONSENSUS RESEARCH
PARTICIPANTS OF UNIVERSITY YOUTH FORUM-THE POST 2015 CONSENSUS
ME 321 SEMINAR QUESTIONS
ASSIGNMENT 1 ME 321
Course Outline ME 321
Saturday, January 18, 2014
ME 212 TIMED TEST QUESTIONS
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND POLICY STUDIES
ME 212: Educational Planning
TIMED TEST I: 24th DECEMBER, 2013
1. (a) Theories are essential components of educational planning and therefore are imperative for establishment of social justice in educational planning. Discuss.
(b) Explain the following concepts which show a linkage between theories and practice in educational planning:
i) A dualities approach
ii) A critical contrastive approach
iii) Power analysis approach
2. “Incremental approach to policy making and for education planning relies on the interaction rather than on a complete analysis of the education sector to develop a blue-print for solving educational problems”. Discuss the assumptions underlying the incremental policy making in education policy-planning process.
3. “Economic planning and development is an offshoot of educational planning, whereas success of education planning depends on the level of the economy of a country”. Authenticate the inevitability of this mutualism.
4. Critically discuss the ‘Hunter’s Study Approach’ in favour of high-level manpower requirements for future economic needs in East African countries. Which options in educational planning, do you think could be feasible under augmented unemployment rate in Tanzania?
NOTE:
Only one question will be randomly picked from the four alternatives above.
SEMINAR QUESTIONS FOR ME 212
Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies
ME 212: Educational Planning
Seminar Questions 2013/2014
Lectures: Tuesdays, 10:00-12:00 Hrs
Seminars: Tuesdays, 12:00-13:00 Hrs
1. a) What does it mean when we discuss a planning theory as:
i. Theory of education planning,
ii. Theory for education planning,
iii. Theory in education planning.
b) What are the major differences between normative theory and positive theory in education planning?
c) Differentiate between procedural normative theory and definitional normative theory for education planning.
d) “Secondary education should be free to all capable students to relieve poor families from tuition fees and to create equity among Tanzanians”. Since equity policy is an issue of fairness and goes beyond equality; what type of planning theory would you apply to justify the equity policy?
2. a) Explain the necessity and the inevitability of education policy in education planning.
b) Discuss the seven models of policy making which can and ought to be used in education planning process.
c) Explain the main differences between Lindblom-Cohen Approach and Allison model of policy making.
3. a) What is education planning?
b) Explain the characteristics of plans and planning process.
c) Differentiate between advocacy planning and radical planning.
4. a) Describe the main features of education planning that preceded World War II in Europe.
b) Explain the episodes in the development of education planning under the following phases:
i. Reconstruction phase
ii. Manpower shortage phase
iii. Rampant expansion phase
iv. The innovation phase
c) “Tobias survey is a landmark in manpower surveying in Tanzania, because it is the first systematic record of high-level manpower by broad occupational classes, showing the present manpower resources and providing projections of manpower requirements in the different categories within broad classes” (Skorov, 1966). Discuss the weaknesses and strengths of Tobias survey with regard to education planning in Tanzania.
5. Discuss the post-Arusha development planning up to the reform period 1986-2002.
6. a) Discuss the following as basic aspects in educational planning process:
i. knowledge skills
ii. social skills
iii. empowerment
b) Explain the difference between macro and meso planning.
c) Discuss the macroeconomic effects to educational planning.
7. Discuss the tree fundamental reasons that are advanced to justify the inclusion of education in national development planning.
8. a) Discuss the four major functions of educational planning.
b) Explain the differences between strategic planning model and systems planning model.
9. a) Discuss the following aspects of sector analysis:
i. Macro-economic and socio-demographic frameworks;
ii. Access to and participation in education;
iii. Quality of education;
iv. External efficiency;
b) Calculate the access to primary education indicator for Dodoma region given that the Grade I school-aged children in Dodoma region is 75,867 for 2013 while all primary schools in Dodoma region can only enroll 53,024 students for the same year?
c) Calculate Gross Enrolment Ratio for Grade I intake given that, Grade I enrolment was 655,800 in the year 2011, and was 690,756 in 2012.
10. Critically discuss the following approaches to education planning:
a) Human Resources Development Approach,
b) Social Demand Approach,
c) Manpower Requirement Approach,
d) Cost-Benefit and Cost-Effectiveness Approaches.
11. i) Access to education can be defined as the extent to which the school-age population is able to access the first grade of a particular level or cycle of education. Taking this definition as your focal point of analysis, discuss the following indicators of access to education:
a) The apparent intake rate;
b) The net intake rate;
c) The transition rate; and
d) The registration rate
ii. Using clear examples, explain how each of these indicators can be calculated.
12. a) Globalization is a flow of technology, economy, knowledge, people, values and ideas and it is also known as mobility in many forms such as information, knowledge, people and employment (Carnoy, 1999; Hirst and Thompson, 1999). This understanding of globalization implies that education as a phenomenon is embedded in teenagers’ life and so it is indissoluble from education systems planning. Substantiate.
b) Though found in children of primary school-age, HIV/AIDS cases are comparatively rare in children in the 5-14 age groups; this age group is referred to as the “Window of Hope”. They are the young people who are least likely to be HIV-infected (Kelly, 2000).
i. Explain the roles of ministry of education in planning for prevention education that is more likely to mitigate the HIV scourge among school-aged children.
ii. What are the roles of teachers as planners in implementing prevention education against HIV plague among school-aged children?
Friday, January 17, 2014
PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS
School of Educational Studies
Department of Educational Management and Policy Studies
PO 305: PUBLIC POLICY ANALYSIS
Timed Test 1: Wednesday 22nd January, 2014: (Time 07:00-08:00 Hours)
INSTRUCTIONS
i. Only one question will be attempted from the four alternatives provided
ii. The instructor has discretion and mandate of making his own selection among the given alternatives.
ALTERNATIVE QUESTIONS
1. With brief and precise notes, discuss the nature and categories of public policy for which a public policy analyst is compelled to understand.
2. Critically and with supporting examples, elucidate the major reasons as to why you should engage and study Public Policy Analysis.
3. Taking into account the social environment prior to liberalization of socio-economic systems in Tanzania, briefly discuss the social conditions (causes for the formation and consequences) that surrounded Structural Adjustment Policy (SAP).
4. Reflecting on recent discovery of huge deposits of offshore natural gases on South-East coast of Tanzania and the subsequent formulation of policy for natural gases and petroleum products, discuss the main actors towards this policy formation, its main contents and the likely consequences on the lives of affected people.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Conducting a Classroom Walk-through Using Google Docs Forms
Thanks to everyone who came to my sessions at the Differentiated Instruction Administrator Summit sponsored by Staff Development for Educators. In a time where tablets are becoming popular, conducting classroom walk-throughs is an extremely practical use of collecting and organizing data.
As promised, this post gives the steps for creating a walk-through form using Google Docs and then getting that walk-through form onto your tablet.
1. Design your walk-through form on paper. You may wish to begin with a paper form you are already using. Only after you have thought through how you want the form to look should you go to the computer.
2. Log into your Google account and go to docs.google.com. You will see a list of all of the Google Docs you have already created.
3. Click “Create New” and choose “Spreadsheet.”
4. In Row 1 enter each of the questions that will go on the form. (Examples: Teacher name, Subject, Resources Being used, Objective/Essential question posted?, Student activity, Number of students not actively engaged, Teacher activity, Level of questioning, Overall comments). Press the tab key to go from column to column. Note: You do NOT need to have a column for the date. The date and time of the walk-through will automatically be gathered for you.
5. From the “Tools” menu, choose “Form” and “Create a form.” You will now see a form with your column heading already listed. Below each item will be a short blank where you could enter a response.
6. While some fields lend themselves well to a short answer, for others, a drop-down list, series of check-boxes, paragraph text box, etc. will be a better fit. As you move the mouse down the page, each item will turn a beige color and display a series of icons to the right. Click the pencil icon to decide what type of response you want and create you list of checkboxes, items on drop-down list, etc.
7. Each question will display a “make this a required question” checkbox. It is a good idea to check this box. That will keep you from overlooking an item. Click “Done when you have finished editing that item.
8. At the top of the form is a button called “Theme.” Click it, and you can choose from an array of attractive looks for your form.
9. At the very bottom of the form, you will see “You can view the published form here” followed by a rather long URL. This is a very important step! Highlight and copy that link.
10. By this time, Google Docs has probably prompted you to save the spreadsheet. If not, click “Save.”
11. Now we want to get this form on your BlackBerry PlayBook, iPad or other tablet device you will be using in the walk-throughs. You can also use the form with a Smartphone, although the size may be too small for you to use comfortably.
12. Open a new e-mail on your computer, paste the link from the bottom of the Google Docs form in the body, and address the e-mail to yourself. Send the e-mail.
13. Go to your PlayBook, iPad, or other tablet. Check your e-mail, looking for the one you sent to yourself.
14. Open the e-mail, and click the link. You should now be looking at your walk-through form.
15. Your tablet should offer you a way to save an URL as a “shortcut” on your home screen. For example, on the PlayBook, you will tap the hollow star and choose “Add to Home Screen.” You have now created an app for the walk-through form.
If you also wish to have the form on your Smartphone, you will repeat the process on that device. Check your e-mail on the Smartphone and open the one containing the link to the walk-through form. Click the link to display the form. Now turn that URL into a desktop shortcut. How this is done will vary from one Smartphone to the next. For example, on a BlackBerry running OS6, click the icon just to the right of the URL address bar. Choose “Add to Home Screen.” You have now just made the walk-through form into an app! You will find its icon on your home screen.
You are ready to start your walk-throughs! Each time you finish a form and touch “Submit,” the data instantly goes into the Google Docs spreadsheet. Each entry is date and time stamped for you!
No more filling out forms and then recopying that data somewhere else! Your data is neatly stored in rows and columns on your Google Docs spreadsheet. Less time spent on paperwork. More time spent on helping good teachers get even better. Life just got easier!
TAPPING THE DOMAIN OF PRIOR KNOWLEDGE: LESSON TO TP STUDENTS
Are You Tapping into Prior Knowledge Often Enough in Your Classroom?
By Rebecca Alber: Edited by Majiyd Suru 12/08/2011
7/19/11
Learning progresses primarily from prior knowledge, and only secondarily from the materials we present to students, studies show. Think about that. We teachers spend so much time gathering materials -- important and necessary for good instruction -- but are we often enough using the greatest tools right there at our fingertips? All of those young minds, ready to go!
We are all guilty of hurrying through teaching some concept or skill, and not taking the time to slow down, ask the kids what they already know about the matter, and make important connections to what is to come. I'd like to offer some research behind why we need to cut that out and activities to help us.
The Research Behind It
Constructivism proposes that new knowledge is constructed from old. It holds the educational belief that as teachers, it’s essential that we make connections between what new is being presented with students’ prior experiences.
The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget believed educating children to be one of society’s most important tasks. And after much research, he concluded youngsters, like adults, combine prior knowledge with experience. Learners make sense of their experiences (and learning) using their own schemata. And there’s John Dewey, a child-centered educator, as well as philosopher and psychologist, considered one of the first educational reformers. Dewey focused on the growth of a child's capabilities and interests more than the mandates of a curriculum. And both of these early education researchers influenced the development of constructivism.
Use It or Lose It -- PK Strategies
Launching the learning in your classroom from the prior knowledge of your students is a tenet of good teaching. In an earlier post about scaffolding techniques, I also wrote that asking students to share their own experiences, hunches, and ideas about the content or concept of study and relating it to their own lives should be done at the start of a lesson -- and throughout a unit of study.
Try these activities for firing up those young minds and tapping into prior knowledge:
* Image Brainstorm. Project an image on the LCD projector or smartboard and ask students to tell you everything they can about the picture. Choose images that make sense to them and also allow you to connect to the new content and/or concepts students will be learning. I often would use an image of famous artwork to launch our discussion on tone and mood in a particular poem or short story.
* K-W-L Chart. Tried and true, yes, though I have to say, it doesn’t work with all subjects and can be an overused activity for assessing prior knowledge. Use sparingly and dynamically.
* Picture Books. No matter the age, they work like magic. If there’s a concept or skill you are about to introduce, find a children's book that's related in some way and that your students may be familiar with. Read it aloud and watch the bells go off.
* ABC Brainstorming. I love this one. On one sheet of paper students make a box for every letter of the alphabet and then (they can do it in pairs) brainstorm a word or phrase that starts with each letter. For example, if kids are about to study the history of slavery in the U.S., they may write things like: "Africans" for a, "boat" for b, "chains" for c, etc.
* Class Brainstorm Web. Free-for-all, classroom fun I like to call it. After writing a word or phrase in a circle (whiteboard, poster paper) have students write as many words connected to it that they can think of around it. For example, you might write "photosynthesis" in the center and kids write things like, plants, green, sun, water, and light. I like to use a timer with this activity to create a sense of urgency (which adds to the fun). Keep the web visible throughout upcoming lessons and refer to it as you explore photosynthesis in-depth, even asking them to add words and facts to it.
If we don’t ignite the prior knowledge of our students when we teach, we may fall prey to what the late Brazilian educational theorist Paulo Freire referred to as “the banking concept” in pedagogy -- treating students as if they are empty vessels waiting to be filled with the knowledge of the teacher. Basically, taking on a view that the kids have very little to offer to the classroom learning and discussions.
Thank goodness we know this to be a ridiculous notion.
We also know that when we use the schemata of students to genuinely shape and guide the learning, we may take some unexpected roads -- changing lesson plans and learning outcomes all together. And that’s okay.
Please share with us your strategies and activities for activating the prior knowledge of your students.
By Rebecca Alber: Edited by Majiyd Suru 12/08/2011
7/19/11
Learning progresses primarily from prior knowledge, and only secondarily from the materials we present to students, studies show. Think about that. We teachers spend so much time gathering materials -- important and necessary for good instruction -- but are we often enough using the greatest tools right there at our fingertips? All of those young minds, ready to go!
We are all guilty of hurrying through teaching some concept or skill, and not taking the time to slow down, ask the kids what they already know about the matter, and make important connections to what is to come. I'd like to offer some research behind why we need to cut that out and activities to help us.
The Research Behind It
Constructivism proposes that new knowledge is constructed from old. It holds the educational belief that as teachers, it’s essential that we make connections between what new is being presented with students’ prior experiences.
The Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget believed educating children to be one of society’s most important tasks. And after much research, he concluded youngsters, like adults, combine prior knowledge with experience. Learners make sense of their experiences (and learning) using their own schemata. And there’s John Dewey, a child-centered educator, as well as philosopher and psychologist, considered one of the first educational reformers. Dewey focused on the growth of a child's capabilities and interests more than the mandates of a curriculum. And both of these early education researchers influenced the development of constructivism.
Use It or Lose It -- PK Strategies
Launching the learning in your classroom from the prior knowledge of your students is a tenet of good teaching. In an earlier post about scaffolding techniques, I also wrote that asking students to share their own experiences, hunches, and ideas about the content or concept of study and relating it to their own lives should be done at the start of a lesson -- and throughout a unit of study.
Try these activities for firing up those young minds and tapping into prior knowledge:
* Image Brainstorm. Project an image on the LCD projector or smartboard and ask students to tell you everything they can about the picture. Choose images that make sense to them and also allow you to connect to the new content and/or concepts students will be learning. I often would use an image of famous artwork to launch our discussion on tone and mood in a particular poem or short story.
* K-W-L Chart. Tried and true, yes, though I have to say, it doesn’t work with all subjects and can be an overused activity for assessing prior knowledge. Use sparingly and dynamically.
* Picture Books. No matter the age, they work like magic. If there’s a concept or skill you are about to introduce, find a children's book that's related in some way and that your students may be familiar with. Read it aloud and watch the bells go off.
* ABC Brainstorming. I love this one. On one sheet of paper students make a box for every letter of the alphabet and then (they can do it in pairs) brainstorm a word or phrase that starts with each letter. For example, if kids are about to study the history of slavery in the U.S., they may write things like: "Africans" for a, "boat" for b, "chains" for c, etc.
* Class Brainstorm Web. Free-for-all, classroom fun I like to call it. After writing a word or phrase in a circle (whiteboard, poster paper) have students write as many words connected to it that they can think of around it. For example, you might write "photosynthesis" in the center and kids write things like, plants, green, sun, water, and light. I like to use a timer with this activity to create a sense of urgency (which adds to the fun). Keep the web visible throughout upcoming lessons and refer to it as you explore photosynthesis in-depth, even asking them to add words and facts to it.
If we don’t ignite the prior knowledge of our students when we teach, we may fall prey to what the late Brazilian educational theorist Paulo Freire referred to as “the banking concept” in pedagogy -- treating students as if they are empty vessels waiting to be filled with the knowledge of the teacher. Basically, taking on a view that the kids have very little to offer to the classroom learning and discussions.
Thank goodness we know this to be a ridiculous notion.
We also know that when we use the schemata of students to genuinely shape and guide the learning, we may take some unexpected roads -- changing lesson plans and learning outcomes all together. And that’s okay.
Please share with us your strategies and activities for activating the prior knowledge of your students.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Educational Project, Implementation and Evaluation
MODULE THREE
PROJECT PROPOSAL WRITING
Introduction
Without direct project funding, most educational institutions would not be able to accomplish their goals. Writing clear, thorough and targeted project proposals is therefore essential to success of educational project. Therefore, mastering the art of proposal writing requires a unified approach to project management. This guide is therefore intended to serve as a basis for understanding issues related to the process, as well as the end product of project design.
A project proposal is a detailed description of a series of activities aimed at solving a certain problem. The proposal should contain a detailed explanation of the:
1. Justification of the project;
2. Activities and implementation time-line;
3. Methodology; and
4. Human, material and financial resources required
The project proposal should be a detailed and directed manifestation of the project design. It is a means of presenting the project to the outside world in a format that is immediately recognized and acceptable.
This guide on project proposal writing aim to create an understanding of:
a) The role of the project proposal and the activities related to each stage;
b) How to deal with projects and project proposals from an organizational perspective;
c) How project proposals fit into project management; and
d) How to structure a good project proposal.
OBJECTIVE OF THE GUIDE
This guide will enable planners through project proposal writing and the user to:
1. Improve planners skills in developing quality project proposals;
2. Show them how to manage projects within an organization; and
3. Help them to understand a project's value as a tool to achieve and further the organization's mission.
These can be achieved through three areas:
1. Enhancing skills and organizational procedures
Learning proposal-writing techniques, as well as developing skills in designing and writing successful project proposals, is the objective of most educational planners
Establishing systems and standards related to developing projects within the ministry of education planning departments is also a key objective.
2. Understanding the role of project proposals in project management
The project proposal is a tool — not a goal. It should be followed as closely as possible, and deviations should occur only when necessary.
Proposal writing is only one of the phases of project management. It is one of the several actions that form a logical sequence of events usually referred to as the project cycle.
3. Conducting preparatory work prior to proposal writing
Note that, a quality project proposal is the final product of a participatory process that involves considerable study, discussion and learning from past experiences.
SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED
The guide focuses on developing specific skills related to designing and completing good project proposals.
So the guide offers instruction in:
i. Conducting preparatory work;
ii. Developing comprehensive and viable project plans by setting realistic goals and determining the resources needed;
iii. Completing the project proposal package in order to provide funders with all necessary information;
iv. Preparing and following up on project budgets; and
v. Writing budget reports.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE WRITING A PROPOSAL
Interview past and prospective beneficiaries.
Though feedback was likely received when the previous project ended, new benefits and conditions may have arisen since that time. Speak to prospective beneficiaries to ensure that what you are planning to offer is desired and needed.
Review past project proposals.
Avoid repeating mistakes and offering to reproduce results that have already been achieved. Donors will be unlikely to provide more funding for something that should already have been done.
Review past project evaluation reports.
Don't count on project members to remember all the mistakes and areas for improvement from previous efforts.
Organize focus groups.
Make sure that the people you need are willing and able to contribute.
Check statistical data.
Don't let others discover gaps and inaccuracies in the data you are relying on.
Consult experts.
Outside opinions will give you ideas and credibility.
Conduct surveys, etc.
Gather as much preliminary information as possible to demonstrate commitment to the project and to refine the objectives.
Hold community meetings or forums.
When the public feels that they have been consulted on an issue, they will be much more likely to cooperate and support the project.
Main Terms of the Proposal Writing Process
■ Indicators-those elements of the project plan that translate the project's purpose and results into measurable units (quantity or quality) and thus provide the basis for measuring the impact
■ Input-the investment of resources (human, material or financial) invested in the project
■ Output-the results achieved
■ Activity plan-a description of the flow, time-line and responsibilities for the project's activities
■ Resource plan-a description of how the resources will be used in relation to the activities
■ PERT/Gantt chart-a specific model for activity plans that illustrates how the activities interconnect from initial stages of project activities up to the completion stage
■ Income-the funds secured for the project's implementation
CONTENTS
This guide covers the following topic areas:
i. What is and what is not a project?
ii. What is a project design?
iii. How are project elements formulated?
iv. Which methods are best for planning a project?
v. What is a project proposal?
vi. How is a project proposal written? (Suggested format covering all the aspects of the project proposal)
It is a good idea for you to familiarize yourself with the main terms of the proposal writing process outright.
Therefore, this guide should be used in combination with the skills learnt in module two of this course. Most of the guide’s content is designed in a way that can be used as a handout or reader material for you.
PROJECT BASICS
What is (and what is NOT) a Project
From the perspective of project management, any series of activities that go through the project cycle are projects. The project cycle consists of project phases. An organization should already have a well-defined organizational strategy from which it can begin to assess relevant needs and opportunities in its education. Several ideas will then come to light, from which an organization may choose. The project phases then follow logically through design, financing, implementation and evaluation stages. Planners often perform activities that do not fall into the category of projects. It is also important to recognize that a project is not:
1. Past activities that are repeated in exactly the same way on a periodic basis;
2. Activities with no clearly defined goals;
3. Activities which can be repeated or transplanted anywhere at any moment; or
4. Ongoing (regular) organizational activities (e.g. board meetings).
What is the Project Design?
The project design is one phase of the project cycle. It consists of two elements:
i. Project planning (formulation of project elements); and
ii. Project proposal writing (converting the plan into a project document).
Project design is a result of both project planning and the project proposal. Both steps are essential to forming a solid project design
A Model of the Project Cycle with Six Project Phases
Phase 1: Assess relevant research needs and opportunities
Phase 2: Identify the project idea
Phase 3: Design the project
Phase 4: Finance the project
Phase 5: Implement the activities
Phase 6: Evaluate the results
PROJECT PLANNING -FORMULATION OF PROJECT ELEMENTS
Before the project is written, its individual elements need to be developed. Addressing the planning considerations helps develop the project elements.
Another way to break down planning questions is to take into consideration the project design stage at which these questions are asked. On the basis of these criteria the project planning questions could be classified as to whether they are made during project planning or proposal writing. Regardless of the project planning model presented here, quality proposal writing is not possible without proper planning.
PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS
Issues to Be Considered At the Beginning of Project Planning
■ Beneficiaries of the project
■ Project team and cooperative partners
■ Success criteria
■ Goal and objectives
■ Methods chosen to achieve project goal
■ Costs and expenditures
■ Own contribution
■ Potential funders
Elements of the Project Proposal
1. Project title
2. Goals and objectives of the project
3. Description of project activities
4. Description of expected project results
5. Project implementation plan
6. Beginning of operations
7. Resource allocation
8. Project personnel
9. Detailed project budget (fixed costs, equipment needed)
10. Other technical means (e.g. vehicles)
11. Division of financial sources (own contribution and other resources)
HOW TO WRITE A PROJECT PROPOSAL
Once the groundwork has been completed, proposal writing can commence. The key decision to be made at this stage is the structure of the project proposal (including the content and length). The structure is determined by the nature of the project as well as by the funding agency’s requirements. In the variety of formats, application forms, project design outlines, and grant application guidelines, it is possible to detect some common elements.
PROPOSED FORMAT
1.0 Title page
A title page should appear on proposals longer than three to four pages. The title page should indicate the project title, the name of the lead organization (and potential partners, if any), the place and date of project preparation and the name of the donor agency to whom the proposal is addressed.
2.0 Project title
The project title should be short, concise, and preferably refer to a certain key project result or the leading project activity. Project titles that are too long or too general fail to give the reader an effective snapshot of what is inside.
Effective and Ineffective Project Titles
Example of Effective Project Titles
■ Raising Students Performance in Science Subjects for Marginalized Nomadic Society in Newly Created Manyara Region
■ Construction of Four Hostels for Girls in X Secondary Schools
Ineffective Titles
■ Environmental Education in Rural Areas
■ Quality Improvement in Disadvantaged Community
3.0 Contents page
If the total project proposal is longer than 10 pages it is helpful to include a table of contents at the start or end of the document. The contents page enables readers to quickly find relevant parts of the document. It should contain the title and beginning page number of each section of the proposal.
4.0 Abstract
Many readers lack the time needed to read the whole project proposal. It is therefore useful to insert a short project summary-an abstract. The abstract should include:
i. The problem statement;
ii. The project’s objectives;
iii. Implementing organizations;
iv. Key project activities; and
v. The total project budget.
Theoretically, the abstract should be compiled after the relevant items already exist in their long form. For a small project the abstract may not be longer than 10 lines. Bigger projects often provide abstracts as long as two pages.
5.0 Context
This part of the project describes the social, economic, political and cultural background from which the project is initiated. It should contain relevant data from sector analysis carried out in the project planning phase or collected from other sources. The writer should take into consideration the need for a balance between the length of this item and the size of the overall project proposal. Large amounts of relevant data should be placed in an annex.
6.0 Project Justification
Rationale should be provided for the project. Due to its importance, usually this section is divided into four or more sub-sections.
6.1 Problem Statement
The problem statement provides a description of the specific problem(s) the project is trying to solve, in order to “make a case” for the project. Furthermore, the project proposal should point out why a certain issue is a problem for the community or society as a whole, i.e. what negative implications affect the target group. There should also be an explanation of the needs of the target group that appear as a direct consequence of the described problem.
6.2 Priority Needs
The needs of the target group that have arisen as a direct negative impact of the problem should be prioritized. An explanation as to how this decision was reached (i.e. what criteria were used) must also be included. For example, if the problem is stated as “… poor infrastructure in the school” the list of needs associated with this problem may be:
i. Improved water supply in quality and quantity;
ii. Better classrooms; and
iii. Installed electricity within dormitories and classrooms.
These three needs would then be given higher or lower priority according to the level of importance for the school, and a description would be given of how that decision was reached (e.g. a poll taken from the school population, costs associated with project intervention, etc.). This procedure provides credibility to the selected intervention.
The Proposed Approach (Type of Intervention)
The project proposal should describe the strategy chosen for solving the problem and precisely how it will lead to improvement. One way to describe the approach related to the need previously stated as improved water supply could be: “intervention to provide basic water supply facilities in the school,” with some description of the specific features of the solution proposed.
The Implementing Organization
This section should describe the capabilities of your organization by referring to its capacity and previous project record. Describe why exactly your organization is the most appropriate to run the project, its connection to the school community, the constituency behind the organization and what kind of expertise the organization can provide. If other partners are involved in implementation provide some information on their capacity as well. See some tips below on presenting an organization. This list should by no means be considered exhaustive.
Tips for Successfully Presenting an Organization
Never use language that could be perceived as an attack towards any other organization or institution.
Carry out an analysis of your organization's strengths prior to preparing the proposal and then showcase these strengths.
Show that your planning process is participatory and takes into consideration the opinions of the target group.
Prepare a short document that presents your past experience (organizational record) and attach it to the project proposal.
PROJECT AIMS
The first issue to deal with is naming the objectives. Several other English terms may be used including “project goal/aim,” “project purpose,” etc. Often one major “goal” is declared and then broken down into various objectives.
Once this issue has been dealt with, the hierarchy between objectives needs to be established, as well as how many levels the hierarchy should present. In reality, an organization should have already resolved this issue in the project planning phase. Figure 1 below, displays three typical hierarchic levels.
Project Goal (or Overall Objective)
This is a general aim that should explain what the core problem is and why the project is important, i.e. what the long-term benefits to the target group are.
Rules for Setting a Project Goal
1) There should be only one goal per project.
2) The goal should be connected to the vision for development.
3) It is difficult or impossible to measure the accomplishment of the goal using measurable indicators, but it should be possible to prove its merit and contribution to the vision.
Some Examples of a Project Goal Might Be:
i. Raising environmental awareness to primary school students ;
ii. Improving the quality of life in the school community; and
iii. Fostering social empowerment among women from underprivileged rural areas.
If it is difficult to follow the rules mentioned above, then the project itself may have to be redefined or reconsidered.
Project Objectives
. The objectives from Figure 1 may be defined as:
Improving the water supply in quantity X and quality Y for the school community of village Z; and
Reducing by X the rate of acute Diarrhea infections among primary school students in village Z.
Project objectives provide a more detailed breakdown of the project goal. A project will likely have multiple objectives. The objectives should address the core problem in terms of the benefits to be received by the project beneficiaries or target group as a direct result of the project as shown in Figure 2 below:
Five Steps to Develop Good Indicators
Project objective: Reduce the rate of acute Diarrhea infections in the school community;
Quality (the nature of the indicator): Infection rates reduced;
Target Group (Who?): Infection rates reduced among school children;
Place (Where?): infection rates reduced among children of Village Z;
Quantity (How Much?): infection rates reduced among children of Village Z by 65 percent;
Time-frame: infection rates among children of Village Z reduced by 45 percent by 2012.
Project Results
Results describe the services or products to be delivered to the intended beneficiaries.
This is what the project management is promising to deliver. The results are more detailed than the objectives and the goal, and should be possible to measure through the use of objective indicators. Special consideration should therefore be paid to this area. The results should address the main causes of the problem that the target group faces. To ensure relevant results, project management should have correctly identified the group’s needs.
Relating back to the previous example, the results would be written as:
i. Increased number of dormitories and households connected to the water supply system; and
ii. Increased number of clean and safe water taps in the school community in village Z.
The arrows in Figure 2 show how the results of the project can be tied back to the project's objectives. Note that indicators provide the project team with a quantifiable basis on which to judge the project's success in reaching its objectives. The specification of indicators acts as a check on the viability of the results and project objectives. It forms the basis for a project monitoring system. Once the indicators are defined they should be developed to provide details of quantity, quality and time.
Target Group
Define the target group and show how it will benefit from the project. The project should provide a detailed description of the size and characteristics of the target groups, and especially of direct project beneficiaries. The criteria for target group analysis may be ethnic composition, gender, age, etc. When these analyses are more elaborate, they may be attached as an appendix.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
The implementation plan should describe activities and resource allocation in as much detail as possible. It is exceptionally important to provide a good overview of who is going to implement the project’s activities, as well as when and where. The implementation plan may be divided into two key elements: the activity plan and the resource plan.
1.0 Activity Plan (Schedule)
The activity plan should include specific information and explanations of each of the planned project activities. The duration of the project should be clearly stated, with considerable detail on the beginning and the end of the project. Table 2 breaks down the various steps involved in preparing an activity plan. In general, two main formats are used to express the activity plan: a simple table and the Gantt chart. PERT can also be used for the same purpose.
A simple table with columns, as shown in Table 3, for activities, sub-activities, tasks, timing and responsibility, is a clear, readily understandable format for the activity plan. The Gantt Chart, is a universal format for presenting activities in certain times frames, which shows the dependence and sequence for each activity. Table 4 overleaf shows a sample Gantt Chart.
2.0 Resource Plan
The resource plan should provide information on the means necessary to undertake the project. Cost categories are established at this stage in order to aggregate and summarize the cost information for budgeting. Refer to table 5 in this module.
From the example given in table 2 of your readers' notes, the activity of establishing an in-service teachers training programme could require equipment and allowances. These are the cost categories related to the activity.
The next step is to identify units, quantity per period and estimated unit cost. On the basis of these figures, it will be easy to calculate costs per period and total project costs.
Table 5 in your readers' notes depicts these costs in a typical resource plan as it might look for Activity 1.1 (in-service teachers training programme) from the previous table. This form of planning enables us to plan and calculate all the costs related to project activities.
Budget
In simple terms, a budget is an itemized summary of an organization's expected income and expenses over a specified period of time. Budgeting forms and financial planning procedures vary widely, especially in the non-profit sector. It is nevertheless essential that financial officers comply clearly and punctually with a funding organization's budgeting and reporting requirements. The two main elements of any budget are income and expenditures.
Income: (sometimes referred to as revenue) is the amount of financial assets and in-kind contribution used as sources of support for the project. If the funding source is unique, the income side of the budget may not be shown. However, many projects have more than one source of support. The income side should show the share of contribution of each of these sources. Table 6 shows a sample income form.
Expenditures: (also called expenses or costs) are all the costs that are anticipated to occur during the project’s implementation. Regardless of the calculation and classification criteria used, the project costs should present a reasonable reflection of the activities presented in the project proposal. Table 7 gives a sample of what an expenditure form might look like. The categories presented would then be broken down into greater detail where required. A projection of the specific amounts of time needed at different phases of project implementation represents a basis for calculating the spending dynamics at different periods of the project.
Budget categories: classify expenditures into smaller groups according to a certain criteria. This is to monitor spending and ensure compliance with the plan.
The two main costs are direct costs and operational costs. Direct costs are associated with a certain activity (e.g. organizing a workshop). Operational costs are related to internal activities of an organization and are considered fixed costs in the short term (e.g. staff salaries, rent, utilities, etc).
Units, quantity per period and estimated unit costs are the three elements that are needed to calculate costs associated with any of these categories.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The basis for monitoring is set when the indicators for results are set. The project proposal should indicate:
1) How and when the project management team will conduct activities to monitor the project’s progress;
2) Which methods will be used to monitor and evaluate; and
3) Who will do the evaluation
Table 6: Sample Income Form (in US$)
Total Budget: 85,400
Income:
• World Bank 11,400
• Contribution from central government 27,000
• African Development Bank 2000
• European Union 40,000
• Provided by organization itself 5,000
Total income: 85,400
Table 7: Sample Expenditure Form (in US$)
Total Budget: 85,400
Expenditures:
• Consultants (4 months X US$ 10,000) 40,000
• Salaries (7 trainers X 2 months X 10,500) 21, 000
• Office staffs (2 support staff X 2 months XUS4 3000) 6,000
• Office Supplies:
• Computer (2 X US$ 2,100) 4,200
• Photocopy (3 X US$ 2,400) 7,200
• Printer (2 X US$ 1,000) 2,000
• Travel and lodging 1,500
• Direct costs 1,000
• Miscellaneous 1,500
Total expenditures: 85,400
Reporting
The schedule of project progress and financial report could be set in the project proposal.
Often these obligations are determined by the standard requirements of the donor agency. The project report may be compiled in different versions, with regard to the audience they are targeting.
Management and Personnel
A brief description should be given of the project personnel, the individual roles each one has assumed, and the communication mechanisms that exist between them. All the additional information (such as CVs) should be attached to the annexes.
Annexes
The annexes should include all the information that is important, but is too large to be included in the text of the proposal. This information can be created in the identification or planning phase of the project, but often it is produced separately. The usual documentation to be annexed to the project proposal is:
i. Analysis related to the general context (e.g. Primary Education Sub-sector assessment);
ii. Policy documents and strategic papers (e.g. Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper-MKUKUTA/MKURABITA);
iii. Information on the implementing organizations (e.g. annual reports, success stories, brochures and other publications)
iv. Additional information on the project management structure and personnel(curriculum vitae for the members of the project team);
v. Maps of the location of the target area; and
vi. Project management procedures and forms (organizational charts, forms, etc).
PROJECT PROPOSAL WRITING
Introduction
Without direct project funding, most educational institutions would not be able to accomplish their goals. Writing clear, thorough and targeted project proposals is therefore essential to success of educational project. Therefore, mastering the art of proposal writing requires a unified approach to project management. This guide is therefore intended to serve as a basis for understanding issues related to the process, as well as the end product of project design.
A project proposal is a detailed description of a series of activities aimed at solving a certain problem. The proposal should contain a detailed explanation of the:
1. Justification of the project;
2. Activities and implementation time-line;
3. Methodology; and
4. Human, material and financial resources required
The project proposal should be a detailed and directed manifestation of the project design. It is a means of presenting the project to the outside world in a format that is immediately recognized and acceptable.
This guide on project proposal writing aim to create an understanding of:
a) The role of the project proposal and the activities related to each stage;
b) How to deal with projects and project proposals from an organizational perspective;
c) How project proposals fit into project management; and
d) How to structure a good project proposal.
OBJECTIVE OF THE GUIDE
This guide will enable planners through project proposal writing and the user to:
1. Improve planners skills in developing quality project proposals;
2. Show them how to manage projects within an organization; and
3. Help them to understand a project's value as a tool to achieve and further the organization's mission.
These can be achieved through three areas:
1. Enhancing skills and organizational procedures
Learning proposal-writing techniques, as well as developing skills in designing and writing successful project proposals, is the objective of most educational planners
Establishing systems and standards related to developing projects within the ministry of education planning departments is also a key objective.
2. Understanding the role of project proposals in project management
The project proposal is a tool — not a goal. It should be followed as closely as possible, and deviations should occur only when necessary.
Proposal writing is only one of the phases of project management. It is one of the several actions that form a logical sequence of events usually referred to as the project cycle.
3. Conducting preparatory work prior to proposal writing
Note that, a quality project proposal is the final product of a participatory process that involves considerable study, discussion and learning from past experiences.
SKILLS TO BE DEVELOPED
The guide focuses on developing specific skills related to designing and completing good project proposals.
So the guide offers instruction in:
i. Conducting preparatory work;
ii. Developing comprehensive and viable project plans by setting realistic goals and determining the resources needed;
iii. Completing the project proposal package in order to provide funders with all necessary information;
iv. Preparing and following up on project budgets; and
v. Writing budget reports.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE WRITING A PROPOSAL
Interview past and prospective beneficiaries.
Though feedback was likely received when the previous project ended, new benefits and conditions may have arisen since that time. Speak to prospective beneficiaries to ensure that what you are planning to offer is desired and needed.
Review past project proposals.
Avoid repeating mistakes and offering to reproduce results that have already been achieved. Donors will be unlikely to provide more funding for something that should already have been done.
Review past project evaluation reports.
Don't count on project members to remember all the mistakes and areas for improvement from previous efforts.
Organize focus groups.
Make sure that the people you need are willing and able to contribute.
Check statistical data.
Don't let others discover gaps and inaccuracies in the data you are relying on.
Consult experts.
Outside opinions will give you ideas and credibility.
Conduct surveys, etc.
Gather as much preliminary information as possible to demonstrate commitment to the project and to refine the objectives.
Hold community meetings or forums.
When the public feels that they have been consulted on an issue, they will be much more likely to cooperate and support the project.
Main Terms of the Proposal Writing Process
■ Indicators-those elements of the project plan that translate the project's purpose and results into measurable units (quantity or quality) and thus provide the basis for measuring the impact
■ Input-the investment of resources (human, material or financial) invested in the project
■ Output-the results achieved
■ Activity plan-a description of the flow, time-line and responsibilities for the project's activities
■ Resource plan-a description of how the resources will be used in relation to the activities
■ PERT/Gantt chart-a specific model for activity plans that illustrates how the activities interconnect from initial stages of project activities up to the completion stage
■ Income-the funds secured for the project's implementation
CONTENTS
This guide covers the following topic areas:
i. What is and what is not a project?
ii. What is a project design?
iii. How are project elements formulated?
iv. Which methods are best for planning a project?
v. What is a project proposal?
vi. How is a project proposal written? (Suggested format covering all the aspects of the project proposal)
It is a good idea for you to familiarize yourself with the main terms of the proposal writing process outright.
Therefore, this guide should be used in combination with the skills learnt in module two of this course. Most of the guide’s content is designed in a way that can be used as a handout or reader material for you.
PROJECT BASICS
What is (and what is NOT) a Project
From the perspective of project management, any series of activities that go through the project cycle are projects. The project cycle consists of project phases. An organization should already have a well-defined organizational strategy from which it can begin to assess relevant needs and opportunities in its education. Several ideas will then come to light, from which an organization may choose. The project phases then follow logically through design, financing, implementation and evaluation stages. Planners often perform activities that do not fall into the category of projects. It is also important to recognize that a project is not:
1. Past activities that are repeated in exactly the same way on a periodic basis;
2. Activities with no clearly defined goals;
3. Activities which can be repeated or transplanted anywhere at any moment; or
4. Ongoing (regular) organizational activities (e.g. board meetings).
What is the Project Design?
The project design is one phase of the project cycle. It consists of two elements:
i. Project planning (formulation of project elements); and
ii. Project proposal writing (converting the plan into a project document).
Project design is a result of both project planning and the project proposal. Both steps are essential to forming a solid project design
A Model of the Project Cycle with Six Project Phases
Phase 1: Assess relevant research needs and opportunities
Phase 2: Identify the project idea
Phase 3: Design the project
Phase 4: Finance the project
Phase 5: Implement the activities
Phase 6: Evaluate the results
PROJECT PLANNING -FORMULATION OF PROJECT ELEMENTS
Before the project is written, its individual elements need to be developed. Addressing the planning considerations helps develop the project elements.
Another way to break down planning questions is to take into consideration the project design stage at which these questions are asked. On the basis of these criteria the project planning questions could be classified as to whether they are made during project planning or proposal writing. Regardless of the project planning model presented here, quality proposal writing is not possible without proper planning.
PLANNING CONSIDERATIONS
Issues to Be Considered At the Beginning of Project Planning
■ Beneficiaries of the project
■ Project team and cooperative partners
■ Success criteria
■ Goal and objectives
■ Methods chosen to achieve project goal
■ Costs and expenditures
■ Own contribution
■ Potential funders
Elements of the Project Proposal
1. Project title
2. Goals and objectives of the project
3. Description of project activities
4. Description of expected project results
5. Project implementation plan
6. Beginning of operations
7. Resource allocation
8. Project personnel
9. Detailed project budget (fixed costs, equipment needed)
10. Other technical means (e.g. vehicles)
11. Division of financial sources (own contribution and other resources)
HOW TO WRITE A PROJECT PROPOSAL
Once the groundwork has been completed, proposal writing can commence. The key decision to be made at this stage is the structure of the project proposal (including the content and length). The structure is determined by the nature of the project as well as by the funding agency’s requirements. In the variety of formats, application forms, project design outlines, and grant application guidelines, it is possible to detect some common elements.
PROPOSED FORMAT
1.0 Title page
A title page should appear on proposals longer than three to four pages. The title page should indicate the project title, the name of the lead organization (and potential partners, if any), the place and date of project preparation and the name of the donor agency to whom the proposal is addressed.
2.0 Project title
The project title should be short, concise, and preferably refer to a certain key project result or the leading project activity. Project titles that are too long or too general fail to give the reader an effective snapshot of what is inside.
Effective and Ineffective Project Titles
Example of Effective Project Titles
■ Raising Students Performance in Science Subjects for Marginalized Nomadic Society in Newly Created Manyara Region
■ Construction of Four Hostels for Girls in X Secondary Schools
Ineffective Titles
■ Environmental Education in Rural Areas
■ Quality Improvement in Disadvantaged Community
3.0 Contents page
If the total project proposal is longer than 10 pages it is helpful to include a table of contents at the start or end of the document. The contents page enables readers to quickly find relevant parts of the document. It should contain the title and beginning page number of each section of the proposal.
4.0 Abstract
Many readers lack the time needed to read the whole project proposal. It is therefore useful to insert a short project summary-an abstract. The abstract should include:
i. The problem statement;
ii. The project’s objectives;
iii. Implementing organizations;
iv. Key project activities; and
v. The total project budget.
Theoretically, the abstract should be compiled after the relevant items already exist in their long form. For a small project the abstract may not be longer than 10 lines. Bigger projects often provide abstracts as long as two pages.
5.0 Context
This part of the project describes the social, economic, political and cultural background from which the project is initiated. It should contain relevant data from sector analysis carried out in the project planning phase or collected from other sources. The writer should take into consideration the need for a balance between the length of this item and the size of the overall project proposal. Large amounts of relevant data should be placed in an annex.
6.0 Project Justification
Rationale should be provided for the project. Due to its importance, usually this section is divided into four or more sub-sections.
6.1 Problem Statement
The problem statement provides a description of the specific problem(s) the project is trying to solve, in order to “make a case” for the project. Furthermore, the project proposal should point out why a certain issue is a problem for the community or society as a whole, i.e. what negative implications affect the target group. There should also be an explanation of the needs of the target group that appear as a direct consequence of the described problem.
6.2 Priority Needs
The needs of the target group that have arisen as a direct negative impact of the problem should be prioritized. An explanation as to how this decision was reached (i.e. what criteria were used) must also be included. For example, if the problem is stated as “… poor infrastructure in the school” the list of needs associated with this problem may be:
i. Improved water supply in quality and quantity;
ii. Better classrooms; and
iii. Installed electricity within dormitories and classrooms.
These three needs would then be given higher or lower priority according to the level of importance for the school, and a description would be given of how that decision was reached (e.g. a poll taken from the school population, costs associated with project intervention, etc.). This procedure provides credibility to the selected intervention.
The Proposed Approach (Type of Intervention)
The project proposal should describe the strategy chosen for solving the problem and precisely how it will lead to improvement. One way to describe the approach related to the need previously stated as improved water supply could be: “intervention to provide basic water supply facilities in the school,” with some description of the specific features of the solution proposed.
The Implementing Organization
This section should describe the capabilities of your organization by referring to its capacity and previous project record. Describe why exactly your organization is the most appropriate to run the project, its connection to the school community, the constituency behind the organization and what kind of expertise the organization can provide. If other partners are involved in implementation provide some information on their capacity as well. See some tips below on presenting an organization. This list should by no means be considered exhaustive.
Tips for Successfully Presenting an Organization
Never use language that could be perceived as an attack towards any other organization or institution.
Carry out an analysis of your organization's strengths prior to preparing the proposal and then showcase these strengths.
Show that your planning process is participatory and takes into consideration the opinions of the target group.
Prepare a short document that presents your past experience (organizational record) and attach it to the project proposal.
PROJECT AIMS
The first issue to deal with is naming the objectives. Several other English terms may be used including “project goal/aim,” “project purpose,” etc. Often one major “goal” is declared and then broken down into various objectives.
Once this issue has been dealt with, the hierarchy between objectives needs to be established, as well as how many levels the hierarchy should present. In reality, an organization should have already resolved this issue in the project planning phase. Figure 1 below, displays three typical hierarchic levels.
Project Goal (or Overall Objective)
This is a general aim that should explain what the core problem is and why the project is important, i.e. what the long-term benefits to the target group are.
Rules for Setting a Project Goal
1) There should be only one goal per project.
2) The goal should be connected to the vision for development.
3) It is difficult or impossible to measure the accomplishment of the goal using measurable indicators, but it should be possible to prove its merit and contribution to the vision.
Some Examples of a Project Goal Might Be:
i. Raising environmental awareness to primary school students ;
ii. Improving the quality of life in the school community; and
iii. Fostering social empowerment among women from underprivileged rural areas.
If it is difficult to follow the rules mentioned above, then the project itself may have to be redefined or reconsidered.
Project Objectives
. The objectives from Figure 1 may be defined as:
Improving the water supply in quantity X and quality Y for the school community of village Z; and
Reducing by X the rate of acute Diarrhea infections among primary school students in village Z.
Project objectives provide a more detailed breakdown of the project goal. A project will likely have multiple objectives. The objectives should address the core problem in terms of the benefits to be received by the project beneficiaries or target group as a direct result of the project as shown in Figure 2 below:
Five Steps to Develop Good Indicators
Project objective: Reduce the rate of acute Diarrhea infections in the school community;
Quality (the nature of the indicator): Infection rates reduced;
Target Group (Who?): Infection rates reduced among school children;
Place (Where?): infection rates reduced among children of Village Z;
Quantity (How Much?): infection rates reduced among children of Village Z by 65 percent;
Time-frame: infection rates among children of Village Z reduced by 45 percent by 2012.
Project Results
Results describe the services or products to be delivered to the intended beneficiaries.
This is what the project management is promising to deliver. The results are more detailed than the objectives and the goal, and should be possible to measure through the use of objective indicators. Special consideration should therefore be paid to this area. The results should address the main causes of the problem that the target group faces. To ensure relevant results, project management should have correctly identified the group’s needs.
Relating back to the previous example, the results would be written as:
i. Increased number of dormitories and households connected to the water supply system; and
ii. Increased number of clean and safe water taps in the school community in village Z.
The arrows in Figure 2 show how the results of the project can be tied back to the project's objectives. Note that indicators provide the project team with a quantifiable basis on which to judge the project's success in reaching its objectives. The specification of indicators acts as a check on the viability of the results and project objectives. It forms the basis for a project monitoring system. Once the indicators are defined they should be developed to provide details of quantity, quality and time.
Target Group
Define the target group and show how it will benefit from the project. The project should provide a detailed description of the size and characteristics of the target groups, and especially of direct project beneficiaries. The criteria for target group analysis may be ethnic composition, gender, age, etc. When these analyses are more elaborate, they may be attached as an appendix.
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION
The implementation plan should describe activities and resource allocation in as much detail as possible. It is exceptionally important to provide a good overview of who is going to implement the project’s activities, as well as when and where. The implementation plan may be divided into two key elements: the activity plan and the resource plan.
1.0 Activity Plan (Schedule)
The activity plan should include specific information and explanations of each of the planned project activities. The duration of the project should be clearly stated, with considerable detail on the beginning and the end of the project. Table 2 breaks down the various steps involved in preparing an activity plan. In general, two main formats are used to express the activity plan: a simple table and the Gantt chart. PERT can also be used for the same purpose.
A simple table with columns, as shown in Table 3, for activities, sub-activities, tasks, timing and responsibility, is a clear, readily understandable format for the activity plan. The Gantt Chart, is a universal format for presenting activities in certain times frames, which shows the dependence and sequence for each activity. Table 4 overleaf shows a sample Gantt Chart.
2.0 Resource Plan
The resource plan should provide information on the means necessary to undertake the project. Cost categories are established at this stage in order to aggregate and summarize the cost information for budgeting. Refer to table 5 in this module.
From the example given in table 2 of your readers' notes, the activity of establishing an in-service teachers training programme could require equipment and allowances. These are the cost categories related to the activity.
The next step is to identify units, quantity per period and estimated unit cost. On the basis of these figures, it will be easy to calculate costs per period and total project costs.
Table 5 in your readers' notes depicts these costs in a typical resource plan as it might look for Activity 1.1 (in-service teachers training programme) from the previous table. This form of planning enables us to plan and calculate all the costs related to project activities.
Budget
In simple terms, a budget is an itemized summary of an organization's expected income and expenses over a specified period of time. Budgeting forms and financial planning procedures vary widely, especially in the non-profit sector. It is nevertheless essential that financial officers comply clearly and punctually with a funding organization's budgeting and reporting requirements. The two main elements of any budget are income and expenditures.
Income: (sometimes referred to as revenue) is the amount of financial assets and in-kind contribution used as sources of support for the project. If the funding source is unique, the income side of the budget may not be shown. However, many projects have more than one source of support. The income side should show the share of contribution of each of these sources. Table 6 shows a sample income form.
Expenditures: (also called expenses or costs) are all the costs that are anticipated to occur during the project’s implementation. Regardless of the calculation and classification criteria used, the project costs should present a reasonable reflection of the activities presented in the project proposal. Table 7 gives a sample of what an expenditure form might look like. The categories presented would then be broken down into greater detail where required. A projection of the specific amounts of time needed at different phases of project implementation represents a basis for calculating the spending dynamics at different periods of the project.
Budget categories: classify expenditures into smaller groups according to a certain criteria. This is to monitor spending and ensure compliance with the plan.
The two main costs are direct costs and operational costs. Direct costs are associated with a certain activity (e.g. organizing a workshop). Operational costs are related to internal activities of an organization and are considered fixed costs in the short term (e.g. staff salaries, rent, utilities, etc).
Units, quantity per period and estimated unit costs are the three elements that are needed to calculate costs associated with any of these categories.
Monitoring and Evaluation
The basis for monitoring is set when the indicators for results are set. The project proposal should indicate:
1) How and when the project management team will conduct activities to monitor the project’s progress;
2) Which methods will be used to monitor and evaluate; and
3) Who will do the evaluation
Table 6: Sample Income Form (in US$)
Total Budget: 85,400
Income:
• World Bank 11,400
• Contribution from central government 27,000
• African Development Bank 2000
• European Union 40,000
• Provided by organization itself 5,000
Total income: 85,400
Table 7: Sample Expenditure Form (in US$)
Total Budget: 85,400
Expenditures:
• Consultants (4 months X US$ 10,000) 40,000
• Salaries (7 trainers X 2 months X 10,500) 21, 000
• Office staffs (2 support staff X 2 months XUS4 3000) 6,000
• Office Supplies:
• Computer (2 X US$ 2,100) 4,200
• Photocopy (3 X US$ 2,400) 7,200
• Printer (2 X US$ 1,000) 2,000
• Travel and lodging 1,500
• Direct costs 1,000
• Miscellaneous 1,500
Total expenditures: 85,400
Reporting
The schedule of project progress and financial report could be set in the project proposal.
Often these obligations are determined by the standard requirements of the donor agency. The project report may be compiled in different versions, with regard to the audience they are targeting.
Management and Personnel
A brief description should be given of the project personnel, the individual roles each one has assumed, and the communication mechanisms that exist between them. All the additional information (such as CVs) should be attached to the annexes.
Annexes
The annexes should include all the information that is important, but is too large to be included in the text of the proposal. This information can be created in the identification or planning phase of the project, but often it is produced separately. The usual documentation to be annexed to the project proposal is:
i. Analysis related to the general context (e.g. Primary Education Sub-sector assessment);
ii. Policy documents and strategic papers (e.g. Poverty Reduction Strategic Paper-MKUKUTA/MKURABITA);
iii. Information on the implementing organizations (e.g. annual reports, success stories, brochures and other publications)
iv. Additional information on the project management structure and personnel(curriculum vitae for the members of the project team);
v. Maps of the location of the target area; and
vi. Project management procedures and forms (organizational charts, forms, etc).
Monday, April 11, 2011
TIMED TEST I, BED PPM 3RD YEAR, TUESDAY 12th APRIL, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND POLICY STUDIES
ME 303: EDUCATIONAL PROJECT, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION
TIMED TEST: TUESDAY 12TH APRIL, 2011
VENUE: LECTURE ROOM I
TIME: 19:00-20:00 HOURS
Note: Only one question will be attempted from the four alternatives below:
- Discuss four approaches to deductive needs assessment as practically used in identifying needs for educational planning.
- "From time to time, donor countries and non-governmental organizations contribute to the financing of education projects, whether to rehabilitate the existing schools or to build new schools, in either the public or the private schools. These contributions can have a purely altruistic objective, or they may have other goals, implicitly or explicitly economic in nature". Discuss.
- Many educational projects in developing countries and Tanzania in particular, have become futile and redundant because they are not results-oriented.
- Explain as to why, and suggest a relevant approach/tool in setting objectives for effective educational projects implementation.
- Justify the significance of your approach against other approaches/tools.
- PPBS recognize its three components of Planning, Programming and Budgeting as a System….an indivisible whole…and not as independent elements. Substantiate.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
ME 303 SEMINAR QUESTIONS FOR BED PPM THIRD YEAR
THE UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND POLICY STUDIES
ME 303: EDUCATIONAL PROJECT, IMPLEMENTATION AND EVALUATION
SEMINAR QUESTIONS 2010/2011
- With vivid examples, discuss the main categories in the analysis of the education system performance.
- Reveal common indicators for each category.
- What is the significance of such indicators to project formulation?
- SWOT analysis is a strategic planning technique for identifying internal Strengths and Weaknesses and external Opportunities and Threats of any organization. Using the University of Dodoma as your case for educational organization, identify perceived Internal Strengths and Weaknesses and external Opportunities and Threats.
- Explain how the internal processes of the education system in developing countries, particularly in Tanzania have necessitated the need for results-oriented management in education planning.
- Explain the evolution of the Management By Objectives (MBO) in organizations.
- From the above orientation, explain the application of Management By Objectives (MBO) as a tool of planning and project design.
- Discuss the relevancy of the 'Education Sector Analysis' in relation to "Factors Influencing Teachers' Requirement" and explain, using proper calculation, how to rationalize their placement and re-allocations.
- Factors influencing teachers requirement has tempted many curriculum experts and sometime educational planners.
- Divert from such temptation as a planner by explaining issues related to teachers' flows using appropriate examples.
- Applying problem and objective trees, suggest relevant project title, project justification, and project objectives to handle similar problems in the future.
- One of the criteria for appraising education projects is the 'Feasibility Criteria'. What is the significance of the feasibility conditions of education projects?
- Education project identification involves collecting available data, visiting schools, and engaging in numerous consultations. Discuss.
- With reference to education planning and projects implementation:
- Discuss the major types of budgets.
- Explain the significance of each type in project management.
- Discuss the main sources of funds in educational financing in Africa, with the main focus in Tanzania.
- "The major failures in education plan implementation are caused by financial implications. Financial costs are obviously greater for loans, which increases the nation's debt. But even grants have become chronic Trojan of our economy, if they generate excessive future expenditure for the national budget." From the above consideration, discuss the risk of external loans and grants dependence for planning and project implementation in Tanzania.
- Efforts to improve the quality of education in developing countries have moved from the Single Project Model to Sector-Wide Approach (SWAp). Explain the rationales behind this departure.
- It is claimed that Dakar Framework, Jomtien Declaration, Salamanca Declaration and MDGs are tentacles of both World Bank and IMF aimed to streamline the tactics of silent colonialism in the name of Globalization. Authenticate.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Educational Planning & Project Formulation, TEST I
THE UNIVERSITY OF DODOMA
COLLEGE OF EDUCATION
SCHOOL OF EDUCATIONAL STUDIES
DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT AND POLICY STUDIES
ME 203: Educational Planning and Project Formulation
TIMED TEST I: 31st DECEMBER, 2010
- "Incremental approach to policy making for education planning relies on the interaction rather than on a complete analysis of the education sector to develop a blue-print for solving educational problems". Discuss the assumptions underlying the incremental policy making in education policy-planning process.
- "Economic planning and development is an offshoot of educational planning, whereas success of education planning depends on the level of the economy of a country". Authenticate the inevitability of this mutualism.
- Critically discuss the 'Hunter's Study Approach' in favour of high-level manpower requirements for future economic needs in East African countries. Which options in educational planning, do you think could be feasible under augmented unemployment rate in Tanzania?
- "The personal contact between pupil and teacher remain the linchpin of the educational process. Consequently, the planning of teacher requirement and supply is a central concern in the development and smooth functioning of any education system (Forojalla, 1993)". Explain the factors that govern teacher requirement and teacher supply.
NOTE:
Only one question will be randomly picked from the four alternatives above.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Education Foundation First Year Students
Majiyd H. Suru 2007-2008
The concept of liberation and the liberation potential of education
To liberate means to set free and to set free from something. It implies impediments to freedom having been thrown off; it can therefore be a matter of degree and of process. Thus, when a man succeeds in untying his wrists and liberating his arms, he can use his hands to liberate his feet from the shackles which bind them. But a man can be physically free from restraint and still be unfree if his mind is restricted by habits and attitudes which limit his humanity.
Education has to liberate both mind and the body of a man. It has to make him/her more of a human being because he/she is aware of his/her potential as a human being, and is in a positive, life-enhancing relationship with his/her neighbour and his environment. Education has therefore to enable man to throw off impediments of freedom which restrict his fully physical and mental development.
Liberation is viewed as an act and process that takes place at the level of the individual, and society at large, in circumstances of setting oneself, or being set free from such oppression. Man frees himself/herself through the act and process of conscientization. Thus liberation and conscientization are closely related and are in many ways inseparable. They are considered to take place chronologically, as a process in a continuum.
CONCIENTISATION
Definition and phases
The term conscientization emerged within the reflections of the Brazilian Institute of Higher studies in the 1960s and was popularized in other countries by Bishop Heldre Camarn. Paul Freire, the Brazilian Educational Philosopher, had creatively explored its significances whose original thoughts are articulated in the Pedagogy of the oppressed (1970), which set the stage for a profound criticism of conventional pedagogy inspired by critical theory.
According to Freire, conscientization denotes the "awakening of consciousness" or a change of attitudes involving an accurate, realistic awareness of ones position in nature and society; the capacity to analyze critically its causes and consequences comparing it with other situation and possibilities and action geared at transforming existing socio-economic conditions.
- Conscientization means raising awareness to higher levels of perception of reality, involving learning to perceive social, political and economic contradictions and taking action against oppressive conditions.
- It implies making people aware of their humanity their ability as conscious beings in transforming nature and oppressive elements for their own development.
- It may also means demystifying perception of reality about the world, the people themselves and situation of their oppression, which has been mystified by their own capacity or oppressors.
Types
Paulo Freire distinguish three types of consciousness
- Magic consciousness in which man understands facts and problems, but on account of his inability to explain them attributes their existence to some superior powers.
- Naïve consciousness which operates at a higher level is intellectual and rational. In this level man apparently comprehends facts and problems and assumes that he is able to control them.
- Critical consciousness whereby man tries to judge the situation realistically by analyzing facts and problems in the light of fundamental human values. It involves what he called praxis, which is both reflection and action.
Phases
Conscientization has three phases, namely:
- Realizing that we are oppressed.
- Knowing that we can do something about the oppressed situation.
- Taking action to free ourselves
The concept combines theory and practice in penetrating process of knowing and doing. Conscientization therefore is a process of growing in awareness, through deepening their awareness; people can uncover reality and penetrate history in a critical manner.
Objectives and assumptions
Objectives:
The concept is deeply rooted in a political and social analysis of living conditions of the poor; a class society in while the minority own almost everything and the majority remain poor, hungry, ignorant, disease and illiterate.
- It seeks to develop awareness of marginalized individuals and groups in society regarding their conditions in order to transform them.
- Increasing the capacity and ability of the marginalized groups, the poor as conscious being to analyze critically their conditions, their root cause, their consequences and possibilities of taking action aimed at transforming them.
- It seeks to change the negative psychology of the oppressed, a sense of fatalism, resignation and helpless. The aim is to make the oppressed discover their power and believe that change is possible.
- Utilizing individual and collective previous experience, these approach aims at arousing pride, a sense of dignity personal confidence and self-reliance aim of poor and marginalized groups.
Assumptions
Conscientization is based on the following assumptions:
- All men are equal
- All men have right to knowledge
- All men have the right to criticize their situation and to act upon and transform it.
- All men have the capacity to develop critical reflection upon their conditions through discovery act dialogue.
- All men have the right to participate in the creation of their own culture and history
EDUCATION AND CONSCIENTIZATION
Transformation of human being from objects is central concern in the conscientization process. This transformation occurs through educational experiences, involving the learners and the teachers in a simultaneous process of uncovering and acting on reality. These horizontal social relations are intended to project image of the learners as both the learners and teachers.
- Both learners and teacher modify their views through dialogical interaction.
- Utilizing individual and collective experience, conscientization serves serves as liberating pedagogy; both the leaders and people are active teachers and learners; it reflects the banking system of education, where the learners are perceived as empty vessels to fill up by teachers.
- Education develops the power of the people to perceive critically the root cause of their conditions, the way they exist; the world in which they find themselves and realize that the world is not static but reality in motion.
- The more people reflect on reality and their concrete situation, the more they become fully aware, committed and ready to intervene to shape their situations.
Key Principles underlying education for conscientization:
Paulo Freire has identified 6 key principles:
- No education is ever neutral: Education may be designed and offered to either "maintain the status-quo by imposing on the people the values and culture of the dominant class" OR "to help become critical, creative, active, free and responsible members of the society. The former is education for domestication and the latter is education for liberation.
- Relevant Education:
Education should be for liberation. A liberating education is designed to help become critical, active, free and responsible members of society, it is not offered to maintain the status quo by imposing on the people the values and culture of the dominant class.
- Problem Posing:
Education and development should be pursued as a common search for solutions to problems whereby all participants are presumed to be creative people with the ability to solve their own problems. The role of the teacher is to assist the participants to identify problems, find the root causes of the problems and devise means and methods of solving them.
- Dialogue as dominant mode of interaction:
Education needs to be conducted as a social process, taking place in the context of dialogue, reflection and action.
- Reflection and Action (praxis):
Education should provide a moment whereby people can reflect critically about what they are doing, identify any new information or skills which they need, and plan action.
- Radical Transformation:
Education has to create a critical consciousness and increase of the learners to transform their lives, their environment their community and the society.
PRACTICAL EXAMPLES AND CASES OF CONSCIETISATION
A: FRANTZ FANON
Frantz Fanon was born in 1925 in Martinique and studied medicine in France and later specialized in psychology. He published his first book when he was 27. He was assigned to a hospital in Algeria during the rising against the French. His experience and observation there led him to throw in his lot with and her become one of their articulate spokes man.
In the "Wretched of the Earth", Frantz Fanon exposes the evils of colonialism and imperialism, thus calling for colonies to take actions against the colonialists.
According to Frantz Fanon, the world is divided into two parts, the rich and poor. The rich (foreigners) colonizes the poor by imposing their rule by means of guns and machine.
In colonies there are settlers and natives. Natives live in miserable living conditions, extreme levels of poverty and starvation while, the settlers live in high standards of living conditions.
His Ideas on Education
Fanon argued that colonial education system was designed to create exploited persons or colonized intellectuals. The colonialists hammered into the native the idea of a society of individuals where each person shuts himself up in his own subjectivity. In this sense, intellectuals behave like common opportunists.
He also argued that religion was a means of calming natives so that they can continue to be exploited. For him, to wreck the colonial world is a mental picture of action which needs to be assumed by each one in the colonized world.
Decolonization process should be therefore unifying people on a national basis to fight for liberation and national culture and to create a new history of man.
- JULIUS NYERERE
Nyerere was born in 1922 and emerged as national leader in 1960s. He saw in Tanzania, a third world nation, newly independent, people living under the constraints of poverty, technological backwardness, ignorance, hunger, disease, economic dependence as well as exploitation.
Early centuries of colonialism and oppression have distorted people's perception and the reality about themselves, the world and situation of the oppression.
The oppressed have been made to accept their inferior position and slavery and made to believe that change is impossible, so they do not desire change.
People were reduced to an object dragged along history for they can not make history.
His Contribution towards Education and Conscientization
His concern was to find a way in which these conditions could be transformed. Adult education was seen as a potent force for conscientizing people so as to understand the root causes of the constraints and how they could be transformed through their own action as no body else will do the job for them.
He believe that the task of adult education was to "shake" people so that they could resign from the constraints of poverty, ignorance, disease and exploitation.
Function of Adult Education according to Nyerere
- Adult education has to instill in people the desire to change and understand that change was possible.
- To help to work out the kind of change they wanted and how to create it so as to realize personal and national liberation and development.
He defined development as "liberation" and liberation as "freedom" from the constraints of nature, dependency and exploitation.
Pedagogy of Adult Education
Nyerere argued that, adult educators should first assist people to know and understand their constraints and secondly assist them to work out strategies for removing.
He further argued that adult learners might have background information about that subject matter in which their teachers was unfamiliar. By sharing their experiences and involving them in practical activities, learning could be meaningful.
An adult educator was a facilitator; he/she was therefore not giving the learners something which he/she owned, but helping them to develop their potentialities and capacities.
Adult education served a conscientizing function:
- To make people conscious about their constraints
- Persuade them to live and work together in village community
- To enable them to participate in making plans for eliminating the constraints
- To improve agricultural and industrial production
- To make them reflect certain traditional practices which were inappropriate for change
- PAULO FREIRE
Paulo Freire was born in 1921 in Recife, Brazil, a centre of extreme poverty situation of underdevelopment. He was forced to experience reality directly; experience the agony, economic crisis in 1929 in USA highly affected condition.
His ideas as articulated in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, in Cultural Action for Freedom and elsewhere are deeply rooted in concrete situations and describe the reactions of workers and members of the middle class in Brazil.
His Contribution on Education:
In the Pedagogy of the Oppressed; Paulo Freire suggest/propose the methodology and educational philosophy necessary for the dispossessed people in Latin America; for him, ignorance and lethargy (laziness) is product of the whole situation of economic, social and political denomination and of paternalism of which they were victims.
People were not encouraged and equipped to know and respond to concrete reaction of their world. They were kept submerged in a situation in which critical awareness and response were practically impossible. The education system was one of the instruments responsible for the maintenance of this culture.
Education as a Tool for Conscientization
Education should function as instrument which is used to facilitate the integration of younger generation in the login of the present system and bring about conformity. It also was an instrument for conscientizing people to liberate them from the impediments of nature and exploitation.
Pedagogy
He proposed the pedagogy of the oppressed- A Methodology and educational philosophy as a necessary means for equipping marginalized groups with knowledge and capacity to transform the oppressive conditions.
Through education and literacy, people can gradually and critically perceive the conditions in which they find themselves and come to new awareness of selfhood. In this way, they can take the action to transform society that has deceived them this opportunity of participation.
Through the pedagogy of the oppressed, the oppressed unveil the world of oppression, and through the praxis commit themselves to transformation. Once the reality of oppression has already being transformed, this pedagogy cases to belong to the oppressed and become the pedagogy of all men in the process of liberation.
He criticized the traditional literacy training process on various counts:
- The materials which were used in adult education were more just like those which were being used for children.
- Walter Rodney
Walter Rodney was born in Georgetown, Guyana on March 23, 1942. His was a working class family-his father was a tailor and his mother a seamstress. After attending primary school, he won an open exhibition scholarship to attend Queens College as one of the early working-class beneficiaries of concessions made in the filed of education by the ruling class in Guyana to the new nationalism that gripped the country in the early 1950s.
Walter took up his first teaching appointment in Tanzania before returning to his alma mater, the University of the West Indies, in 1968. This was a period of great political activity in the Caribbean as the countries begun their post colonial journey. But it was the Black Power Movement that caught Walter's imagination.
His contribution on education
Rodney argued that, education is crucial in any type of society for the preservation of the lives of its members and the maintenance of the social structure. Under certain circumstances, education also promotes social change.
He also assert that under normal circumstances, education grows out of the environment; the learning being directly related to the patterns of work in the society.
He commended pre-colonial education for its relevance to Africans as:
- It has close links with social life, both in material and spiritual sense.
- It was collective in nature
- Its progressive development was in conformity with the successive stages of physical, emotional and mental development of a child.
- There were no separation of education and productive activity or any division between manual and intellectual education
He criticizes colonial education for it:
- Stimulates values and practices which amounted to new informal purpose of colonial education.
- It was not an education system that grew out of the African environment or one that was designed to promote the most rational use of material and social resources
- It was not an educational system designed to give young people confidence and provide as members of African societies, but one which sought to instill a sense of defense towards all that was European and capitalist.
- Colonial schooling was education for subordination, exploitation, the creation of mental confusion and development of underdevelopment. "Colonial Education corrupted the thinking and sensibilities of the African and filled him with abnormal complexes".
He suggested education for underdevelopment that is;
- The education system should grow out of the African environment.
- The education system should give young people confidence and a sense of self dependence.
- The education system should liberate its recipients from all forms of subordination and exploitation whether mentally or physically.
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