LESSON 2: PROJECT CYCLE

Stimulating Learning (Motivation)

Project development and management must be participatory, it must be viewed in the context
of the lives, experiences and aspirations of the people, especially the poor, deprived, depressed, and
underprivileged sector of the community. It must not be divorced from the overall process of
community organizing and development and directed towards the building of self-reliant
communities, where people are continuously building their capabilities and promoting their own
empowerment. To be really people-centered and participatory, project development and management
must help in the pursuit of overall community development goals.

Inculcating Concepts (Input/Lesson Proper)

PROJECT PLANNING AND IMPLEMENTATION

Project is a time-bound undertaking that is carried out to create a unique service. It combines
resources and channeled into a temporary structure in order to accomplish a specific goal.
Project development involves a series of continuous, often overlapping phases/processes. This
cyclical process starts with social analysis and a survey of felt needs in the locality as it will serve as
baseline information in the formulation of a project or set of projects that may be undertaken in an
uninterrupted or staggered manner. As soon as we have prepared the project plan, it is prudent that
we identify and have an inventory of our resources. Mobilizing our limited resources is a basic for the
success of the project. When the project is eventually implemented it is important to regularly monitor
it to keep track of its development. Consequently, measuring the success of the project through its in
impact will serve in evaluating the success of the implementation and in determining the subsequent
plan of action for which the cycle goes back to social analysis and needs assessment. The project
development approach follows a systematic process that involves determining the needs and the
problems in the community/barangay, planning, implementing and evaluating time-limited initiative
that is undertaken to create a unique service.
Projects may vary according to their objectives, boundaries, locations, target beneficiaries,
duration, and methodology. Although the phases may appear sequentially separated, they are, in fact
circular, i.e., the phases continually interface with each other both back and forth.
However, all projects undergo a process called the project development. .

These specific concerns in the development

of a project, known as the project cycle, are
geared towards building a self-reliant
community, and can be viewed using the
diagram below:
 THE PROJECT CYCLE

COMMUNITY
SOCIAL
NEEDS
ANALYSIS
ASSESSMENT

DETERMINATION OF
PROJECT
SUBSEQUENT COURSE IDENTIFICATION AND
OF ACTION PROPOSAL
FORMULATION

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
TOWARDS BUILDING SELF-
RELIANT COMMUNITIES
IDENTIFICATION
AND ORGANIZATION
IMPACT EVALUATION OF RESOURCES

PROJECT PROJECT
MONITORING AND IMPLEMENTATION
EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT
PROJECT CYCLE.
Development entails a progressive, continuous, and sustained intervention on community processes. Thus, a development project
is a cyclical process. The diagram above shows that the beginning of all project proposals is social analysis, and ends with impact evaluation
and determination of subsequent courses of action. The evaluation of a previous project is a stepping stone for the determination of
another developmental project, plan or activity, which is to begin with another social analysis.

A. SOCIAL ANALYSIS
Planning and management of development projects starts with social analysis of a given community. It will specifically focus on the
understanding of the demographics, history, problems, needs, resources, livelihood, beliefs, people potentials, structures and all the
other elements of community relevant to the implementation and management of the project. It also analyzes the strengths,
weaknesses, threats or opportunities within the community.

B. COMMUNITY NEEDS ASSESSMENT

An assessment of the needs of the community helps identify what the people or the community consider as priority needs and of
the ways of attaining them more acceptable to them. The needs shall be determined and prioritized from the viewpoint of the
community and not from the viewpoint of the change agent/s.

C. PROJECT IDENTIFICATION AND PROPOSAL FORMULATION

In this stage, a potential project design is organized after adequate consultation with the different stakeholders of the community.
Project identification gains meaning as the people discover potential projects which can help change the oppressive conditions in
their community and ways or means of responding sensitively to their problems and needs. Proposal formulation is the process of
putting down into writing the plan on how and when the project/activity shall be implemented including persons responsible for
their implementation and other details such as budgetary costs.

D. Preparation: IDENTIFICATION AND ORGANIZATION OF RESOURCES

In this stage, the planners determine how and when a chosen project will be implemented. Identification and organization of
resources is a process of cataloging key services, benefits, and resources within the community, such as individuals’ skill sets,
leadership focal points, organization structures, the economy of the community and other variables that may facilitate and catalyze
the effective, efficient and productive implementation of the project.
E. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION AND MANAGEMENT

In this stage, the project is carried out by the planners and the local community members based on an agreed-upon timetable. In
implementing the project, we want to see the people taking the lead role. At this stage in the process of planning and managing
development projects, the actual participation of the people shall be fully harnessed in meeting their objectives.

F. PROJECT MONITORING AND EVALUATION

In this stage, the planners and the community members determine whether or not the project objectives have been met.
In this activity, we want to monitor and evaluate their project. We want them to ask themselves:
 What’s happening with our project? Are we achieving our aims?
 What have we done to pursue our objectives?
 Have we deviated from these objectives? Why? What are the reasons?
Monitoring and evaluation are done so that people can periodically discuss and act timely enough on whatever problems they may
encounter in the project implementation and management and to make alternative plans/actions if necessary.
G. IMPACT EVALUATION

This is an assessment of how the intervention being evaluated affects the particular development of the project or program at every
phase starting from the initial activities to results. It also evaluates the outcomes, whether their effects are intended or unintended.
The goal of impact evaluation is to improve the implementation of the project or activity and to make necessary re-calibrations
along the way thus enhancing relevance, efficiency and effectiveness.

H. TERMINATION OF THE PROJECT FOR IMPLEMENTORS

NSTP-CWTS students are expected to complete their projects in the community as prescribed in the Program of Instruction in order
to be credited in the training course. Right at the very start the students-implementers must appraise their target participants of the
particulars of the project undertaken especially in terms of time frame. This will enable their clients to prepare for any eventualities
should the implementers will terminate the project.

If in case students lack hours of community immersion, or did not perform well, they are bound to receive an unsatisfactory rating;
more so, failure of compliance must be noted. Students must learn to work within the allotted time frame given, for their convenience
and also for the community’s sake. Despite the termination, the implementors should encourage the community member to sustain
the project or program implemented. This is to ensure that the projects are still enduring and beneficial to the communi