UE 452 Monitoring and Evaluation of projects

Master 1 CEV-MED

General Introduction
In a context marked by unemployment and underemployment of young
graduates
given the mismatch between training and employment. However, the
education system
Cameroonian who must provide an adequate solution, presents some
shortcomings; because
that many young people leaving the said system are unable to integrate
sustainably
in the job market. It is with a view to eradicating this phenomenon that
is part of the project design and assembly course which aims to bring
students to
understand the main basic concepts studied to master the approach of
setting up a project and creating a business in the education sector. For this
do, it seemed wise to us, to introduce them to operational concepts; to
characteristics and typology of projects; to the identification of the project,
to the analysis of
needs, prioritization of objectives and performance indicators; to the life
cycle
of a project; business creation techniques; and the development
methodology
of a business plan.
Section 1: operational concepts 1
In the etymological sense, project means “to throw forward”, to solve a
problem. ·
Sociologically: the Project is linked to problem solving, to supporting the
change or the desire for change, a concern for innovation. He does not
intervene
on the other hand in daily, traditional and repetitive activities.
The current meaning or common sense (Cf. dictionary definition): “to
project”
(transitive verb). Form the design, have the intention, the desire (to).
Schedule a meeting.
We planned to go to the companion "Project n. masc.1. What is planned,
this
that we plan to do. Future plans.
For Sartrean existentialism, act by which the intentional subject aims at
what he poses
as being one's true being, and thus comes out of oneself, objectively and
temporally. THE
plan which constitutes a study, preparatory work concerning a future
achievement.
Screenplay project. The authorities presented the sanitation works
project.Project life cycle
A single process that consists of a set of coordinated activities and
controlled measures with start and end dates, undertaken with the aim of
achieving
an objective consistent with specific requirements, including constraints of
deadlines,
costs and resources (ISO 10006).
Gittinger (1985) conceives the project as being an activity for which one
spends money in anticipation of return and which logically seems to lend
itself, in
as such, to planning, financing and execution actions.
In the same vein, the European Commission (2001) thinks that “the
project is
a series of activities with specific objectives, designed to produce results
specific within a given time frame.
In the light of these different definitions, we see that the definition of the
concept
project always involves four key words which are: objectives - activity -
results - deadlines.
Purpose:
The purpose to which the project is supposed to contribute is generally
formulated
in general terms. The mission of the organization that will carry out this
project must
match, as well as the problem the project must address. Example:
Improvement of the living conditions of a given target population.
0 objective(s):
The objective(s) represents the expected situation at the end of the
project. II is
generally accurate. It sets performance levels in qualitative and
quantitative, that a project intends to achieve
Consistency
Adequacy of the project objectives with the means implemented.
Relevance
Relevance is the merits of the project. It refers to questions such as:
Does the project correspond to a correct analysis of the context? - Does he
come to respond to
real problems? Or prevent predictable problems? - Isn’t there a risk
ofprovoke others? - Are the beneficiaries well chosen, among the people
who
need them the most, and will therefore benefit the most? - Does the project
meet
their priority needs? Wouldn’t another project have been more
appropriate? There
relevance actually covers two criteria:
- on the one hand, it refers to the correctness of the aim pursued, judged
from the point
from an ethical point of view, the principles to which it has been chosen to
adhere, such as
sustainable and equitable development, or the goals and directions of
policies and programs that inspire the approach;
- on the other hand, it refers to the logical coherence of the specific
objective of the
project in relation to this purpose: it is a question of verifying whether this
objective really
contributes to the stated purpose.

Program
Set of related projects managed in a coordinated manner (PMI, PMBOK
3rd edition,
2004). It is in this sense that we speak of a naval program, a nuclear
program,
space program, etc.
Sponsor
Sponsor, Representative of the project owner, charged by the latter with
defining the objectives of the
project and put in place the necessary resources to carry it out. Note 1: He
is the
correspondent (client side).
Client: natural or legal person who will be the owner of the work.
It sets the objectives, the budget envelope and the desired deadlines for the
project.
Project manager: natural or legal person who carries out the work on behalf
of the
project owner and who ensures overall responsibility for technical quality,
deadline
and cost.
The project manager: natural person responsible, within the framework of
a defined mission,
to assume control of the project, that is to say, to ensure its successful
completion within the
technical, cost and deadline objectives.
Project team.
All people placed directly or not under the authority of the
project manager and those responsible for project execution within the
framework ofresponsibilities entrusted to them. This team may include
people
internal or external to the company.
Target/beneficiary (direct or indirect).
Are those who will benefit from the results of the project in terms of goods
or
services.
Chronogram.
Representation (graphical or not) showing the dates of events
significant aspects of a project or part of a project.
Activity/task (activity).
Set of tasks that consume time and resources, and of which
execution is necessary to achieve, or contribute to, the achievement of one
or more
results.
Project environment.
To better define the elements surrounding the project, we define
the notions of internal environment and external environment. The
environment
internal refers to the different organizational variables from which the
project originates (the
problem to be resolved; the technology used; human resources and their
skill ; organizational structure; the mission and strategic objectives; THE
organizational climate; processes and working methods; etc.) and the
environment
external concerns variables external to the organization and which can
influence the good
progress of the project (the political environment; the social context and
the population; the
economic conditions ; ecological and technological factors; legal context,
laws,
regulations; the media; suppliers, customers, competitors; etc.)
Efficiency
Effectiveness is the degree of achievement of the specific objective (OS), as
defined
highest single and operational objective, specific to the project. It depends
closely on the
level of achievement of intermediate objectives, necessary to achieve this
one, called
expected results (AR).Efficiency
Efficiency is the relationship between the degree of achievement of the
objective and the costs. The question
efficiency leads us to question the economical use of means, without waste
or
diversion for other purposes…
Section 2 Operating concepts 2
Strategy.
Set of methods implemented to carry out the project.
Piloting (control).
Set of actions allowing you to monitor the progress of a project and its
optimization, from the definition of objectives to its complete achievement.
Project phase
Set of project activities aimed at carrying out techniques
specific (analyses, studies, plans, cost, etc.) leading to a specific deliverable.
A
phase is characterized by a set of parameters (input data,
output, activities, actors, objectives, etc.). Each of the phases represents a
step in the
project management process and translates into a control point that allows
you to decide
whether or not to move on to the next phase.
Project lifecycle.
Set, usually sequential, of project phases, going from the initial idea
until its completion. This cycle includes the design and evaluation phase of
the
project, the detailed planning phase of the project, the implementation
phase, monitoring and
project control and the operation phase and evaluation of project
performance. Of
Briefly, the life cycle represents the path traveled during its existence.
Project management.
Planning, organization, monitoring, control and reporting of all aspects of a
project and the motivation of the people involved to achieve the project
objectives
(ISO 10006).
Logical framework (logframe).
It is a systematic vision of the project environment. This is a matrix
which represents the intervention logic, hypotheses, indicators objectively
verifiable and the sources of verification of a project (CE, Management
Cycle Management Manualprojects, 2001). It corresponds to a description
of the project at each of the four levels
of the hierarchy of objectives (purposes, goal/results, activities, resources
allocated to
project).
Logic
intervention
Indicators
objectively
verifiable
Sources of
verification
Hypotheses
Purposes for which
the project contributes.

Results or goal
targeted by the project

activities
Resources
assigned to the project

Product/result/deliverable. Deliverable
Also called outputs or outputs of a process. Products decompose
into two generic categories: material products (for example: an automobile,
a factory, an engine, a part, a tire, a fuel, a fertilizer, etc.) and the products
intangible (for example: calculation software, an intellectual service, a
service,
etc.).
Project arrangement Project arrangement
Set of points and questions to examine well in advance of the launch of a
project, then during negotiations with stakeholders. Note: This term is also
called “project engineering”.
Project design
This preliminary stage of defining the project results in the emergence of a
idea:

- desire to improve an existing situation.

- desire to satisfy a new need.

It must make it possible to answer the question: "What is the need that
must
satisfy the finished product?Sustainability “viability” or “sustainability”
Sustainability measures the longevity of the improvements brought about
by the project, and in
in no case the longevity of the external intervention. It classically refers to
the
permanence of the improved situation that constitutes the OS of the
project, but it is more logical
to also take into account the sustainability of effects external to the
objective, therefore
the impact. That said, sustainability is of course only desirable for the
impacts
positive!
Impact
Impact is the general development effect of the project. To estimate it, it is
necessary to take a position on what development is: we agree that it
is a sustainable and equitable improvement in human well-being, through
priority coverage of essential needs, regardless of their nature
economic, environmental or intangible. The project must result in a net
profit
for the community in the sense that, if a limited number of people benefit
from it, it should not be
not at the cost of excessive damage to third parties, current or future.
Section 3: Characteristics and typology of projects
3.1. Project characteristics
A project has two essential characteristics
- The complexity and
- UniquenessMore or less partial innovation
A project must be original, it can bring total or partial innovation.
To innovate is to introduce something new into a project or an
organization.
new, unknown in a field of activity giving it a competitive advantage.
Indeed, innovative ideas are synonymous with creation and new things:-
Business creation;
- Job creation ;
- Valuable creation

A project must be accessible and bring real added value to the market
or in society.
Limited time period
To the question of whether a project always has an end, the answer is both
no
and yes, certainly. The project can simply be a dream, that we would like
simply see it continue indefinitely.
The project that we want to manage must have an end, it is also one of the
elements
characteristics of the project.
In fact, this has the advantage of:
- Simultaneously control the costs, deadlines and performance of the
operation;
- Being able, at any time, to know the progress of your project;
- Answer the question: how will the project end?
If you don't know what marks the end of your project, how can you
say how long it will last and how much it will cost.
Satisfaction of a request
Generally speaking, a project always aims to satisfy a demand that
can be social, economic, environmental, health and other
etc… or a function to be performed, a service and a product.
From this point of view, the satisfaction of a request is not complex to
understand, it appeals to common sense, however its implementation is
based on a
sequence that must be respected if we want to achieve a satisfactory and
understandable by everyone. It is necessary to have a good understanding
of the vocabulary used
in order to be able to explain it to those who will participate in this
analysis. The satisfaction of a
request is to become a “translator”, this translation must be as faithful as
possible
so that whoever is going to “cover” the request responds to it.The request
is what is expressed or not expressed by the user and which
allows you to carry out a certain number of actions or tasks.
Part of the request may not be expressed by the user because he judges it
implicit.
The request can be expressed as follows:
“I would like to find a quick and easy way to get from my home to my
work” is the expressed need, but implicitly the user thinks “with
all safety conditions…”
This request can be translated into functions to be performed for the user:
• Be transported quickly
• Be protected from other users
• Have comfort…

If the request has been properly analyzed, all the functions will be listed,
the products
and the services offered will cover the need.
Setting specific goals
To bring a project to fruition, it is appropriate to formulate a general
objective to
following which we set more operational and measurable specific objectives
which
will make it easier to complete the project. The specific objectives
represent the
expected situation at the end of the project. It is generally accurate. They
set the levels
of performance in qualitative and quantitative terms, that a good project
proposes itself
to reach.
The specific objective must be one which represents a real benefit and
measurable for beneficiaries. In a logical framework, the specific objective
does not mean
not the offer of services but what is achieved after using the services
delivered by the
project.
The specific objective must therefore express why the beneficiaries need
the
project or program. Like all other goals and outcomes in the
Logical Framework, it helps to describe the situation that will prevail at the
end of the project. He isimportant to ensure that the specific objective
describes the major benefits that the project
wants to achieve for its direct beneficiaries.
The specific objective is the highest objective in the branch of the chosen
strategy
in an objective tree. (Project Cycle Management. South Research 1999-
2001).
EXAMPLES

Overall objective: Improve the standard of living of single-parent families

in the
Mellah district.
Specific objective: Increase the income of women aged 20 by 10%
cooperatives of Melen in one year.
2.2. Project typology
There are two main typologies of projects called tangible and intangible
projects.
which are generally divided into three types of projects called “hard”,
“soft” and “mixed”
".
So-called “hard” projects
Are physical/financial projects (this type of project is imitable and cannot
be
does not provide a lasting and decisive competitive advantage. Ex raw
materials, land
factory…etc
- produce and distribute goods and services to businesses or consumers;
- ensure the survival of the company and its growth except for certain
companies which
are created for a specific, temporary mission;
- make a profit.

“Soft” projects
So-called soft projects are projects that place an emphasis on humans with
a
strong social impact, they can be subdivided into:
- Technological Projects: patent know-how…etc.
- Commercial projects: brand image… etc.
- Human projects: teamwork, workforce flexibility, etc.
- Organizational projects: information system, database, etc.
They concern both the ambitions of managers (prestige for example) and
staff development: good working conditions, employee well-being,
participation in management power.“Mixed” projects
They can coexist with other purposes (economic and social) in the
most projects, but for some, they constitute primordial purposes: the
public service or national independence are the main goals of the projects.