PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION

Process whereby “project inputs are converted to project outputs”. May be looked at
as:
✔Putting in action the activities of the project.
✔Putting into practice what was proposed in the project document (i.e. transforming
the project proposal into the actual project.)
✔Management of the project or executing the project intentions.
✔Implementation usually done by implementing agency (organization) that prepared
the project and received funding for it.
✔Other organizations that participate in the implementation of the project
Project Implementation phase involves:

❑Project activation, and

❑Project operation
Project activation
This means making arrangements to have the project started. It involves
coordination and allocation of resources to make project operational.

Project operation
This is practical management of a project. Here, project inputs are transformed
into outputs to achieve immediate objectives.
▪ Project operation and maintenance

✔To attain value and maximum returns, the district/municipality or the

beneficiaries organize for the facility to have the project properly managed and
maintained regularly.
✔An operation and maintenance manual is prepared by the contractor and
handed to the district / beneficiaries.
▪ Approaches to project implementation

⮚Top-down approach
Implementation mainly done by agencies from outside the community with
limited involvement by the beneficiaries.
⮚Bottom-up approach
Beneficiaries implement the project. Outside agencies may provide the
financial resources and technical assistance.
⮚Collaborative participatory approach
Both top-down and bottom-up approaches to project implementation are
applied in the process.
▪ Project implementation plan (PIP)
⮚If PIP not carried out during the project design process and embodied in the
project documents, it is carried out at the project activation stage.

▪  Project implementation plan includes:

a) The project implementation schedule. This is concerned with:
1. What activities can produce expected project outputs?
2. What is the sequence of these activities?
3. What is the time frame for these activities?
4. Who will be responsible for carrying out each activity?
▪ Project implementation plan includes:

The following methods may be used to answer the above questions:

▪ Gantt chart
▪ Critical Path Method (CPM) or Net work analysis
▪ Project Evaluation and Review Techniques (PERT)
▪ Simple formats
▪ What is a GANTT Chart?
⮚The Gantt chart is also referred to as the progress chart.
⮚It is a chart showing the timing of project activities using horizontal bars.
⮚It is one of the techniques of project scheduling, which depicts the
frequency of activities and determines the period of time for implementation.

▪ How to determine a GANTT chart

✔Determine the parts or implementation phases of the project and the
sequence in which the associated activities shall be carried out
✔Then estimate the amount of time required for each activity
✔List the activities that can be carried out at the same time and identify
those to be carried out sequentially
▪ How to construct a GANTT chart
⮚Time represented on the horizontal axis, and activities on the vertical axis.
⮚Bars are entered to indicate the time period allocated for each activity and
the state of progress at any particular point in time.
▪ Project implementation plan (cont.)

b) The role of the implementing agency

⮚The specific responsibilities of the key staff during project implementation and monitoring are outlined.

c) Beneficiary participation
⮚The involvement of the beneficiaries in planning and implementation and what is expected of them is spelt out.

d) Organizational structure and staffing

⮚Here the following are sought:

1. Project structure for purposes of management

2. Qualifications and skills for the staff
3. Job descriptions and specifications for the staff
4. Technical assistance if needed
e) Financial management
⮚This looks at funds management, accounting period, financial reports and statements and how often they will be
made?
▪ Project implementation plan (cont.)

f) Reporting system
▪ This looks at who will be reporting to whom and how often. There is need to
design standard reporting formats.
g) Sustainability
▪ The concept of sustainability is based on belief that project should result in
benefits that have lasting effect. Project should be sustained beyond the life
of funding - especially if it is a grant.
▪ Project should not exhaust the available resources like raw materials and
labor.
▪ Project implementation plan (cont.)

Time control and remedial action

⮚Time taken to implement project activities is one measure of successfulness of
supervision or monitoring of project implementation.
⮚Supervisor pays particular attention to time control measures, time scheduling
and its supervision, time extension and postponement, damages for non-
completion and defect or warranty period.
Supervision of implementation of project schedule
⮚This involves a set of checks and balances to ensure that the schedule is being
adhered to.
⮚To ensure that the time schedule is being adhered to, the project activity time
listing can be of great importance.
▪ Factors affecting project implementation
⮚Factors that lead to success of projects
✔Political Commitment
✔Simplicity of Design
✔Careful preparation
✔Good management
✔Involvement of beneficiaries/community
⮚Factors and problems that lead to failure of projects
✔Financial Problems
✔Management problems
✔Technical problems
✔Political problems
▪ Factors affecting project implementation

⮚Other typical implementation problems

✔Poor scheduling of projects leading to delays in
✔Poor scheduling of projects leading to delays in implementation.
✔Misallocation of funds
✔Delay and sometimes lack of counterpart funding
✔Lack of accountability and transparency
✔Bureaucracy in decision-making.
✔Selfishness/nepotism/favoritism by some project managers.
✔Weak monitoring systems
✔Natural calamities like drought, earthquakes, landslides, and hailstorms.
✔Policy changes
✔Migration of beneficiariesLack of team work
✔Lack of incentives for implementers.
✔Etc.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Management may be defined as;
⮚Getting things done from the available resources, the way you want them to
be done.
Project management defined
⮚Project Management is an all-embracing term covering the management of
every detail of a project (Project cycle) and may be defined as, “the process
of planning and directing a project from its inception to its final
completion”.
▪ Project management (cont.)
⮚Project management decisions - a necessary function for setting up a project. It is
concerned with:
✔Forecasting
✔Setting objectives
✔Policy making

⮚Planning - determines success/failure of project. It has three (3) main aspects:

✔Programming
✔Scheduling
✔Budgeting
▪ Project management (cont.)
⮚Project control - To control is to compare actual with planned achievements and
take action to correct any adverse deviations. It involves:

❑Plans of Operation
These are the result of the planning process of Project management.
❑Review and Updating
Review is necessary to determine whether the project is proceeding
according to plan or not. Updating is recording the state of the project as shown
by the reviews, or of making amendments.

⮚Project Action - When review has shown a project to be deviating from plan,
action is required to restore the operation to its planned characteristics.
▪ Characteristics of a good project manager

⮚Characteristics of a good project manager. A good project manager should:

✔have working knowledge in several fields
✔be able to understand general managerial problems
✔have active interest in training and developing subordinates
✔be able to delegate some tasks to subordinates
✔know the project and understand its objectives
✔know the systematic process for managing projects
✔be able to answer the following questions:
⮚What is the project for?
⮚Why is it required?
⮚Whom does it serve?
⮚How is it justified?
⮚How is it going to be used?
END OF SLIDE