Project Design

Our Project Design Principles....

Tanzanian led

We hired Hussein, our Community Development Worker, so that we are able to do the face to face work to build on the ideas and initiative of our partner schools. Wherever possible we want project design and delivery to be led by CHETI NGO. We have re-designed our project design process to enable this.

Community Participation

Having Hussein working in Arusha makes it possible to meet and consult with our partners often. He has established Project Committees in each of our partner schools, enabling the community to participate throughout the project, and be involved in the whole process - in the long term, we would like many Project Ideas to be brought forward by these committees.

Learning from others

We are too small and too sensible to try to be experts in everything we do, so we try to learn from the experiences of others when designing projects. We don't want to reinvent the wheel either, so we will proactively seek out organisations doing similar work that we can learn from, both in the UK and in Tanzania.

Working with Pros & Capacity Building

We value the experience of CHETI NGO and our partner schools, they know a lot about running schools and know how to get things done in the areas they work in. Sometimes we will partner with other organisations, like Femme International, as an opportunity to bring in specific local expertise to our projects. When we do this, we will always try to identify opportunities for capacity building too.

Community Contribution

We want the communities to own the projects we support, and so our partnership agreement with schools sets the expectation that the school community will be involved in and support the delivery of our projects. This could mean a contribution to project costs, or 'in-kind' support such as labour or materials.

Local Labour

If the project involves construction, we will always try to use appropriately-skilled local labourers. This is a double investment in the school community, supports the local economy and fosters a sense of ownership and empowerment. We believe that construction by local labourers is likely to be better maintained.

Plain english, or Swahili!

We try to write in plain english, and use pictures and diagrams to make things clear. We may occasionally use specialist lingo in our project design, but this isn't an excuse! Our Project Designs should still be easy to read and understand.

Transparent storytelling

We put a lot of effort into making key documents in the project design document, like the Case For Support and the Outcome Report, to be attractive, visual and compelling. This is because we want to engage people with stories of the work that we do, be very open with our supporters and draw more people into the team.

The Project Design Progress

Project Map

Sometimes a Project Design will cover several different projects. For example, we have completed 4 rainwater harvesting projects to date, and these are all covered by the same project design. We keep the project design up to date as we deliver new projects, and for each new project we will complete a new project idea, budget and lite-touch proposal.

Project Design Documents

UPDATE TO FINAL VERSION

Project Design Template.pdf

Project Definition

The purpose of this phase is to identify and define a topic/area/issue/opportunity that we want to explore further because it could have potential to become a project.

This section of the Project Design document gives high-level background info and explains how and why Made With Hope and CHETI have come to focus on this topic. It is created by CHETI and Made With Hope together but contains a Project Idea that is prepared by CHETI. At this stage of the project design, usually we should be solution agnostic (thinking about the end game or the problem, rather than how we will achieve it). e.g. there is a water shortage in a school, wanting to ensure girls attend school on their period etc. If Made With Hope has delivered or is developing related projects this should be mentioned and their project design should be linked.

It is anticipated that the Definition Section of the Project Design will be circa 2 pages.

Intro & Glossary

This section gives a brief intro to the topic and ensures that the reader understand the key terms and concepts used throughout the document. This can be produced by a Project Design or a Project Research volunteer. eg. A wash project might give definitions of hygiene vs sanitation, a classroom extension project might mention the gov. recommended class size in Tanzania is 40, a menstrual hygiene management project could mention that primary schooling goes up to 14 etc.

Background

The Background sections gives a brief explanation as to how the project idea came about, when and who was involved. It is often broken down into two sections: consultations and observation.

Observation

Purpose: To observe a gap in the need, a possible project

Process: Initial brief conversations with NGO and document any observations in Tanzania (if possible).

Consultations

Did the theme of this project emerge from a consultation such as a workshop, school projects committee meeting, student survey etc. ? If so, give details of who raised the issue, what they said etc.

Project Idea - by CHETI NGO

The project idea summarises the initial high-level project idea. It's main purpose is to explain what we might hope to achieve by developing the project further, and what work and effort would be required to do so.

This is a stand alone document that is produced for each project. There can be more than one project idea in a single project design. eg. We may have a Rainwater harvesting project design in which CHETI NGO has produced 2 project ideas; one for more water tanks at Maweni School, and the second to develop a water bottle system at CHETI Primary. In the Project Design template there is a table that summarises all the project ideas for the overall rainwater harvesting project design.

What is the area? (eg Being Well)What is the issue?Targeted groupWhat is the desired impact of the project?How does this fit with Made With Hope and CHETI NGO Strategy?What field research is needed to develop this idea?How do you propose to do this field research?Could we need external expertise to investigate/deliver this project, for example, a delivery partner or a specialist contractor?What other organisations, stakeholders or suppliers work in this area that we should speak to?What are the timeframes for doing this investigation?Are there any opportunity costs of doing this investigation?What support will you require to get it done?What are the costs of doing this research/investigation?Do we anticipate creating a Problem Tree?
Project Idea Template

The Project Definition Process

  • CHETI complete a project idea template, which includes a proposal for what field research and resources would be required to explore the idea further
  • MWH and CHETI review the project idea and agree whether or not to commit resources to the field research & developing a project proposal.
  • MWH feedback on / add research questions into field research design if required
  • If the idea progresses, it is decided which project design it will be part of, or whether or not it is a new one (eg. additional RWH tanks would be part of existing rainwater harvesting project design)
  • If a new project design is required, Made With Hope create this. If the topic is new to MWH, basic research is done to produce a glossary etc to ensure that we have enough background to consider a proposal on the topic

Checkpoint: End of Definition Phase

At this point, we should know what investigating and developing the idea further would involve. The project idea will outline the next steps, how much of Hussein's time it will take up, when we expect it to be finished and how much it will cost. We should be able to prioritise developing the project further vs. working on other project designs vs. doing project delivery work.

At this point, a decision should be taken whether or not we want to continue with the project design process for the idea. Choosing to continue does not mean that we are fully committing to the project yet. We do this checkpoint so that we can prioritise time and effort on developing the most promising, feasible and strategically-aligned project ideas.

  • Agree whether or not a problem tree will be created

Discovery

The purpose of this phase is to consult to communities that we work with, and to develop our understanding of the issue, and the best practice of other organisations.

The Discovery section of the Project Design doc summarises our understanding of the issue, what we have learned about how other organisations address the issue, and what we know about potential strategies for bringing about change.

We should not need to recreate this for every project. We will keep it up to date as we learn more and deliver more projects.

Community Engagement & Field Research - by CHETI NGO

A Primary Research Project undertaken by CHETI NGO

The research project will be tailored to the project idea. The plan for the research project will be shared with Made With Hope for feedback before the research begins. The purpose of this work is to really understand the situation in the school and the community/beneficiaries needs. Plus it can help to show funders exactly why they should fund this proposed village/set of beneficiaries/particular project instead of another similar one for another charity. Techniques might include focus groups, community meetings, surveys, interviews, experience tour, question ladder etc. We are tying to both better understand the issues to inform our project design, but also to create evidence of need that we can use in applications for funding.

It is quite possible that the field research project may create quite a few documents, like transcripts of interviews or copies of surveys. These can be stored in the google drive. A summary of the research, it's findings and key quotes, stats and images should be added to the Project Design document. The working documents from the google drive can be referenced and linked (we don't want to make the project design too long with lots of interview transcripts).

There are some excellent resources and ideas on the development impact and you toolkit website. Emlyn has also created a document summarising best practice for creating surveys or questionnaires for young students.

Secondary Research

This desk-based research is undertaken by Made With Hope to give us the big-picture of the issue that is being investigated at a grass-roots level by CHETI NGO in Arusha. It's purpose is to help us understand the current climate around the proposed project using a variety of data. For example, for the Girl Empowerment project we might look at indicators of school attendance, birth/marriage rates or womens economic participation. We usually record this information at an International, National and Regional Level. For projects that are newer to us, like Teacher Training, we might look at the evidence base for effective types of project.

This will often be completed by a Project Design volunteer and we expect it to be around 2 pages. If the project is on a topic that has been extensively researched previously (eg. rainwater harvesting) we will check if the section needs updating instead of recreating it.

Tips for Project Design Volunteers helping with Secondary Research

  • Use a variety of sources.
  • Be sure to record and link all sources mentioned.
  • These may be used for future funding proposals/social media marketing etc. so they don't have to be purely academic and the section should be reader-friendly, even if its technical!
  • If the section is too long, lists of facts can be added to the appendix and a narrative 'summary of findings' kept in the body of the main project design document.

Problem Tree

A problem tree is a way of breaking down the cause and effect of an issue or problem and summarising it visually in a 'tree' diagram. For complex problems with multiple causes and consequences, it can be a helpful way for a group to come to a shared understanding which of many potential strategies to address the issue will be the most effective. Sometimes Hussein will facilitate a meeting for the School's Project Committee to make a Problem Tree. Not every project will need a Problem Tree, and whether or not to include one will be agreed on a case by case basis.

Inspiration and Best Practice

The purpose of this stage of the project design is to make sure that we understand what 'best practice' is for these type of projects, to learn from what other organisations are doing and to identify and speak to people who are doing similar projects in Tanzania and Arusha area.

In practice, this is usually a mix of Hussein meeting/speaking to other organisations in Tanzania, and desk-based research completed by Project Design volunteers in the UK. The desk based research could involve using our network to find organisations for Hussein to speak to in Tanzania, or looking at other charities websites or academic reports. We will then share our findings with one another.

Tips for Volunteers helping with the 'Inspiration and Best Practice' section

  • Research and review if we have any other success/lessons to learn from previous similar projects
  • Research other projects from other charities that we could take inspiration from.
  • Contact these similar projects/charities to ask for advice/tips and record their feedback.
  • Include a photo if possible/appropriate
ExampleProject Name: Tippy-Taps- (MWH have some in use at the moment)
Source: XXXX charity www.tippytaps.org
Aim: Operated hands-free, meaning people press on a pedal to tip water onto their hands. Constructed of easily sourceable parts- e.g water container, string, nails, etc.
Pros: Hands-free, preventing contamination and reducing chances of spreading germs by hand. Also very efficient- uses 40ml of water compared to 500ml using a mug. Children can be involved in making them which encourages a sense of pride.
Cons: Component parts have high maintenance requirements and the containers need to be refilled regularly
Suitability for MWH: Currently in pilot mode. Could have more stations on-site- need to ask if this is what CHETI/people at the school would like.
Sustainability: The issue of sustainability lies with having an ongoing supply of soap. CHETI have requested they take on the responsibility of supplying the soap, and MWH will bring soap when they visit. However, once this project is scaled, we will need to consider a better soap sustainability plan.

The Discovery Process

  • The exact content and process for the Discovery phase will vary from project to project.
  • During the Definition phase and checkpoint, the scope of the Discovery Phase is agreed for the project.
  • This may vary depending on whether or not we have delivered a similar project before, or worked with the community before. For example, if the project is to add 5 more rainwater harvesting tanks to a school that we have previously installed rainwater harvesting tanks, the Definition phase is likely to be very light touch.

Checkpoint: End of Discovery Phase

At the end of the Discovery Phase, we will share our learnings with one another about:

  • the situation in our schools, and the opinions of our partners
  • strategies used by other organisations to address the issue
  • organisations that we have identified who we may want to partner with.

We will agree at a high level which strategy we thing is most appropriate for us to develop. It could also be a good time to ask a volunteer to do a blog about what we have learned.

Dream

The purpose of this phase is to articulate how we think we can bring about change and proposing a 'logical framework' for a project that could deliver this change.

Log frame is short for 'logical framework'.

Log Frame

All projects need to be documented in a log frame. In some cases, the project may be added to an existing log frame, as it the project is part of a wider strategy. For example, a new girls toilet block may be added to the existing girl empowerment log frame, because this project compliments the Menstrual Hygiene Management project and together they enable girls to attend school on their period. We expect that each project design will only have one log frame in it.

The log frame is completed by CHETI NGO.

Project Outcomes

The first component of the log frame breaks down the single goal of the project (white box) into three high level outcomes (Outcome 1 - 3). These are broken down further into short term outcomes (1.1 - 3.3).

Project Outputs

The next table in the log frame splits down the short level outcomes into outputs.

The difference between an outcome and an output is....

  • Outcome: is a change that happens
  • Output: is a more tangible thing that is produced by the project

eg. Output: 30 news desks constructed. Outcome: students have more room during lesson

Checkpoint: Dream / Logframe

Once the first two tables of the project logframe have been prepared by CHETI NGO they will be shared with Made With Hope for review. At the next Project Checkpoint there will be a decision to agree the project logic, and the outcomes and outputs. At this point, the indicators may not be completely finalised (because this can be time consuming and it would be more efficient to do this after the outcomes and outputs have been agreed).

The key decision in the checkpoint is whether or not we want CHETI NGO to produce a Project Proposal, and if so, when this should be completed.

Design

The purpose of this phase of the project design is to work through the detail of how realising the change in the logframe would work in practice. How long would it take? How much will it cost? Who will need to be involved? What are the risks? etc.

Project Proposal - by CHETI NGO

To discuss with Hussein and Eleanor how we want to do the plan.
Project Proposal Template - Google Docs.pdf

This key document is written by CHETI NGO and details the project that will bring about the change outlined in the log frame. It contains all the key details about what delivering the project will involve, how much it will cost, how long it will take, who will be involved, how it is sustainable etc. It is the basis of the decision as to whether or not to do the project.

In addition to this google doc, the Proposal Document is accompanied by:

  • the updated & completed logframe
  • a project risk log (in a google sheet)
  • the project budget (in a google sheet)
  • a project plan (TBC what the best format for this is?? Not sure if we want to input all the details into Asana at this point, because if the funding is earlier/later than expected, this could require a lot of rework).

What should be covered in the Project Proposal?

Stakeholders

Identifying who will be involved in the project, and what their role will be. The proposal is submitted with a completed/updated log frame. On the second tab of the log frame spreadsheet is a RACI matrix. For each project output it is recorded which stakeholders will be Responsible, Accountable, Consulted and Informed.

Budget

Estimates for all costs associated with the project. CHETI will complete the project budget spreadsheet. The budget should be completed on a full cost recovery basis. Eg. if it is a toilet block, there should be items for both CHETI and Made With Hope overheads and expenses as well as raw building materials. Made With Hope can provide CHETI details of the MWH costs.

Sustainability, Participation & Capacity Building

Discussion of how we will ensure that the project is sustainable and how we can ensure the community are invested in the project and their capacity is strengthened through the project.

Theory of Change - by Made With Hope

Created by Made With Hope

A Theory of Change can be a great tool for explaining the project design in a single document. They are also sometimes asked for by funders. On a case-by-case basis, we may chose to create a theory of change for a project, using the proposal and log frame provided by CHETI. A theory of change consists of:

  • Activities, outputs, primary and secondary outcomes, and a single impact
  • They should be accompanied by a list of assumptions

Rainwater harvesting

Decision

This phase of the project design process considers if we are ready and willing to start the project, if it will achieve desired change, if we have funding and resources ready to start, and if all partners are on the same page.

Case For Support

This is a central document that explains the need and design of the project to be used in fundraising. It is usually a stand alone document, created in google slides, that is embedded in the Project Design document. It is created by Made With Hope.

Content:

  • The Need
  • The Solution
  • Monitoring and Evaluation Summary
  • Brief Budget/financial
  • Long Term Sustainability Of The Project
  • Our brief impact in this area already (if applicable)

We will usually have to tweak/rework the case for support to tailor it to each funder that we are applying for a grant from so there may be several versions of this document for a single project.

Mshikamano Classroom 6 and 7 Case For Support 2019
Eleanor Rathbone Girl's Toilets Case For Support 2019

Project Agreements

We create a project agreement with the key stakeholders in the project, such as CHETI NGO, the participating partner schools and community and any partner organisations (eg. Femme International). We may also prepare a letter for the local government. The purpose of these documents is to set out expectations and for all parties to make a formal commitment to the project.

Often these will be translated into Swahili and posted on the school noticeboards. These documents are created by CHETI NGO and reviewed by Made With Hope.

In the Project Design, we will create a register of the Project Agreement which highlights the key commitments made in the document.

For Hussein Maweni OKA RWH Project Agreement

Fundraising Strategy

This section of the Project Design is completed by Made With Hope.

  • To understand what is the best use of our time to fund this project. Realistically rank what is possible in terms of use of time from past success, researching about the funding market and how similar projects are funded
  • Identify possible Trusts and Foundations, and Corporate to apply to and what their application process is.
  • If suitable, consider brief ideas, using research and own creativity, of a fundraising campaign around this project.
  • Ensure to include a summary of the proposed fundraising

Ideas for creating a project fundraising strategy

Trusts and Foundations

  • Name at least 5 Trusts and Foundations we are eligible for. Make a paragraph of notes on their requirements including amount, what they could fund with us, who and what has been funded by the before, average annual income and grant giving.
  • Identify any pros and cons for us to consider
  • Make sure they are added to salesforce

Corporate Social Responsibility

  • Name at least 5 businesses we could partner with and how
  • Example: Tanzanian companies, building contractors,
  • Identify any pros and cons for us to consider
  • Fundraising goal for this area

Community Fundraising

  • Find 10 community fundraising events/ideas we could do or be involved in
  • Example: market stalls, talks, bake sales, school partnerships
  • Identify any pros and cons for us to consider
  • Fundraising goal for this area

Checkpoint: Project Readiness Review / Kick Off Meeting

Before we start the project, there should be a special meeting between CHETI, Made With Hope and any delivery partner representatives (Zuma, Hussein, Eleanor, Anna and another Trustee representative [optional]). In this meeting, we review together the project plan, budget, logframe and milestone project update reporting schedule and other reporting/funder commitments. The purpose of this meeting is to make sure that everyone is clear on the plan for the project and to agree that we are ready to start the project. The minutes of this meeting should be shared widely with trustees and volunteers. We could also do social media / blog posts about the project 'officially starting'.

Destiny/Delivery

This is the project delivery phase. In the project design document, this section summarises the progress of the project. We use project and tasks management tools like asana to manage the detail of day to day delivery of our projects. So this section contains the important highlights of project delivery and reflections on progress, outcomes & impact.

Invoices and Budget Summaries

Invoices

Updated by Made With Hope

We have a separate invoicing process (add link to process once published). The purpose of the table in the project design is to summarise the funds requested by and released to CHETI NGO. It should be possible to include plans for future invoices that have not been submitted yet.

Budget

Updated by CHETI

The main, detailed budget is in the spreadsheet. In the project design there is a summary of the budget, and of expenditure on the project to date.

Project Update Report.pdf

Project Updates

Prepared by CHETI NGO

In the project proposal, we will have agreed a schedule of updates for when CHETI NGO will give us a mini written update on the progress of the project. Depending on the project, this could be at a given time interval (every month) or it could be at the phase (eg. when construction has finished) or once a significant milestone is achieved (eg. the foundations are finished) or it could be a mix! The important thing is that this is agreed in advance, and the update scheduale is in is asana and there is a list and links to the updates in the project design.

Photo Updates

Provided by CHETI

Links to photos stored in the google drive should be added to the project design.

These photos should be a mix of 'evidence of output' photos (eg. photos that show something has happened/been purchased) and more comms-friendly pictures (eg. these photos may have been staged, are likely to include people and would be suitable for social media etc.)

Risk Management

The risk log that was included in the project proposal will be added to the project design and kept up to date. Each risk in the risk log will be assigned to a specific person, and this is likely to be a mix of CHETI and Made With Hope people (eg. CHETI for delivery risks, MWH for fundraising risks).

IMPORTANT DEFINITIONS


THREAT: Something with the potential to cause harm to a project. Eg the wet weather
RISK: the negative consequence of the threat being realised. Eg. poor weather makes the roads impassable, delaying the delivery of materials to site and delaying construction
IMPACT: the severity/seriousness of the problem arriving from the risk Eg. delays to construction would mean that the school is not ready to open for the new term, causing serious disruption.
LIKELIHOOD: how likely the risk is to happen. Eg. Construction is scheduled for the dry session, therefore wet weather during construction is very unlikely
Outcomes M&E Framework

Monitoring & Evaluation

We will take the final sheet of the log frame, which has space to add the indicators collected as part of the monitoring and evaluation plan, and embed it into the project design document. This will be kept up to do date throughout the project.

Lessons Learned

There will be lessons learned scattered throughout meetings and documents. The purpose of this section is to collate all the learning for the projects in one place.

Completion/Output Report

Report by CHETI

CHETI provide a completion report at the end of the work covered by each individual research. The content of this is very similar to an update report, but it also includes a detailed breakdown of expenditure, and all the receipts from the project.

Report by Made With Hope

Create a report that highlights key points in the project in terms of success, process, unexpected barriers to success, funding total, lessons learned, feedback report from CHETI.


We have recently started using google slide to produce these reports (see below). This format lets us collaborate easily, but also makes it possible to produce compelling documents using visuals, photos and videos. (NB Depending on how the project has been funded, we may be obligated to complete reports in a different funder-specified format).

The audience for this document is donors and the general public, and we will often try to take the content from the document and create a blog post and a series of social media posts from it.

Suggested Content
Why was this project needed?Project AimDescription of the projectOutcome and Impact (in line with M&E Procedure)Funding total and review of fundraising for this projectSustainability plan and effectivenessLessons learnedFeedback from CHETIPhoto of project

OKA Rainwater Harvesting Completion Report.pdf
Kitchen Table Charities Trust Completion Report

Impact Report

  • Using data collected from the monitoring and evaluation procedure and summarise the success of the project.
  • Highlight key statistics that we can use to promote the success of the project going forward
  • Use photos where appropriate

Project Delivery Checkpoints

Every fortnight/month (to be tested and confirmed!) we will have a Project Delivery Check In. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss the high level updates on all of the projects we are delivering at that time. This means that each active project will be discussed routinely for circa 10 minutes every fortnight, including:

  • reviewing the plan & milestones
  • reviewing risks
  • reviewing M & E and the log frame
  • look forward

If the check-in identifies problems, separate meetings to address them should be set up, rather than over-running and hijacking the meeting!

Project Closedown Meeting

At the end of the project, there will be a meeting between CHETI and Made With Hope to look back on the project together. It will look at what went well, what didn't go so well, what was different from the plan/budget, what we have learned, what next etc.

We also often have an equivalent meeting in Tanzania. For example, at the end of construction of the OKA Rainwater Harvesting projects there were celebration events at each of our partner schools. These events were a combination of showing the tanks to the wider community, formally/publicly handing over responsibility for the maintenance of the project to the school committee, and celebrating! (and chasing a chicken)