1. Civil Society Facility and Media Programme Call for proposals: EuropeAid/162473/DH/ACT/Multi Webinar no. 3: Preparing effective Concept Note
May 3, 2019
This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the
sole responsibility of the GDSI Limited and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union

2. Webinar Programme Preparing effective Concept Note
Result Area 3: Communication and Visibility
Webinar Programme
Preparing effective Concept Note
Introduction to Objective Oriented Project Planning /LFA approach
Walk through (step-by-step) of stages (Preparation, Analysis, LF), with focus on stage 1 and 2 (no LF is needed for the CN preparation): Stakeholder Analysis, Problem Tree/Objective Tree, Partnership issues
Q & A

3. Preparing effective Concept Note

4. Logical Framework Approach
A participatory method for developing a plan
A way of presenting the results of the planning exercise – Logical Framework Matrix
A tool for monitoring and evaluation
The LFA is a way of describing a project in a logical way so that it is: • Well designed. • Described objectively. • Can be evaluated. • Clearly structured

5. CN and the LogFrame
The LogFrame is NOT a requirement of the Concept Note submission;
Only requested at the Full Application stage (Annex C)
HOWEVER
Extremely useful for potential applicants to have undertaken the basic analysis underpinning the development of the LogFrame (stakeholder analysis, problem and objective definition etc.).

6. Steps in LogFrame approach
Stakeholder analysis
Problem analysis
Objective analysis
Decision on the scope for the project
Develop intervention logic
Analysing risks and assumptions
Defining progress indicators
Developing a budget and schedule activities

7. Step 1: Stakeholder analysis - Why?
Know about stakeholder interests in relation to subject of intervention;
Know about (potential) conflicts;
Assess implementation risks;
Identify possibilities/opportunities for co-operation;
Decide on (level of) participation;
Design planning process

8. Who are stakeholders?
Definition 1: persons, groups or institutions with interests in a planning or change process.
Definition 2: all actors whose interests will be negatively or positively affected by a possible intervention.

9. Type of stakeholders in the application
Partners (Lead-applicant, co-applicant, affiliated entities, associates etc.)
Target groups – are the groups/entities who will be directly positively affected by the project at the project Outcome level
GfA 2.1.

10. Steps in stakeholder analysis
HOLDERS
INFLUENCE
IMPORTANCE
Identify stakeholders;
Assess how important is
the stakeholder in relation
to the project idea;
Assess how influential is
Place each stakeholders on the importance/influence scale.
Decide how to include the stakeholders in the planning and implementation process.

11. Assessing importance of a stakeholder
Importance indicates the extent to which stakeholders’ needs and interests will be influenced by means of the planning and subsequent implementation of the project. This can be either positively or negatively.
Which problems, affecting which stakeholders, does the project seek to address or alleviate?
For which stakeholders does the project place a priority on meeting their needs, interests and expectations?
Which stakeholder interests converge most closely with policy and project objectives?
Which stakeholder interests diverge significantly from policy and project objectives?

12. Assessing influence of a stakeholder
Influence is the power which stakeholders have over the planning and implementation process (decisions to be made, its implementation that affects the project).
What is the nature of that organisation/entity?
What is their relation to other stakeholders (f. e. local government having control over budgets etc.)?
What is the extent of informal influence this organisation/entity has (f. e. personal connections to ruling politicians)?

13. Importance-Influence
HIGH A.
High importance,
low influence B.
High importance,
high influence
INFLUENCE C.
Low importance,
low influence D.
Low importance,
high influence
LOW
HIGH

14. Importance-Influence
HIGH
IMPORTANCE A.
special
initiatives needed
to protect
stakeholder interests B.
good working
relationship
must
be created
INFLUENCE C.
Limited/no
involvement
low priority D.
Source of risk,
need for
careful monitoring
and
management
LOW
HIGH

15. Level of participation
3 Collaboration (decision-making)
2 Consultation
1 Receiving/giving information

16. Step 1: Stakeholder analysis (recap)
Analysis of the context including
Analysis of the stakeholders
Identifying the key stakeholders
Determining the stakeholder interests
Determining stakeholder roles, power and capacity
Formulating a stakeholder participation strategy

17. Step 2: Problem analysis
Problem analysis identifies the negative aspects of an existing situation and establishes the cause and effect relationships (the link) between the identified problems;
Once complete, the problem tree represents a summary picture of the existing negative situation.

18. Step 2: Problem analysis
Steps in developing the problem tree
Identify key problems faced by target groups and beneficiaries;
Analyse an existing situation by identifying cause-effect relationships between problems;
Visualise problems and cause-effect relationships or hierarchy of problems in a diagram (‘problem tree’).

19. Formulating problems (“causes”)
Real existing problems;
Explain jargon and abbreviations;
No broad terminology – e.g. “infrastructure”;
Beware of the interpretation (“government is lazy”);
Beware of absence of solution (there is no money, lack of population…);
Respect opinion of others
How is this useful?
Problems are defined and understandable by all partners;
The link between cause and effect between the problems;
This is the base for the analysis of objectives and later it will be helpful in deciding where to concentrate the project intervention.

20. Problem tree - example

21. Step 3: Objectives analysis
Purpose:
To identify the ‘desired situation’ that will be achieved when all problems are solved;
To get an overview of potential solutions for the current problematic situation.
How:
Building an objective tree, based on the problem tree ;
By rephrasing each negative situation into a positive one, that is desirable and realistically achievable.

22. Problem to Objective formulation

23. Objective tree - example

24. Step 4: Analysis of strategy (scoping)
Purpose:
To identify possible alternative strategies that can contribute to the achievement of the higher level objectives;
To agree on priority strategies based on an assessment of the relevance, the feasibility and the sustainability of each of them.
How:
Identify clusters/group of objectives;
Chose the frame of project intervention.

25. Key criteria for strategy selection could include:
CONCEPT NOTE ELEMENTS
Analysis of strategy
Key criteria for strategy selection could include:
Expected contribution to key policy objectives, such as poverty reduction or economic integration;
Benefits to target groups – including women and men, young and old, etc.;
Complementarity with other ongoing or planned programmes or projects.

26. Criteria for scoping Urgency of the problem(s)
Capacity of the organisation/partner to implement
Available expertise
Eligibility of the area of action
Program objectives (measures)
Amount of money available

27. Intervention Logic Future Path Overall objective(s) (Impact)
Importance of the project for the society
Why beneficiaries
need the project/Use of products / services by target group beneficiaries
Specific objective (Outcomes)
Path
What will be delivered by the project (products/ services)
Outputs
Means – resources needed in order to carry out activities
What the project & stakeholders (will) do
Activities
Means

28. This publication was produced with the financial support of the European Union. Its contents are the sole responsibility of the GDSI Limited and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union