MGT MIDTERM 2

golden rule of budgeting:

- (allocable, allowable, reasonable and necessary, and are being treated consistently) 1. ALLOCABLE: A cost is allocable to a particular project when it can be directly attributed to it--that is, the cost really belongs to the project' ex: purchases equipment to be used for work on a funded project. T he equipment is allocable to the project as a direct cost. The project leader also purchases printer toner for his office printer, which is used for all of his unit activities --- this is not direc tl y attri butabl e to any on e pr oj ect, 2. ALLOWABLE: Only costs allowed by the organi sation 's policy, or accepted a common practi ce, can be included ex: project leader may c on sider discussing project with the project officer overdinner--if meal expenses are not allowed by the organisation 's policy, this is not an allowa bl e cost 3. REASONABLE: A cost must be reasona bl e and necessary for th e petform ance of theprojec t. ex: 4. NECESSARY: Costs incurred for the same purpose in like circumstances within the organisation must be treated consistently as either direct or indirect costs. ex: That is, if the organisa ion generally treats a particular type of cost as direct (and therefore alloca ble),the same cost can't be treated as indirect anywhere within the organisation. T he reason for this rule is to avoid in correct or double charging

WBS functions and purpose (work breakdown structure)

- develop a full appreciation of the scope and sequencing of the project - document tasks needed to be done -identify resources to complete them -idenitfy milestones and track progress against a timeline -estimate the time required for project and specifcy any deadlines Purpose: Divide work into smaller pieces, construc ti on of a WB S and the spec ifi ca ti on of individu al workp ac k ages all ows tim e, cost, sc hedule and even assoc iated risks to be es timatedindividually, and als o enabl es r es ponsibiliti es to be all ocated to project t eamme mb ers. Pr oj ect strategi es ca nnot be implem ented unl es s th ere is a cl earac tion plan, with the necessary st aff, r es our ces a nd e quipm e nt at hand.Th e ac ti viti es a nd t as ks of a proj ect need to be defined a nd broken dow ninto manageable chunk s, and th e simpl es t way to do this is to start withthe goals, strategi es a nd de li verabl es identified in the proj ect charte r.You ca n th en br eak th em down using subh eadin gs a nd ex pa nd on themin a li st fo rm a t. In project manageme nt te rm s, this is ca ll ed creating a WBS: Work breakdown structure

7 steps of collaborative planning process

0. Review project scope (event goals, stakeholders, impact) 1. Silently brainstorm tasks (all potential tasks: venue logistics, health resources to feature, activities) 2. consolidate and remove duplicates (combine tasks and remove copies) 3. categorize tasks into logical groups (logistics, promotion, content, personnel) 4. Create the timeline (gannt) 5. Place tasks onto the schedule (start and end dates, priority, sequence) 6. Identify Milestones (promotional launch, volunteer training) 7. Assign owners

CDC 6 steps and 4 standards for program evalutaiton:

1. engage stakeholders 2. describe the program 3. focus on evaluation design 4. gather credible evidence 5. justify conclusions 6. ensure use and share lessons learned 4 standards - utlity, feasibility, propriety, accuracy

Step 7 (Collaborate planning process)

Assign owners assign ownership to each task and milestone on the chart. Each post-it should have one owner who is accountable for moving the task forward. The owner may or may not be the person actually doing the work. Irrespective, it is the person who is accountable for it. The end result of the collaborative planning process is a high-level plan, with dependencies, milestones and owners built by the team. Each person now needs go to away and validate that the tasks they are accountable for can actually happen at the indicated dates. The beauty of this approach is that because the plan has been built collaboratively, team members are much more likely to commit to it. The plan will also help you to communicate clearly with stakeholders, as a one-page milestone plan may be all that they need.

Step 3 (Collaborate planning process)

Categorize tasks into logical groups team now has a manageable number of post-its that can be grouped into categories or work- streams of the project. One work stream may be related to communication, another to finance, a third to technology etc. At the end of this step, the team will have identified between five and ten categories and will have a number of tasks allocated to each category.

Step 2 (Collaborate planning process)

Consolidate and remove duplicates After the team members have brainstormed on their own they may have accumulated up to 25 post-it notes that overlap with those captured by other team members. The second step is therefore to remove duplicates. As the facilitator reads out the brainstormed tasks the team can remove duplicates and come to an agreement about which tasks and activities they believe the project consists of

Step 4 (Collaborate planning process)

Create the timeline prepare the schedule for the high level plan. Start by putting a timeline across the top of your whiteboard or flipchart paper, flowing from left to right. Use post-it notes to illustrate the different months of the plan. Then place the categories, or work stream headers, down the left hand side of your chart. You can now create a grid consisting of horizontal and vertical "swim lanes". The grid will make it easier to place tasks onto the schedule within the correctmonthandworkstream.

Project Budget

Defintion: For a project, the budget specifies all costs in vo lved in completing the project and the funding or revenue required to cover the costs (when revenue and costs are equal, this is a 'balanced budget'), financial doc that projects incomes and expenses, totally "projected" cost to complete a project during a specific period of time with a specific result Purpose: to enable the proj ect manager to track and measure actual results against the plan; budgets primary function is to provide project managers with a mechanism to compare actual expenditures against the planned (estimated) costs; crucial too for monitoring and controlling financial performance against the plan, indicate where action is required (ex: reduce expenses, change suppliers or product itself) Key components: built on good estimation of time and costs, and on consideration of uncertainties and risks; - direct costs, indirect (overhead and shared) costs - fixed and variable costs - labor and material - travel - equipment and space - licenses

CDC step 4

Gather Credible evidence Having credible evidence strengthens evaluation judgments and the recommendations that follow from them. evaluation should strive to collect information that will convey a well-rounded picture of the program so that the information is seen as credible by the evaluation's primary users. Information (i.e., evidence) should be perceived by stakeholders as believable and relevant for answering their questions Activities: develop and implement tools for data collection, collect quantitative data, minor program implementation to ensure fidelity for planned activities

Step 6 (Collaborate planning process)

Identify milestones Milestones are tasks with zero duration that indicate an important achievement in the project. They are used to indicate movement and progress and are useful for stakeholder communication and for reporting upwards.

direct vs indirect pt2.

In some circumstances, expenses normally charged as indirect costs may be charged to the project as direct costs. For example, large, co mplex projects that involve extensive data accumulation or surveying may need to employ an administration officer to support this wor k rather than using existing administrative st aff- this wou ld be a direct cost. Similarly, some overhead costs are routinely alloca ted to their end use, and if the project is included in this procedure (for exampe, a large or externally funded project may require a cost centre in its own right ), these costs will be allocated as if they were direct

CDC step 5:

Justify Conclusions evaluation conclusions are justified when they are linked to the evidence gathered and judged against agreed-upon values or standards set by the stakeholders. Stakeholders must agree that conclusions are justified before they will use the evaluation results with confidence. Activities: analyzed ur data to determine program effectrivwnss, compare results against benchmarks or objectives, prepare report discussing program effectiveness and provide evidence based conclusions

CDC step 6:

Lessons learned in the course of an evaluation do not automatically translate into informed decision-making and appropriate action. Deliberate effort is needed to ensure that the evaluation processes and findings are used and disseminated appropriately. Five elements are critical for ensuring use of an evaluation, including design, preparation, feedback, follow-up, and dissemination. Design refers to how the evaluation's questions, methods, and overall processes are constructed Preparation refers to the steps taken to rehearse eventual use of the evaluation findings. Feedback is the communication that occurs among all parties to the evaluation Follow-up refers to the technical and emotional support that users need during the evaluation and after they receive evaluation findings. Dissemination is the process of communicating either the procedures or the lessons learned from an evaluation to relevant audiences in a timely, unbiased, and consistent fashion Additional uses for evaluation flow from the process of conducting the evaluation; these process uses have value and should be encouraged because they complement the uses of the evaluation findings Activities: present finding and discussion to stakeholders, conduct meeting or workshop to discuss how findings can be used to improve program, create plan for implementing them, share lessons learned

Step 5 (Collaborate planning process)

Place tasks onto the schedule next step is to transfer the individual tasks onto the schedule based on dependencies. Start by placing the post-it note containing the end deliverable onto the right hand side of the chart. Then transfer all the tasks, one by one. Tasks that can be completed relatively early are placed towards the left and items that can be completed later are on the right. This is a dynamic process where team members discuss where, ideally, this task needs to happen on the timeline. As they place the post-its they should take into account dependencies, as some tasks naturally need to happen before others

3 componenets of presentation Jennifer Bridges

Preparation: expectations for your audience, what topic is presented, location, venue, time, takeaways research for your topic (inerviews, relevancy, why do they care, what does this mean to whom, timely for the audience) professional material (powerpoint, slides, takeaways (where to ship materials/where resources for presentation are needed)) Presentation: arrive and setup and test EARLY presentation format (intro, message, outro) delivery of info (your tone, pace, and questions) next steps (ex: contacting you!) Follow-Up: send thank yous, send takeaways, address questions, follow up on nxt steps, schedule next steps or close out, they contact you

Step 0 (collaborative planning process)

Review project scope (ex: event goals, stakeholders, impact)

Step 1 (collaborative planning process)

Silently brainstorm tasks (this is actually step one) where the team brainstorms everything that needs to get done within the boundaries of the project. To do the brainstorming well, make use of post-it-notes and ask people to write down all the tasks and activities that are in scope of the project. They should capture one item per post-it note. It is important not to criticize or restrict people at this stage

4 Standards CDC: standard 1

Standard 1: utility (is it useful to audience) Purpose: meeting info needs of intended users Key aspects: identify stakeholders and their info needs Application: engage stakeholders, clarify goals, tailor evaluation - Utility standards ensure that information needs of evaluation users are satisfied. Outputs and outcomes should consider what is most useful to audience address such items as identifying those who will be impacted by the evaluation, the amount and type of information collected, the values used in interpreting evaluation findings, and the clarity and timeliness of evaluation reports.

CDC standards: standard 2

Standard 2: feasibility (tied to smart goal—if fit smart goal it will be feasible) Purpose: realistic, practical evaluations within resource limits Key aspect: manageable design, accounting for political/social climate Application: efficient planning and execution considering resources and constraints Relevance to outputs and outcomes: focuses on practicality and resource allocation, what can be realistically achieved given the constraints Feasibility standards ensure that the evaluation is viable and pragmatic. The three feasibility standards (Box 14) emphasize that the evaluation should employ practical, nondisruptive procedures; that the differing political interests of those involved should be anticipated and acknowledged; and that the use of resources in conducting the evaluation should be prudent and produce valuable findings.

CDC standards: standard 3

Standard 3: propriety Purpose: ethical conduct and respect for rights and interests Key aspects: respect for human subjects, fair assessment, conflict handlings Application: adherence to ethic guidelines, protection of participants, impartial reporting Relevance to outcomes: involve ethical consideration and rights of those affected by evaluation, ensures outputs and outcomes r ethical and respect rights and well being Propriety standards ensure that the evaluation is ethical (i.e., conducted with regard for the rights and interests of those involved and effected).

CDC standards: standard 4

Standard 4: accuracy Purpose: reliable and correct findings Key aspects: accurate documentation, valid and reliable data methods Application: appropriate data collection/analysis, unbiased and clear reporting Relevance to outputs and outcomes: focus on truthfulness and correctness of info, standard emphasize importance of valid and reliable merhods and reporting Accuracy standards ensure that the evaluation produces findings that are considered correct. Twelve accuracy standards (Box 16) include such items as describing the program and its context; articulating in detail the purpose and methods of the evaluation; employing systematic procedures to gather valid and reliable information; applying appropriate qualitative or quantitative methods during analysis and synthesis; and producing impartial reports containing conclusions that are justified.

impact evaluation

assesses program effectiveness in achieving its ultimate goals

business case pt. 2

components: video: (summary, business description/mission statement, product or service, marketing strategy, competitor analysis, SWOT, operation overview, financial plan ) Book: - executive summary: a concise summary of content of doc, standalone -sign-off sheet: clause for recording project sponsors and propenents signs, recording their support or commiting them -current situation: background/contet with judgements backed with evidence (in numbers where possible) -future state: predicted /desired/intended future situation---realisation of goals/strategies/future role delineation, risk profile and service models (any assumptions clearly set out and supported with data) -policy issues: broad policy constraints bunssines case has to fit (ex: gov policies, social justice and ethics) -strategic alignment: how does intiative align with org or funders strategic goals -gaps/needs analysis: statement of problem gaps, or needs project seeks to address, supported with data -options for action: feaasiable options to address problems or gaps in policy contrainst, option described in detail/capable to stand alone and also have alternative too -analysis of options: qualitative and quantitative process----typical components (income, stream, source of funds for captial and recurrent costs, risk analysis, NPV tables, etc)---analysis of each facet conclude with result or solution since these results will be used for comparison between options and selection of preferred option -comparative evaluation and selection of preferred option: decide this based on steps above (based clear statement of argument, criteria and process, preffered option selected) -recommendations: propose preferred option in form of decision or action for decision makers to support or decline -implementation plan: specify person responsible for imple

Business case (DIFF from project plan)

defintion: definition: a business case is essentially a financial analysis (NOT A PROJECT PLAN) that quantifies and schedules the costs of a project as well as the benefits and direct cost savings or increased revenue arising from the project, (a business proposal, marketing plan, and outline strategy) purpose: shows how can a business be profitable - T he co nce pt of a positive busin ess case is a bit differe nt for proj ectsin health and co mmuni ty se rvices. The question may instead be 'will thisproj ect enable us to do so m e thin g differently or better without a ddi-tional c ost- ca n we make this p ay for itsel f?' (th e 'br ea k even ' arg ument ).For pri va te providers of services, the qu es ti o n m ay b e' ca n we make thi sp ay for itse lf a nd generate at l eas t an acce pt able surplus?' -If there are potential re turn s if a project w ork s, but its costs are signif-i ca nt and so ur ces of funding are hard to find , a well-argued busin ess caseca n give decisio n-m akers a c omp e ll ing reaso n to find th e mo ney a nd maketh e in ves tm ent -In addition to sho wing how inno va ti ve and effective the propo se d project could b e, the busin esscase needs to address how the proposed project ca n ju sti fY th e resources required (o r how implementation of its out com es will be sustaina bl e) - provide justification for proposed business change or plan - outline allocation of capital and resource required to implement -can be action plan or unified vision -provide decision makers with options

CDC step 2:

describe the program Program descriptions convey the mission and objectives of the program being evaluated. Descriptions should be sufficiently detailed to ensure understanding of program goals and strategies. The description should discuss the program's capacity to effect change, its stage of development, and how it fits into the larger organization and community. Program descriptions set the frame of reference for all subsequent decisions in an evaluation. The description enables comparisons with similar programs and facilitates attempts to connect program components to their effects stakeholders might have differing ideas regarding program goals and purposes. Evaluations done without agreement on the program definition are likely to be of limited use Activities: document program objectives, outline program components, detail program operational context, resources, target pop, and delivery methods

process/implemenatioin evaluation ( r we doing what we said we r gonna do)

determines whether program activities have been implemented as intended and reach the intendence audience, importance in identifying outcomes and outputs—-includes activities and participant engagement Importance: effectiveness and accountability, direct future program design, Ex: monitor participation rates in diff program components, assess quality and freq of interactions in online support groups

direct vs indirect costs

direct costs: Equipment, services and materials that w ill be needed for conducting the project indirect costs: often called 'overheads' , are incurred for a co nunonor joint purpose and therefore cannot be identified readily and attributed to a particular project. These costs m ay be necessary for the implemen-tation and co mp le tion of th e proj ect, but are sha red with other activiti eswithin the or ganisation ex: salaries, wages and other benefits for staff who don 't work o n theproj ect, but who administer or otherwise support the project as part of their ongoing job, such as department administrator, wardclerk o r IT staff • genera l-purpo se e quipm ent, co mputers a nd software such as word pro cess ing program Plann i ng tools: schedul ing , budge tin g and th e bus ines s case space and utili y costs • general-purp ose office suppli es, such as pape r, pens a nd tonerca rtridges routine internal couri er services a nd ge neral postage routine printin g, reproduction and photo copying ex: salaries, wages, equipment used solely for the project, and specific travel costs (like plane tickets, hotel stays, and course fees) related to project activities are considered indirect costs --FALSE, thye are directly attributed to project

CDC step 1:

engage stakeholders: Stakeholders must be engaged in the inquiry to ensure that their perspectives are understood. When stakeholders are not engaged, an evaluation might not address important elements of a program's objectives, operations, and outcomes. Eengaging the following three principal groups of stakeholders are critical: - those involved in program operations (e.g., sponsors, collaborators, coalition partners, funding officials, administrators, managers, and staff); - those served or affected by the program (e.g., clients, family members, neighborhood organizations, academic institutions, elected officials, advocacy groups, professional associations, skeptics, opponents, and staff of related or competing organizations); and - primary users of the evaluation. Key activities: identify and reach out to them, conduct stakeholder meetings and groups to get insights about program expectations, concerns, suggestions, establish stakeholder advisory group to provide ongoing input throughout evaluation process

Formative Evaluation (do we have all resources to carry it out)

ensures that a program or prgram activity is feasible, appropriate, and acceptable before it is fully implemented. it is usually conducted when a new program or activity is being developed or when an existing one is being adapted or modified Help in identifying outputs and outcomes: Focus on program development, assessing needs, and refining program components Ex: Insights: feedback on program materials, schedule flexibility, tools, digital tool usability, refinement of counseling approaches and nitcone replacement therapy options based on needs

CDC step 3:

focus on evaluation design Not all design options are equally well-suited to meeting the information needs of stakeholders. After data collection begins, changing procedures might be difficult or impossible, even if better methods become obvious. A thorough plan anticipates intended uses and creates an evaluation strategy with the greatest chance of being useful, feasible, ethical, and accurate. Among the items to consider when focusing an evaluation are purpose, users, uses, questions, methods, and agreements 1. Articulating an evaluation's purpose (i.e., intent) will prevent premature decision-making regarding how the evaluation should be conducted. 2. second purpose for program evaluation is to change practice, which is appropriate in the implementation stage when an established program seeks to describe what it has done and to what extent. Such information can be used to better describe program processes, to improve how the program operates, and to fine-tune the overall program strategy 3. to assess effects. Evaluations done for this purpose examine the relationship between program activities and observed consequences. This type of evaluation is appropriate for mature programs that can define what interventions were delivered to what proportion of the target population. Knowing where to find potential effects can ensure that significant consequences are not overlooked. 4. A fourth purpose, which applies at any stage of program development, involves using the process of evaluation inquiry to affect those who participate in the inquiry. The logic and systematic reflection required of stakeholders who participate in an evaluation can be a catalyst for self-directed change Activities: define purpose of evaluation, determine evaluation questions like how well it's implemented, selected appropriate evaluation met

Gantt chart Function

function: type of bar chart plots activities (in rows) against the timeline (in columns), thus showing the relationships/interdependence between them and the schedule Gantt charts can also show the resources required for a particular tas k or activ ity, as we ll as the relationships betwee n the tasks, milestones and baselines ; ca n be used to tr ack pla nned and actualprogr ess needed --good for implemenation and planning phase --benefit: simple, easy to understand, illustrative of showing status of something against scheudle con--difficult to update if there are lots of changes and ca n be hard to manage in more complex projects isnt anywhere to communicate and work on projects at individual level—just an overview

WBS tasks/sub-tasks

highly variable depending on scope and needs of project—-need to complete this to complete the activity, some ways defined by their relationship to on another and to higher levels of WBS—tasks are discrete pieces of work that are needed to complete a single activity

WBS work package

includes all the scheduled activities and tasks (with milestones) that are required to complete a deliverable in a WBS——should be detailed enough to facilitate further aplnning, scheduling tasks, determining resources, and assist project manager to maintain control of time and resource use during implementation

WBS activities

manageable collection of related tasks that contribute to a single deliverable

Project Budget cont.

manager will refer to WBS not business case to create one bc essential for budgeting bc it organize the project into manageable allowing for more precise cost estimation and allocation Rationale in its creation: : it makes adequate funds available for achi evement of the project goals, a written forecast or plan of what managers expect to happen in the future, quantified in terms of dollar inflows (revenue) and dollar outflows(expenses) (Van Horn e 1998) . Organisations use budgets as planning tools to allocate resources and to evaluate their overall operations those preparing budgetsund er take th e following steps: - Conduct a thorough analysis of the scope of work and tasks, activities and timelines, labour and other resources required to complete the work-the WBS provides a solid b as is for completing this step. - • Assign realistic monetary values to the required resources, based on estimates for each item -thus forming a preliminary budget. -IdentifY risk factors and allow for their potential impact on thebudget-the risk manage ment plan provides a good basis for calculating a con tingency a ll owance for risk. -Present and discuss the preliminary budget with senior management (and perhaps financial sponsors if re leva nt ) to test that your thinking and calculations are in line with expectations,to explore the reasons for any differences and then resolve them

outcome/effectiveness evaluation:

measures program effects in the target population by assessing the progress in the outcomes or outcome objectives that that the program is to achieve, help pinpoint what the program is delivering and the IMMEDIATE effects of these deliveries (short term outcomes)

PERT

often overestimate work bc - We are over optimistic - Are not clear about what we estimate - We don't factor in everything that needs to get done - We don't distinguish between effort and duration 3 point technique to help us estimate project timeline and finishing more effectively Formula: (Take most optimistic estimate + 4 times the most likely estimate + the most pessimistic estimate) divided by 6 Need for PERT and times duration challenges in WBS - complexity of tasks -subjectivity in estimates (human bias) - overlooking interdependent activities - resource availability fluctuations - historical data limitations (non analogous historical data) - risk and uncertainty —unforeseen events and changes Project: develop, implement, evaluate (idenifhtg input, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate, adjust and improve)

WBS main deliverable

products or outputs that together represent everything the project must achieve—-important to get them right at this stage as they are the organizing principle for the rest of WBS

business pt 3.

steps to create one (address these questions): - Wh at str ategic benefits w ill the proj ect brin g to the or gani sa tion ? - Why is the proj ect good va lue for mon ey, given that the organisation will m ake a considerable investment in th e proj ect? - What are the consequences for the organisation if it were not to conduct this project? - What is the evidence that supports the case (in a form that is useful for decision-maker s)? - On what criteria will success of the project (and a decision to proceed with implementation of the result) be based? Steps: 1. Research market, competition, alternatives 2. Compare + finalize approaches 3. Compile data + present strategies, goals, options, 4. Document it

WBS Two approachs (TOP DOWN vs BOTTOM UP)

top down (deliverables to work elements, gray): a vertical WBS like the one above, start with deliverables, break each one into meaningful activities, then into tasks, in descending order—-deliverables listed on left and dropping from top to bottom, ex: resources and processes for mass vaccination and routine operations, process improvements steps, and needs analysis are ALL known and estimated Bottom up (work elements and deliverables, green) —-horizontal: -identify tasks or all work elements first, group them to form the higher levels—deliverables listed on top from left to right, first question we need to ask is what are the tasks for the deliverables? Use PERT to estimate the time for this, ex: resources, provider knowledge/expertise gap, and needs analysis are UNKNOWN