APPENDIX 1.

CIDA Project Planning and Implementation

CIDA supports development projects with two different kinds of resources; financial aid and expertise. Development projects are either conceived within CIDA, or proposed to CIDA by other organizations, agencies, groups, or individuals. All of these projects are continuously guided and assessed, but are not managed operationally by CIDA. Because of this, there are key steps where CIDA shapes or influences projects.

The first of these steps is in the pre-planning stage - where the initial decision is made to consider a project idea. The next in CIDA’s system of project approvals is the design and planning stages. For approval by the executive levels of CIDA, a project must have a full and detailed description of its purpose, how it fits into CIDA’s mandate and priorities, what the intended methods, results, and impacts are likely to be, and of course, how much it will cost. The third step is during implementation. Projects vary widely in how they report back on progress, but fundamentally, CIDA monitors progress towards achieving the expected results based on performance indicators. Regular reporting allows modification of the project during implementation, if necessary. CIDA also develops a project closing report, the primary mechanism to report on results of completed projects. Project closing reports are viewed as an opportunity to learn from the project’s successes and failures, and to build these lessons into subsequent projects.

Over the years, CIDA has developed a framework within which project planning and implementation is carried out. This framework evolves continuously, but is founded in Results Based Management.

Results-Based Management in CIDA
In CIDA project planning and management, the model used is called Results Based Management. Results Based Management is intended to direct projects by setting realistic goals in the form of results statements, and monitoring progress towards those results. The results are defined in the short, medium, and long-term as outputs, outcomes, and impacts respectively. The design and implementation of all projects is expected to reflect a results based management format.

CIDA policy on results based management provides a "results chain." The idea is that a project (or program) provides resources, such as money or people, to a project because it agrees with the goal(s) and objectives of the project. These resources (inputs) are used to undertake some activities such as co-ordinating a building project or organizing training tasks. The activities result in an immediate output such as a sewer system or trained personnel. In the medium term, the existence of the sewer or the trained personnel will have an outcome in the community or larger region, such as better handling of wastes or better health care. Finally, in the long term, the impact of the work of projects will be improved health of the general population.

In simple terms, the money, time, and effort that people invest in a project produces change to the benefit of the country or region. From a development agency perspective, this change is a development result and the money, time, and effort (inputs and activities) are the operations of the project. Thus, operational results produce development results.

There is a relatively high probability of achieving the expected output because it is under the direct control of the project. Outcomes are less controlled so have a higher risk of failure. And while impacts are hoped for effects, many external factors can interfere before the desired impact is achieved, placing them at the highest risk. This approach can be used effectively by involving the project team and other key stakeholders in asking questions such as:

1. Why are we doing this project?
2. What results do we expect to achieve for the resources being invested?
3. Who are the beneficiaries and what are the different needs of the target group?
4. How will progress towards the achievement of results be achieved?