How to prepare a

successful project
proposal
8-9 February 2010 Luxembourg Nina Bergman
 Getting started - from idea to project

What is a project?
Temporary, one-time endeavour

Method of organising work that is different from routine

Involves planning, can be effective, but also more time-

consuming at start compared to ad hoc or improvised
actions

Produces a unique result within specified time, cost and

quality constraints
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 Types of projects

Research projects - increasing knowledge to serve as basis

for "evidence based" decisions.

Development projects - development and pre-testing of an

intervention/method to address a particular problem in a
particular population or target group

Implementation projects - wider dissemination and

implementation of an existing intervention in a particular
target group or population

Combined projects
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 Elements of a project plan

Technical aspects: problem analysis & evidence base, Objectives,

Indicators, Target group, Methods, Outcomes, outputs and
deliverables

Policy and contextual relevance: social-cultural-policy, support

priorities of the Health programme, geographical coverage, EU
added value

Management of the project: Partnership, management capacity,

risk analysis and planning

Description of work packages, deliverables and timetable

Financial management

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 Technical aspects
- Evidence base and problem
analysis
Analysis of the health problem and its impact on
society/quality of life
- incidence, prevalence, distribution, development
over time

Analysis of the factors underlying the problem

(determinants)

Effectiveness of proposed measures, applicability in the

proposed context

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 Rationale - why this project?

Explains why you are undertaking the project and why it is important

Analysis of:
Evidence base
• (Health) problem and context
• What has been done to date, (previous
or parallel) and how you will build on this
• Determinants of the problem
logic model
• Possibilities for actions, their likely
effects and applicability

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 Logic

Describes the sequence of activities thought to bring about change

and how these activities are linked to expected results or the
principles on which a program is based

Resources Activities Outputs Outcomes Impact

/inputs

Your planned work Your intended results

* Basic Logic Model W.H. Kellogg Foundation Logic Model Development Guide (2004)

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 Developing a logic model*
Start with desired outcomes and work backwards
to develop activities (asking: How?)

Inputs Activities Outputs Outcomes Impact

Resources Planned work Short term outcomes

Intermediate outcome Long term outcome

Staff Environmental In 6 months, Prevent

Collection of Environmental
Equipment changes at least 75% childhood
data & good changes
Funding implemented of student overweight and
practices developed and
Existing and promoted population improve health
tested
evidence in X schools will increase status
physical
activity by a
minimum of
How? How?
How? 60 min/ How?
week.

How?

* http://www.cdc.gov/eval/resources.htm#logic%20model

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 What’s next?
You now know what you want to do.

You can explain why it must be done and what expected

outcomes.

Now it’s time to define the project’s

aims and objectives…

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 Technical aspects
- Defining the objectives

General objective – relate to purpose and vision

and is set as the main single aim and may
have several objectives that would need to be
fulfilled to be achieved

e.g. To make the school setting supportive for

the prevention of overweight and obesity
among young people

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 Setting the specific objectives

Specific objectives are the activities you carry out to achieve your
general objective.

Often active verbs e.g. assess needs, revise, assemble, compare,

investigate or develop.

e.g. By 6 months, map reasons for not taking part in classes of

physical activity in fifteen participating schools.

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 Make the objectives S.M.A.R.T

• Specific - Specify the target group and the factors that need to be
changed

• Measurable - Formulate objectives in a measurable format e.g. numbers

to be reached, increased awareness by 25 %...

• Appropriate - Make sure objectives are achievable and attainable,

acceptable for the target group?

• Realistic - Ensure that you can realistically achieve the objectives given
the project’s resources: time, money, staff?

• Time-bound - Connect objectives to a time line. State when you will

achieve the objective e.g. within 3 months, by February 2015?

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 Technical aspects - Indicators
• Are used to measure the performance of the project

• Should be directly linked to the specific objectives

• Is the base for the evaluation as they are needed to

measure progress and the level to which the objective
is reached

• Should be separated into process and outcome

indicators

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 Methods and means

The activities of the project needs to be described to serve as a

guideline for the implementation

Every specific objective should be linked to at least one

intervention method

Answer the question: Why are these the most effective methods
to achieve your objectives?

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 Technical aspects - Target group
Identify the groups who will be
involved in and benefit from the
project.
General
objective Be specific, try to find a segment of
people who are as homogenous
Specific Specific
as possible e.g. girls aged 11-15
Specific objective 3 in schools
objective 1 objective 2

target groups, methods & indicators Ensure that the planned methods for
+ outcomes and deliverables the interventions are relevant for
this particular group

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 Indicator table
Specific Objective Target groups Main actions Process Indicator Impact/ outcome indicator

1. -… •… 1. 1.
-… •… 2. 2.
-… •…

2. •… 3. … 3.
•… 4. …

3. •… 5. 4.
•… 6. …
•…

4. •… 7. … 5.

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 Policy and contextual relevance

Adequacy of the project with social, cultural, policy

context

Contribution to the second health programme and

the annual work plan

Pertinence of the geographical coverage

Strategic relevance, EU added value and

innovation

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 Managing the project implementation

An evidence based problem analysis that takes into account

Policy and contextual relevance leads to defining the general
objective of the project.
This is translated into several specific, s.m.a.r.t objectives.
Link target groups, methods and means to each objective and
expected outcomes and indicators of these.

Group activities in work packages with defined deliverables.

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 Work packages
- horizontal tasks: coordination, dissemination and evaluation (mandatory)
- vertical tasks: actions fulfilling the objectives (maximum 6)

WP 1 – coordination of the project:

Specifications, Description of work, List of deliverables, Milestones

Horizontal WP 2 – dissemination of results

WP:s

WP 3 – evaluation of the project

Core WP 4 WP 5 WP 6 WP 7
WP:s
• Specifications,
description of work
• List of deliverables
produced by the WP
• Milestones reached
by this WP

Timetable
specification
Page 19 36 months
 Timetable with
WP1 WP2 WP3 WP4 WP5 WP6

Milestones M1 X X X X

M2 X X X X, D, M

M3 X X X X

M4 X, D X X
- scheduled significant M5 X X X

events or completion of M6 X, D, M X X X

deliverables M7 X X X

M8 X X X

M9 X X, D X, D

M 10 X X X

X - Work package duration M 11 X X X X

M 12 X X, D, M X X

M 13 X X X X
D - Month when deliverable will M 14 X X X, D X

be produced M 15 X X X, D X

M 16 X X X X

M 17 X X X X
M - Month when milestone will be M 18 X, D, M X X X
reached M 19 X X X X

M 20 X X X, D X

M 21 X X X X

M 22 X X X X, D

M 23 X X X

M 24 X, D X, D X

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 Summing up
Ensure that the topic of your project has a clear EU added value and is
included in the work programme’s priorities

Use the best strategy to address the key determinants of the problem

Use a logic model and review the evidence base!

Do not apply “quick fix” or “reinvent the wheel”

Justify relevance of project partners and geographical coverage using policy

and contextual analysis

Use s.m.a.r.t objectives. Too general aim and objectives makes it difficult to
measure results,

A comprehensive analysis of the target group increases effectiveness of the

project

Plan so that you will know who will be doing what,

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 References
EU Health Programme

http://ec.europa.eu/eahc/health/projects.html:

Call for proposals for projects

Guide for applicants

Model grant agreement

Decision establishing second programme of Community action in the field of health 2008-13

Financial Regulation and its implementing rules

Logic model

Basic Logic - Model Kellogg Foundation “Logic Model Development Guide” (2004)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/

S.M.A.R.T objectives

University of Glascow,
http://www.gla.ac.uk/services/humanresources/pdr_ref_guide/objsandstds/settingobjs/#d.en.53775

Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMART_(project_management)
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 Thank you and good luck!
Nina Bergman
[email protected]

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