Balkan Security Network

BELGRADE BANJA LUKA SKOPJE KOTOR - BRUSSELS; TEL +381 61 312 0406 WWW.BALKANSECURITY.NET ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Excellence in project design and proposal writing

Workshop

Helps to insure that the solution is inspired by the best of the teams talents, that the project is worth doing and that stakeholders will be impressed with the result.

Put a number for each step

Your assignment is to sort the sections of activities ( ) into the correct order putting a number again against each one

Establishing the need for the project; o Create internal concept note; o Get organized before starting to work o Propose and agree on a method to gather/collect all info/data; o What are the main sources of info about EU programs and funds?

Understanding how EU funding programs work o Explain briefly how EU programs work ? o What are three main funding logics of the EU? Three groups of funding instruments? o How are you going to find a funding source for your project? Identify the relevant funding program o How many EU funding programs are there in total? o How many should you be able to identify partially matching your project initiative? o What are the main criteria to make a selection? Read and analyze the Call for Proposals? o What are the key components of the Call for Proposals? Create Project Environment Folder o Make it visible to all; share what you know; organize it. o What reference documents must be in your Project Environment Folder?

Balkan Security Network

BELGRADE BANJA LUKA SKOPJE KOTOR - BRUSSELS; TEL +381 61 312 0406 WWW.BALKANSECURITY.NET ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Read all the background documents. o What is the single most important background document? Create your Project Background Document jointly with the team; o What are the key sections of your background document? Identify criteria for assessment of your project proposal; o Where can you find assessment questions? and other criteria? Define the overall aim and specific objectives of the project; o Describe the basic template how to create the overall aim the project? Putting together your team. o Understand the conditions/situation you are in what is the gap you must cross to achieve project objectives Think together, use the data, dont argue. o Identify relevant expertise and experience - Assess team members talents; assign roles Identify whats missing within the team in order to understand all stakeholders problems; o Agree on a decision making process for the rest of the problem solving; understand how much authority the team has (recommend or decide); Identify who are the stakeholders and decision makers; Arrive at this agreement in enough time to allow for creative problem solving.

Use Project Initiative Diagnostics tool o Identify main stakeholders factions; o What purpose does the PID serve? Build your network; o Make sure to get down to the persons who decide or influence decisions; o Describe how to build a network? Putting together your consortium of partners. o Select possible partners - Meetings to talk, discuss and argue over options Invite them to join the project Formalize a team for your project; Make sure that everyone understood the background document and criteria for assessment; o Explain how do you select consortium partners? Project Generator Workshop

Balkan Security Network

BELGRADE BANJA LUKA SKOPJE KOTOR - BRUSSELS; TEL +381 61 312 0406 WWW.BALKANSECURITY.NET ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

o Jointly with your project team brainstorm together who are the stakeholders, what are their problems, how are they grouped and interrelated, what are the objectives, what can you achieve and how. o Describe how to run a project generator workshop?

Choose and/or prioritize problems; o Identify the various objectives and criteria that the solution(s) must meet; Agree on these now. Later on, they are the filters through which the options must pass. If vague or unsupported, major disputes will occur at the critical stage of decision-making. Choose and/or prioritize objectives; o Agree on how the situation will look when solved; the most important criteria or objectives if there are many; avoid solving for too many variables; the outcome specs or performance criteria; any milestones or new decision points; Compare the options to the objectives and criteria. Be rigorous. Make sure all (and only) the ideas that pass the criteria go on the short list. Let go of favorite options that do not fit; Test the preferred options for feasibility o Go back to the situation/conditions, information and resources the team has. Rate the options according to their practicality, chances of success and satisfaction for the stakeholders; o Test consensus and commitment in the team o Ask every team member to say what he/she supports and is willing to commit. Ask every team member how much he/she could support any other solutions that are getting endorsement. o Agree on a solution or solution set o Avoid voting. If support is united, adopt the leading option. o If not, check to see if anybody is holding on to an option that didnt pass the criteria earlier. o Otherwise, assume everybody is rational or right, and consider whether there are multiple answers, or a sequence of steps toward a superior solution. Revisit the situation, conditions, criteria and resources to see if the team has missed anything. Consult the main stakeholders if that is possible. Select a strategy o If there is more than one overall approach or goal that could lead to solving the problem, or if you have stakeholders who must agree with your solution - Think together o Survey the team for their viewpoints on these two questions - listen, listen, listen o Brainstorm and/or stretch the limits of creativity and alternatives; include all ideas at this stage; make sure everybody participates; get outside viewpoints from people and sources; decide on a strategy that best suits the situation/conditions and that includes stakeholders; Make sure somebody is tracking time, money or other requirements. Negotiate before they run out. o Produce and communicate the teams solution(s), adapted to the goals and style of the key stakeholders Refine objectives and concept note of the project

Balkan Security Network

BELGRADE BANJA LUKA SKOPJE KOTOR - BRUSSELS; TEL +381 61 312 0406 WWW.BALKANSECURITY.NET ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

o What are the key questions that the Concept note should answer?

Create a first draft of the Log Frame o What are the main componenets of the Log Frame? Create a Work Breakdown structure o A Work Breakdown Structure decomposes a project into Activities and Tasks. o What are the main steps/rules how to create WBS? Create a Gantt chart and identify a critcal path o What is a Gantt chart? Write the full application form; o Your objective is not to describe your good project idea by writing a proposal, but to persuade the funding source to give you the money! o Provide necessery evidence to justify any statements you make; Good definition of starting point (needs analysis), finishing point (impact analysis); And how to get to the finishing point (activities) with sufficient detail; o Different parts of a proposal must be consistent Create a Budget; o Searching for information and budget costs, etc. o Working out the budget, and then correcting it. o What are the main parts of the budget; o Expalin what is ABC Budgeting? Create key performance Indicators and identify sources of verification; o Please describe what are good indicators and sources of verification; Answering evaluators questions o Where can you find questions for proposal assessment? o What other documents should you use when you answer evaluators questions?