This section includes information on managing projects and 15 tools to help those wishing to develop programmes or specific parts of their programme in sport and development. The tools are specific to particular stages in the ‘project management cycle’ – the process of planning, implementing and evaluating projects or programmes.
Project management basics
Research shows that projects which are designed and planned with care, have a much higher success rate and have longer lasting effects/higher sustainability. Careful strategic planning integrating all relevant stakeholders from the South and the North is an integral part of successful project implementation.
It is recommended to consider a number of key questions at the start of the process:
- Where do you stand now and where do you want to go?
- What will you need to do to get there?
- Which stakeholders and organisations have interests and positions along this route?
- What role can available tools play to achieve your goals? Which tools need to be developed for you to reach your aim?
- How will you learn from your experiences en route?
You find a set of project management tools in this section that help you plan and make decisions during all stages of the project cycle in order to avoid the most common mistakes.
Click on the two tools below and you will find information on how to use the tool and which results to expect from it. Practical examples are offered from developing countries. These are not sports specific, but lessons learned apply to development projects in general.
Who should I involve in the development of my project or programme: Who is supportive or obstructive to this initiative? How do I need to approach them to demonstrate the individual and institutional incentives the project can bring to the each stakeholder? MDF Training & Consultancy provides information on how to conduct a stakeholder analysis.
How do relevant stakeholders relate to each other in a specific programme context? An institutiogramme is a visualisation of the relations between actors active in a certain field of analysis (sector, geographical area, etc.). It helps to identify the relevant actors in the institutional environment, and depict their relations, leading to conclusions on good relations and forms of collaboration and co-ordination that require improvement or that need to be newly established. Check out MDF Training & Consultancy's guide for more information.