Identification, Planning and Design:

Preparing for Results

The World Bank's evaluation department reviewed nearly 1,500 Bank projects and concluded that the single most important factor for success was "quality at entry". If a project has not been well designed and prepared, tight follow-up and monitoring could not overcome this weakness.

While more and more aid is based on sector programs and multi-donor funding, both donors and partners expect better and more visible results. This requires more than ever that activities are well designed and monitorable.

Scanteam has for years taught and used results-based planning tools. Our experience is that they help to ensure clarity of purpose and simplicity in recording what has been agreed to in terms of expected results. This is critical for the planning process to achieve its main goal: consensus regarding what is to be produced, how, by whom, and by when. Without this joint commitment one cannot expect sustainable results in the future.

Result-Based Planning

Scanteam has done extensive training in Results-Based Management for Norad and MFA staff. The course is based our practical experience from around the world and the principles for good development cooperation as laid out in the Paris Agenda and DAC's "best practice" guidelines.

Scanteam has provided similar training to staff at the Ministry of Defense (MoD) and the Auditor-General's Office (AGO). The MoD is becoming involved in Security Sector Reform processes in a number of countries, while the AGO is an institutional partner for supreme audit institutions in several countries.

In both cases, Scanteam discussed with the parties what they wanted, how the training would be applied, and then developed tailored training materials, including study cases, for the participants. But the key principle of planning for results has remained the core of the training.