Project Management - IPA

Bölgesel Rekabet Edebilirlik Operasyonel Programı’nın Uygulanması için 

Kurumsal Kapasitenin Oluşturulmasına Yönelik Teknik Yardım 

This project is co-financed by the European 

Union and the Republic of Turkey 

Technical Assistance on Institutional Building for the Implementation of RCOP 

in Turkey 

Programme and 

Project Implementation 

Dilek BATMAZ VURAL 

February 9 th , 2011 

PCM Training 1-11 February 2011 

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Discussion Topic: 

WHY Projects Fail? 


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The main reasons for the failure: 

Not linked to programme or policy framework 

Lack of project coherence and synergy 

Lack of relationship between problems and objectives 

Poor financial and budget planning 

Lack of inter relationship between tasks, financing and time 

planning 

Lack of engagement of wider stakeholders 


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Unsuccessful Projects 

Negative impact on the absorption capacity 

Undermine the whole programme or sector of intervention 

Undermine the credibility of institutions 

….but no project turns out totally as 

envisaged 


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Project Management (Beneficiary) 

1. Ensure sound preparation of projects 

2. Procurement and Contracting of projects 

3. Ensure implementation of projects 

4. Introduce a good risk management plan 

5. Communication with stakeholders and publicity 

6. Integrate a monitoring and evaluation system 

7. Project closures 

8. Sustainability 


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Strategic Advisory Committee 

ECD, CFCU, OP Center, 

Beneficiary, Others 

Beneficiary 

PIU 

Steering Committee 

ECD , CFCU, OP 

Center, Beneficiary, 

others? 

Consortium 

partners 

Subcontractors 

Service provider/ main contractor 

Project team: 

Team Leader 

Key experts etc. 

Payments 

and 

contract 

CFCU 


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Project Implementation 

• Implementation consists of the following 

key contractually obliged activities: 

- tendering 

- contracting 

- payment 

- reporting 

But the project is not implementing just for the 

fulfillment of contractural process… 


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The Phases of the Project Cycle 

• Programming – Multi-annual Indicative Programme 

• Defining/Identification – pre-feasibility study (including 

problem analysis), EC decision 

• Formulation (Appraisal) – feasibility study, EC decision 

• Financing – final EC Financing Agreement 

• Implementation – project launch and monitoring 

• Evaluation – project assessment 


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1. Ensure sound preparation of 

projects 

• PCM approach, the project fiche and the log frame help 

prepare the project for approval 

• Project preparation is key to success in applications for EU 

funding 

• Key documentation (e.g. project fiche, log frame and TOR) 

and approach must be followed 

• Project proposal is also the framework for implementation 


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PROJECT PREPARATION 

Project cycle phases - structured & informed decision-making, and 

feedback from evaluation 

Partner / stakeholder ownership - involvement of stakeholders in 

decision-making, including emphasis on teamwork and communication 

Logframe planning - comprehensive & consistent analysis 

Integrated documentation - standardised documentation and 

assessment criteria 


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2. Procurement and Contracting of Projects 

• Once the objectives are clearly specified then a 

decision needs to be taken on which instrument(s) 

are the most cost effective for achieving these 

objectives: 

- Service 

- Supply 

- Works 

- GRANT 


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When to use a grant scheme? 

• When we need to generate quickly visible 

results 

• To increase capacity of local organisations 

• To stimulate partnership working 


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GRANT SCHEME 

PROJECT 1.3 

COMP 1.3.1 COMP 1.3.2 COMP 1.3.3 COMP 1.3.4 

GP 1 GP 2 GP 3 GP 4 

GP X 


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Grant Scheme/PRAG Requirements 

Phase PRAG Requirements Optional Activities 

Call for Proposals on the EC and CFCU 

web pages 

Launch – 

Submission 

Guidelines and Annexes on the EC and 

CFCU web pages 

Promotional leaflets 

Posters 

Information Seminars 

Press conferences 

Project web-site 

Receipt to 

Contracting 

Implementation 

Contract Award Notice on the EC and 

CFCU web pages 

Web-site 

Final conference 


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Grant Scheme/ Drafting of Contracts 

• Grant Contract: signed between the Contracting Authority and 

the Beneficiary 

• Contract is annexed to the Guidelines for Applicants 

• Contract should also be in line with legal provisions of Labour 

Code, Occupational Safety and Health Legislation, Tax and 

Accountancy Laws and any other relevant legislation in 

beneficiary country 


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1. Site visits 

• Spot Checks 

• Problem 

• Important Activity 

• Suspicion 

Management and Monitoring 

(Monitoring Team) 

2. Reports 

• Technical 

• Financial (during disbursements) 

3. MIS 

• Data storage facility 

• Contract management 

• Reporting 


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3. Ensure implementation of projects 

Human Resources 

Project implementation Unit 

• Project Manager with management experience in the 

relevant field 

• Content or technical experts (design, feasibility etc) 

• Financial expert 

• Legal expert (procurement, contracting) 

• Administrative support 

• Monitoring and evaluation expert 


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The Role of the Project Manager: 

• To take action before problems exist 

• To have the authority necessary to manage the project and get the 

tasks done 

• To deal with scope, quality, schedule, risk and other key subjects in the 

project 

• To be the one person that will combine the project components into a 

consistent, organized and solid whole that will satisfy customer needs 


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A Project Manager has a good blend of: 

- Leadership 

- Management 

- Knowledge of organizational politics 

- AND an area of technical expertise 


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Quality 

Budget 

Time 

•Good project management ensures projects to 

stay within the given constraints (boundaries) 

and these factors are interrelated 

- Higher quality means higher costs 

- More time (delays) results in higher costs 


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4. Project Risk Management 

Process of identifying, analyzing, and 

responding to project risk 


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Risks Programme Management 

Categories of risks 

Internal External 

Organisational 

Political/adminstrative 

Spatial 

Financial/economic 

Technical 

Social 

Law 


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Risk Assessment 

Rating Probability Impact 

1 Almost none existent Insignificant 

2 Below average Below medium 

impact 

3 Average: 50% Medium 

4 Above average Above medium 

5 Certain or very likely A disaster!! 


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Risk 

• A possibility of an undesired outcome, or the absence of a 

desired outcome. 

• Manager must accept the fact that risks will always be 

present. 

Risk Management 

• The activity of identifying and controlling risk factors 

proactively. 

• In order to manage risks we need to deal with uncertainties. 


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Risk Management 

• Quality assurance of preparatory studies; mistakes in 

project preparation result in problems in 

implementation 

• Good feasibility studies for projects 

• Ensure proper selection of contractors (procedures) 

• Sound contracts with contractors (with clear 

conditions for delays and cost overruns) 

• Sound and clear project supervision 


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• Risk Management Plan 

1. Identify Risks 

2. Categorise Risks 

3. Analyze Risks 

4. Prioritise Risks 

5. Resolve Risks 

6. Monitor Risks 


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1. Identify Risk 

A risk is the possibility in which an undesired outcome or the absence of a 

desired outcome disrupts a project. 

Risk identification and management will be an ongoing activity involving the 

Project Teams as well. 

2. Categorise Risks 

Risk severity depends on the project and its included activities. 

To classify and prioritize the severity of risks, a company should use the scale of 

“high,” “medium,” or ”low”. The same scale can be used for risk probability. 


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3. Analyze Risk 

• Identify risk event driver 

• Estimate risk event probability 

• Identify impact driver and total loss 

• Estimate impact probability 


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4. Prioritize Risks 

• Calculate an expected loss value for each risk 

• Rank risks in descending order 


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5. Resolve Risk 

• Develop risk action plans to reduce the probability 

of risk event, and the likelihood of risk occurrence 

and magnitude of the total loss. 


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Risks: Programme Level 

• Poor program or project design (irrelevancy of measures) 

• Non-eligible projects 

• Commitment of stakeholders (including politicians) 

• Program available on time 

• Administrative capacity/improper program or measure management 

• Monitoring problems: lack of information, skills 

• Lack of project pipeline: not enough projects/low quality of projects 

• Delays due to procurement procedures, land issues, technical, etc. 

• Absorption capacity/co-financing problems 

• Cost overruns 

• Irregularities or fraud 


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Risk Management Actions for 

Programme Management 

Programming Phase: 

• Ex-ante evaluation of programme and improvement to 

ensure quality 

• Administrative capacity assessment to detect 

bottlenecks and take actions 

• Estabishing partnership in Programming phase/ ensure 

commitment of all stakeholders 

• Sound Management Information System 

• Prepare Risk Management Plan for implementation 


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Risk Management Actions: 

During Implementation: 

• Support, TA and capacity building for beneficiaries 

• Project pipeline support: assess quality of project applications, 

support in improvement and ensure partnership 

• Feasibility studies for projects 

• Check eligibility of priority axis/projects 

• Monitoring procedures and take actions on outcomes of 

monitoring 

• Set trigger points in priority axis 


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Group Exercise 1 

Establish teams of 4-6 persons and consider you are 

managing a programme, priority or project relevant for 

your OP. 

What are the most important risks for the OP or your 

priority or project 

Pleae use the risk assessment table and the risk 

management plan 


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6. Communication 

Getting the right information to the right people at the right 

time and in a useful format is just as important as 

developing the information in the first place 

Important considerations include 

- using technology to enhance information distribution 

- formal and informal methods for distributing information 


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Communication Plan 

Know your stakeholders: groups of people who can influence project 

success and are affected by the project 

Create a communications plan 

Define stakeholders 

Develop communication plan 

Identify 

talents for communication 

means of communication 

frequency of communication 


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Communication Tools: 

Project Schedules 

Conventions 

Briefings 

Conversations 

Reviews 

Reports 

Video 

CD 

Email 

Written 

Meetings 

Web based 


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7. Integrate a monitoring and evaluation 

system 

Monitoring: Ongoing analysis of project progress towards 

achieving results with the purpose of improving 

management decision making. 

Evaluation: Assessment of the efficiency, effectiveness, 

impact, relevance and sustainability of aid policies and 

actions. 


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Who? 

When? Ongoing 

Why? 

Focus 

on 

Monitoring & Regular 

Review 

Internal management 

responsibility – all levels 

Check progress, take 

remedial action, update 

plans 

Inputs, activities, 

results 

Evaluation 

Usually incorporates 

external inputs 

(objectivity) 

Periodic – mid-term, 

completion, ex-post 

Learn broad lessons 

applicable to other 

programmes / projects, 

policy review, etc. 

Results, purpose, objective 


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8. Project finalisation and the closure 

• Provide guidance on final report and audit 

• Check expenditures and advices 

• Monitoring/Steering Committee on final 

settlement 

• Sent beneficiary final decision on project 

and procedure for appeal 

• Final payment 


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9. Sustainability 

The “continuation of benefits after project completion” 

The EU recognises three types of sustainability: 

• Financial sustainability - how will activities be financed 

after the project? 

• Institutional sustainability - who will „own‟ the project 

after its completion? 

• Policy level - will the project improve policy, legislation, 

codes of conduct, standards etc. 


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Sustainability 2 

When assessing sustainability, consider: 

• What is the impact on the target group/end 

beneficiaries? 

• How will the target groups use 

skills/knowledge/information/facilities in the future? 

• Is your project a catalyst for change? 

• Is your project a model for adoption elsewhere? 

• Does your project aim to disseminate this model to 

others? 


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A Strategy for Sustainability 

Refer back to the expected changes for each of 

your results: 

• A changed situation 

• A changed condition 

• A changed level of knowledge 

• A change in an attitude 

• A change in behaviour 

How will this change be sustained? 

Among individuals? 

Within institutions? 

Within a region? 


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Group Exercise 2 

• Using the OIS at hand; 

• Please develop a sustainability plan 


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Supporting Tools: 

formats, guidelines and checklists 

• Make your life easier; develop formats and 

guidelines that suit your needs! 

• Up to the MA what forms and guidelines will be 

developed; no EU standards except for information 

to be send to the EC 

• Part of rules of procedure 


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Formats 

Why? 

• It structures the information you need: 

- You get the right information 

- You get the complete information 

- You know where to find the information 

• It structures the procedures 


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Formats for what? 

• You need forms for all stages of the programma and 

project cycle 

• Application procedure (call, appraisal reports) 

• Forms contracting (contract, implementation agreement) 

• Forms implementation (reports, Risk Management Plan, 

standard letters) 

• Forms closure: (report, audit report, decision on 

financial contribution) 


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Formats provided by the EC 

• Annexes reg 1828/2006: 

- Annual and final reports 

- Audit strategy 

- Annual control report 

- Final control report OP 

- Etc. 

- Also formats for reporting on NSRF level 

- > EC requires lot of information and produced 

many formats 


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Guidelines 

• Guidelines will help beneficiaries to apply for 

and implement the projects according to the 

rules and procedures. 

• Helps preventing major mistakes, and thus, 

the absorption of the funds 

- Application procedure 

- Guidelines on communication (requirements, 

formats) 

- Guidelines on project adminstration 

- Guidelines public procurement 

- … 


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Checklists 

Checklists can be used to assess completeness, 

administrative compliance and technical quality of 

documents and reports 

Examples: 

• Checklist eligibility 

• Checklist project application form 

• Checklist assessing feasibility study 


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THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION... 


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Project Management - IPA

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