We All are Europe - AESAEC

ealisation phase: transnational activities are an integral part of the overall aims
of the project and are not just fringe activities
co-ordination phase: monitoring, dissemination, evaluation, financial
management and reporting
finalisation phase: the partners consider their next steps or exit strategy
for the project
State which partners will be involved and who has responsibility for the delivery of specific
tasks
Link the workplan and its tasks to a timetable
estimate how much time will be involved and set a deadline for completion
plan for the whole duration of the project
make sure timescales are realistic
Devise a coherent workplan: in a well defined workplan all the activities, results and deadlines
must be clearly described and scheduled
Step 3: Financial and administrative planning
Lastly, task scheduling should integrate the costs data for each task: planning costs and resources,
designing contractual arrangements, devising reporting systems and procedures (see
Unit 5).
Listen / Read / Exercise
One of the greatest challenges in connection with designing a project plan is the necessity to define
a problem, a desirable solution and a solution finding process in the first place. The method described
below, adapted from a business development approach, may be of some help to you.
The Problem and Objective Assessment
By this method, problem solving should be made easier by reformulating problems into objectives. Therefore, the problem
assessment identifies and organises problems which you can then work with. The objective assessment identifies and organises
objectives in direct relation to the problems. In this approach, objectives are desired future situations, not activities.
An activity will use verbs such as to improve, reduce, construct and so on. However, an objective is a description of what it
will be like once something has been improved, reduced, constructed etc. When formulating an objective it is often simply
a matter of turning the problem statement around, or imagining a completely new situation as the example below shows.
Preparation and implementation work:
1. Each participant involved receives two set of coloured cards: some yellow cards on which the problems should be
indicated and some green ones for formulating the objectives (important: do not write activities but describe
situations!).
2. Arrange an appropriate timescale for formulating problems and objectives.
3. After this work is finished, all yellow and green cards are put into two columns on a poster or pin board, leaving
space for a middle column (see Stage 1 below; important: yellow problem cards and green objective cards dealing
with the same issues should always be placed opposite each other).
4. Once all the problem cards are covered by at least one objective card, try to assess the hierarchy of the problems
(which is the largest problem of all) as well as the hierarchy of objectives (which objective is most desired / important
to be achieved) dealing with each problem.
5. Now you should have a ranking on the left hand side beginning with the largest problem, and a ranking on the
right hand side beginning with the most desired objective replacing a problem. Perhaps there are some gaps
within the hierarchy of problems as well as within the hierarchy of objectives. In this case you may need to reorganise
your hierarchies or even to define problems as well as objectives in more detail (however, it is essential
that you do not lose sight of the original problem).
6. After you have agreed on a set of appropriately ranked problems and objectives, try to fill in the middle column
with actions that can overcome the problems and achieve the objectives. These activities, which are most likely
to change the largest problem into the best objective, might be the basis for your project plan! (see Stage 2 below)
NOTE: This is a free-flowing exercise which can be re-started at any stage of the process; each person involved can write
any objective for any problem. There is no limit to the numbers of cards that can be written.
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