We All are Europe - AESAEC

Listen / Read / Exercise
6.2.2. How to define monitoring strategies
Project management must keep track of how the project is progressing in terms of expenditure,
resource usage, implementation of activities, delivery of results, risk management etc. This is
achieved through monitoring, which is the systematic and continuous collection, analysis and use of
management information to support effective decision-making.
Monitoring the project activities as well as the administrative and financial areas is important in
terms of being able to demonstrate that your project has achieved the aims and objectives stated in
the application.
Monitoring is an internal management responsibility, although it may be complemented by external
monitoring inputs. These external monitoring inputs can be useful in providing objective verification
of results, additional technical advice and a big-picture view for management.
Therefore, it is crucial for a successful project implementation to:
choose the appropriate levels of monitoring according to the type of project
work out the information needed to be collected during the project
share the relevant rules with all the partners so that everyone has the right information
The Logical Framework
When designing a project plan, the Logical Framework may be a useful tool for you. It is structured as follows:
objectives indicators evidence assumptions
overall
outcome
1
7
8
partner
purpose
2 9
10 6
outputs
3 11 12 5
activities
13
14
15
16
preconditions
4
The following sequences should be respected in order to use the logical framework appropriately:
1. The objectives column is filled in first by working from the top to the bottom of the blue boxes 1-3
2. The assumptions column is filled in second by working from the bottom (!) to the top filling in the green boxes 4
(preconditions), 5 and 6. The relation between the objectives and the assumptions estimates the level of risk.
The assumptions column includes internal and external factors (partly outside your control) that affect your success
and tests them against the logic of the objectives.
3. Next, follow the indicators and evidence columns to establish the basis for measuring the effectiveness and clarity
of the objectives. Therefore, fill in red box 7 and yellow box 8, then red boxes 9 and 10 followed by yellow
boxes 11 and 12 – please keep to this order.
4. Finally, fill in the activity row (pink boxes 13-16) by keeping in mind that the objectives, and not the activities,
should lead the project. The activities must not be seen as the result of a project but as way to achieve the results,
which are the objectives.
Use this instrument when designing your project plan and discuss in a group about the strengths and
weaknesses of the project plan too. Can you formulate any recommendations for improvement
106