Project Cycle Management Training Handbook - CFCU

Project Cycle Management Training Handbook
Needs-driven
objectives
• Absent solutions are problem statements that do not describe the
current negative situation, but describe the absence of a desired
situation. For example, 'Lack of trained staff' does not describe the
specific problem (staff have insufficient or inappropriate skills),
and risks biasing the intervention towards the absent solution
('training') when in fact it might be an issue of recruitment or
personnel management. You should always be careful therefore if
you specify statements starting with 'lack of…'.
3.2.2 Analysis of Objectives
While problem analysis presents the negative aspects of an existing
situation, analysis of objectives presents the positive aspects of a
desired future situation. This involves the reformulation of problems
into objectives.
Figure 9: Transforming Problems into Objectives
Problem Objective
High infant &
maternal mortality
rates
High incidence of
acute birth
complications
Birth complications
diagnosed late or
not at all
Infant & maternal
mortality rates
reduced
Reduced incidence
of acute birth
complications
Increased/earlier
diagnosis of birth
complications
The objective tree can therefore be conceptualised as the positive
mirror image of the problem tree, and the ‘cause and effect’
relationships become ‘means to end’ relationships. It may be found
that there are gaps in the logic of the initial objective tree that were
not apparent in the problem tree, therefore the ‘means-ends’ linkages
between objectives should be reviewed and reorganised as necessary.
Finally, objectives dealing with a similar topic can be grouped
together in clusters, which will provide the basis for Strategy
Analysis. Once complete, the objective tree provides a comprehensive
picture of the future desired situation:
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