What is Logical Framework in Proposal Writing
The project’s logical frame is the theory of change on which the project is built. Its components are:
1-Impact
2- Outcome
3- Outputs:
1.3- assumptions and risk
2.3- mitigation measures
4- Indicators :
They are questions to measure the extent to which each level of the logical frame is achieved during project implementation.
5- Targeted number
Answer the questions that appeared in the form of indicators and are usually written in numbers for quantitative indicators.
6- Means of verification
Documents that we send the donor upon request for the quarterly, semi-annual and annual reports during project implementation and contain answers we obtained for the indicators.
7- Activities :
They are tasks or events required to be accomplished to achieve the output they follow.
(Theory of change) Logical Framework
Implementing Problems tree into a logical framework
The impact :
The impact may occur before the end of the project, but mostly it will not appear and be measured until after the project ends for some years that vary according to the project’s field, budget size and the interventions that will be implemented in the project proposal. It is important to assure than only one impact is written for the project, not more.
| Impact | impact indicators | Targeted number | Means of verification | Assumptions and risks |
| Outcome | Outcome indicators | Targeted number | Means of verification | Assumptions and risks |
| Outputs | Outputs indicators | Targeted number | Means of verification | Assumptions and risks |
| Activities | Activities indicators | Targeted number | Means of verification | Assumptions and risks |
Logframe model
Outcome :
It is the change that occurs mainly on the affected people by the problem because of the project and not the groups responsible for the problem. So the affected people - if the damage on them is removed- will become beneficiaries of the project only. For them, we implemented the project to address their problem.
Outcome examples:
• 2570 people in the targeted villages have access to clean drinking water at a rate of 15 Liters daily per person, as well as safe sanitation and hygiene kits.
Outcome link with the problem:
Problem:
Outcome:
Remember:
When writing the project proposal, we have to write only one
outcome for the project which clearly reflects that the objective of the
project has been achieved. I.e. outcome answers the question ( why)
In integrated projects which consist of different sectors, we can write one outcome for every sector. For example, in the health and education project, we write two outcomes one for education and one for health.
Outputs:
Outputs
are the products or services that we get directly after the implementation of
activities and before any change happens to the beneficiaries. Also, outputs
are the impact that mainly happens to the targeted groups/ groups responsible for
the problems and not the beneficiaries of the project.
Example
1:
• Output: 24 M/F nurses were trained to provide integrated child health care
Example 2:
•Activity: Rent 3 cars, one for every mobile medical team.
•Activity: Coordinate with the local authority and health offices in the targeted districts to identify the locations to provide services
•Output: 3 mobile medical teams provide emergency medical services and maternal and child health services in 3 targeted districts.
The components of the projects can be determined by the knowing outputs and their activities. I.e. the project that has 3 outputs will have
3 different components.
Notes:
•A group of activities can lead to one output ( example 2 )
•Each output of group of outputs has to lead to a short term effect, which is the outcome.
•Every outcome of group of outcomes has to lead to long term effect, which is the impact.
•Outputs are the changes that happen to the groups responsible for the problem after implementing the project’s activities.
•It is preferable to have 3 outputs in the projects with the budget being less than a million dollars.
•The components of the project can be known quickly by knowing the outputs.
Example for outcomes and activities
Solution tree (Theory of change) for (WASH) project
Indicators:
An indicator is a tool used to measure the achievement level of implementing activities as well as outputs and outcomes. It is written as a question in which the phrase (what is) is deleted for the quantitative indicator and (how is) is deleted for the qualitative indicator.
We prefer quantitative indicators as they are clearer to the donor and the implementing agencies in terms of proving whether or not they are achieved.The proposal writer must fully realize that every indicator written in the proposal is a question that will be used by the donor at the end of the project implementation and the implementing agency will have to prove the achievement of these indicators by sending reports that contain the numbers ( the target number for each indicator), These reports are mentioned in the logical frame under the heading “Means of verification”.
|
Indicator |
Target number |
Means of verification |
||||
|
Number of health workers to be trained in integrated management of childhood illness ( IMCI ) |
Men |
Women |
Boys |
Girls |
Total |
Training report and annexes |
|
12 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
24 |
||
|
Percentage of beneficiaries who know complaints and feedback mechanism |
|
|
|
|
80 |
The final evaluation of the project |
The way to write
indicators in the logframe
Therefore, the indicator contains 3 main parts that can be
explained as a question, answer and a document that contain the answer:
1. 1- Question: is the indicator
after deleting the word (what is) and it should not contain the answer.
2. 2- Answer: is the target
number that was specified in the proposal and answers the question exactly.
3. 3- Document contains the
answer: these are the “means of verification ”; these documents can be reports
that contain explanation of the beneficiaries’ numbers or the number of things
achieved in the project.
In relief projects, all donors prefer to use only quantitative, not qualitative indicators. So the indicators start with the words: ‘number’ or ‘percentage’, which are replaced in writing indicators as follows:
| Number | # |
| Percentage | % |
Thus, these words are replaced by
these symbols as in the following example:
|
Indicator |
Target number |
Means of verification |
||||
|
# of health workers to be trained in integrated management of childhood illness ( IMCI ) |
Men |
Women |
Boys |
Girls |
Total |
Training report and annexes |
|
12 |
12 |
0 |
0 |
24 |
||
|
% of beneficiaries who know complaints and feedback mechanism |
|
|
|
|
80 |
The final evaluation of the project |
Logframe model with symbols
Indicator’s uses
Indicators are used to measure activities, outputs, outcome and impact. Indicators’ place in the project logframe varies according to the model used by the donor. It is important to know that indicators are not only used to measure activities, but also all logframe levels.
The writer of the proposal has to know that it is better to put indicators that start with number (#) and not percentage (%), because the provision of means of verification for the percentage (%) indicator will require implementing evaluation activity, which is costly and takes longer, includes field visits, interviews and the filling out of questionnaires with a large number of beneficiaries in order to enter and analyze data to know the answer of the percentage (%).
Unfortunately, most donors ask to add percentage indicators to the logframe, as these indicators help to measure the outcome and impact of the project, as well as the quality of the implementation. If the budget is more than one million dollars, the implementation of final evaluation activity for the project will be necessary, which means adding percentage (%) indicators.
Indicators relationship with the logframe
Writing the indicator
We mentioned that indicators are
questions that start with (what is) the number and (what is) the percentage?
Question |
Indicator |
|
What is the number of individuals that received emergency health services? |
Number of individuals that received emergency health services. |
|
What is the number of individuals that received food assistance? |
Number of individuals that received food assistance. |
|
What is the number of health facilities rehabilitated and still working? |
Number of health facilities rehabilitated and still working. |
|
What is the percentage of beneficiaries’ satisfaction of rehabilitating water and sanitation projects? |
Percentage of beneficiaries’ satisfaction of rehabilitating water and sanitation projects |
|
What is the number of individuals that received cash and/or in-kind
assistance for the purpose of protection? |
Number of individuals that received cash and/or in-kind assistance for the purpose of protection |
|
What is the number of children that benefited from distributed educational tools? |
Number of children that benefited from distributed educational tools |
The way to write indicators
List of indicators of
humanitarian and development sectors
In the following pages, a set of
indicators of the humanitarian and development sectors that can be used in the
project proposal indicators according to the sector the proposal belongs to.
The project writer can select all or some indicators for his proposal from this
list.
This list is subjected to
increase and update and it is possible to follow up on the latest indicators of
different sectors, which are published on the Internet through the site
(Indikit): www.indikit.net
( In English indicators )
Means of verification:
Means of verification are the
documents we collect over the implementation period up to the last day to prove
that all activities were completed, objectives and outputs were achieved and
the project outcome has been reached.
The most important activity that
is done by the project’s monitoring and evaluation officer is to make a plan to
collect the means of verification and their annexes, i.e. the proposal writer
should write the names of the documents, which will be sent to the donor or the
evaluation companies at the end of the project, in front of each indicator and
make sure those documents are easy to prepare.
|
Means of verification for # indicators |
Means of verification for # indicators |
|
Distribution
report with annexes |
These
reports will be collected regularly by project staff and the monitoring and
evaluation officer, and reviewed by project officers, and program officers then
archived automatically after the implementation of every activity. Therefore, these reports will be easy to be provided and delivered to the donor at any
time. |
|
Training
report with annexes |
|
|
Completion
report with annexes |
|
|
Project
monthly report |
|
|
Project
Semi- annual report |
|
|
Project
final report |
|
|
Awareness
sessions report with annexes |
|
|
Complaints
and feedback lists |
|
|
Means
of verification for % indicators |
Collected
by evaluation activities |
|
Post
distribution monitoring (PDM) |
These
reports need contracting with a free consultant or consulting company to
implement, which will cost money and consume additional time and effort |
|
Mid-term
evaluation report |
|
|
Final
evaluation report |
|
|
Project
final survey |
Assumptions and risks and risk mitigation measures
Most donors demand to mention the possible assumptions and risks during the implementation of the project and ask for explanation of how the organization is going to deal with these risks if they occurred, to ensure the project can be implemented and its objectives are achieved in the proposed period of time.
The identification of the assumptions and risks helps in clarifying whether the proposed objectives and activities are realistic and achievable during the time of the project implementation with the proposed human and financial resources; it further ensures that internal and external circumstances surrounding project implementation are suitable and will help in implementing the project.
Assumptions:
The assumptions are the external factors we expect to happen and we want them to actually happen, because their occurrence is required so we can implement the activities and successfully achieve objectives and reach outputs and outcomes. Therefore, the assumption is the necessary and desirable situation to happen so that activities can be implemented and goals achieved successfully.
Risks
Risks are unrealized assumptions. Therefore, unrealized assumptions become a threat that leads to the termination of the project or implementation difficulties.
Risk identification tree
The
Activities, assumptions, risks and risk mitigation measures process.
Types of risks that may occur:
· • Legal risks: such as
lawsuits that are filed by the project’s beneficiaries as a result of
non-application of standards that led to excluding the ones who are eligible
for the assistance.
Lawsuits can be filed by the residents in
the targeted area who are directly affected by the project implementation, like
uncompleted water project after a deep well is drilled due to a problem, lack
of funding or contractors faults.
· • Regulatory risks: one of specialized government agencies is absent and not involved in planning and coordinating prior to activities implementation. Other risks can be: weak procedures in the announcements and opening of tenders; or not specifying clear procedures that help in implementing activities in the required quality, which leads to inadequate performance that may make it difficult to achieve the desired project results. In addition, the implementation plan or monitoring and evaluation plans were not clear and responsibilities, requirements and time periods were not clearly defined.
· • Technical risks:
there may be errors or deficiencies in projects’ design where constructions or
rehabilitation is required in health facilities, schools and water projects. Or
when inappropriate technology is used, unavailability or shortage of required materials
for implementation.
· • Location risks:
there may be disputes on the ownership of the place or the area that was chosen to implement IDPs or refugee’s camps; or local residents may refuse the existence of these camps or sanitation, which is going to be built near their villages.
· • Financial risks:
there may be changes in exchange rates (currency fluctuation) and a decrease in the local currency, which will result in a rise in the required materials such as food baskets, building materials and workers’ wages.
· • Social risks: failing to form community committees or excluding influential people in the targeted community; not involving them and coordinating with them will lead to hindering project implementation, filing complaints and difficulties in handling such complaints.
• Political and security risks: conflicts of interests may arise between the political components in the region because of the project implementation, or there may be conflicts and security problems that lead to the termination of the project due to the difficulty for the project’s staff to be present in the targeted area; this, in turn, makes it difficult to monitor activities’ implementation and evaluate achieved objectives.
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