Objective: Support the action planning process, detailing each project briefly.

It enables the team to formulate project objectives, target groups, project activities and expected results; estimate costs of project components; identify performance indicators to measure results and to determine institutional arrangements necessary for project implementation, monitoring and evaluation.

PHASE: 3 | How do we get there? Strategy formulation

SUB-PHASE: 3.3 | Strategic action planning

Total time spent on this tool

Approximately 8 hours per project (depending on the project complexity)

Note: For time spent on each sub-phase, please see section on Description of tool

Under which circumstances to use the tool

  1. When the project prioritization phase is finalized and the list of priority projects is agreed upon.
  2. If you want to support the implementation process with a detailed project portfolio.
  3. When you prepare a project application to be submitted to a funding agency.

Main actor(s) responsible

Members of the planning team, supported by members of municipal departments, and technical experts whose expertise is considered useful for specific projects

Target / beneficiary

  1. Municipal departments – responsible with project implementation
  2. Project beneficiaries – community residents, other stakeholders’ groups, etc.

Description of tool

The project fiche is a tool that is organized on specific sectoral programmes. On each program a working team takes the priority projects one by one and details each project according to the table below and to the following steps:

Step 1: Project identification (1 hour)

The team will discuss the project – its contribution to the strategy objectives, and its location characteristics

Step 2: Project description (4 hours)

The team will identify the project objectives (SMART objectives) and the target group(s). Then the project will be broken down into several components (activities), whose value and deadline need to be roughly identified. Project results, as well as the specific indicators to measure results will be identified as well.

The team will discuss the potential risks in the project implementation, as these risks might have an impact on the revision of the project components and project design.

Step 3: Institutional arrangements (3 hours)

The team and departments staff will also define who will do what on the project, as this may involve a range of stakeholders. They will establish institutional roles/mechanisms for relevant stakeholders, as well as operational arrangements needed for project funding, implementation and monitoring.

Advantages and disadvantages of this tool

Advantages

  1. The project fiche is a useful tool for project preparation as it identifies the project components and the necessary steps for the project implementation. It might lead to the amendment of the priority list, as some projects may be unfeasible if carefully analysed.
  2. It is also an instrument for project funding as it represents the first draft of a project application form.
  3. It is a first step for an organizational change (restructuring) as it highlights the various actors that need to be involved and their specific tasks and responsibilities.
  4. It also underlines the specific expertise that is needed in the different implementation stages, and it provides an initial view on the further procurement activities.

Disadvantages

  1. It requires professional expertise and accurate information on technical aspects and prices. If this information is wrong, the conclusions can distort the implementation decision.
  2. Although it looks like an action plan, it is only a first, quick assessment of the project design. Therefore, the project fiche should be further developed into a project action plan, or into a project application, based on specific requirements and templates provided by different funding agencies.