Section outline

  • How to design a good civil society project

    Course description

    How to design a good civil society projetc - a two-day course on Project Cycle Management (PCM)

    During the course we'll go through the preparatory phases in formulating a civil society project, with a focus on the tools that can be used. The course is structured in a way that allows for extensive group work around a case combined with inputs from the course facilitators.

    During the course we'll include CISUs Project Guide (2022) and the case Young in the City. And methodologically the course will combine elements of Logical Framework Approach and Theory of Change.

    During the course we'll look at the first three phases of the project cycle:

    1. The analytical phase which focusses on tools for context, problem, and actor analyses. This phase is concluded with a choice of project.
    2. In the design phase we look at tools from Theory of Change (such as working with pathways and formulating a narrative) and Logical Framework Approach (e.g., formulating clear project goals and results).
    3. The inception phase in which the detailed planning is in focus, such as developing a monitoring plan, a budget, and an activity plan.

    The course is held on 30-31 August at Vartov, Farvergade 27, Copenhagen.


    You can access CISU's Project Guide and the case for the course here. Also available here is additional tools and approaches to project work, and you're welcome to share the site with colleagues and partners.

    To further develop your skills you can consider joining the CISU courses on "Monitorering, Evaluering og Læring" 22 and 24 January 2024 (in Danish).

    Target group

    This two-day project course is targeted new CISU member organisations as well as new volunteers and employees among all CISU member organisations.

    Learning goals

    • The participants will get an insight into the typical phases in the planning and designing of a project; right from analyses, choosing the right strategi, to design and description of the project. 
    • By working with the case the participants get the chance to utilise the tools and relate them to the phases in the project cycle.

  • Materials

    • SlidesSlides from the training 30. to 31.8.2023 (in English)




      Download the Project Guide by clicking on the picture. Further presentation of the guide is available here: fabo.org/cisu/ProjectGuide










      rESULTFRAME

      Template for the results frame. 

      (A modified template inspired by that of Dansk Handicap) 




    • 2-pagers on Logical Framework Approach (LFA) and Theory of Change (ToC). 


  • Preparation

    • caseWe'll use the case "Young in the City" throughout the course. The case is based on concrete experiences from Sierra Leone.  All participants must thus have read the case prior to the course. Download the case here.

      When you've read the case please consider the following:

      • What are the most significant proeblems that the case describes?
      • Who are the most important actors?
      • What competences and ressources do the three partner organisations have?
      You're very welcome to share your answers to these three questions below. This is also where you can learn what the other course participants have answered.


      OBS: To use this feature you're required to sign in to Fabo. It's free and if you don't have a user already please create one here: 

    • 3 questions for the case Forum

  • Extra materials

    • Materials not directly included in the course, but were discussed: 

      Outcome mapping (an alternative project design approach): 


      Outcome harvesting (a monitoring tool that focuses on both planned and unplanned outcomes). The link are for online learning site on FABO: 


  • Meet the facilitators

    • Christoph, rådgiver

      Christoph Lodemann

      My name is Christoph. I'm an advisor at CISU and I've been part of the group developing CISU's project guide, which will be the point of departure for this course. My experience stems from both development and humanitarian spheres.. 


    • Theis Dencker

      I'm Theis and I work as an advisor at CISU. I have extensive experience with a broad range of projects and I've also been a part of the group developing CISU's project guide. In this course I'm curious to hear your take on the case and learn about your creative ideas about its problems and potential solutions.