Objective-Oriented Project Planning
(ZOPP)
Dr Anthony Wemakor
Dept of Community Nutrition
SMHS UDS
Project and Programme
• A project can be described as the process of
using inputs to carry out activities in order to
achieve previously defined objectives.
• A programme is a series of projects in a sector,
sub-sector or region that are linked together
by a clearly defined concept.
Project Cycle Management
Evaluation
(See)
Plan (Idea)
PDM
Implementation
(Do)
3
Why Project Planning
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Objective-oriented – not activity-driven
Consistency
Logical - Logically sets objectives and actions
Participatory
Transparency and accountability
Monitoring and evaluation
Framework for assessing relevance, feasibility and
sustainability
Describes external factors that influence the project’s
success: assumptions and risks
4
Project planning instruments
• Methods to facilitate the planning and
implementation of projects and programmes
• Late 1960s Logical Framework Approach (LFA)
(USAID)
• Early 1980s Objective-Oriented Project Planning (ZOPP)
(GTZ)
European countries adapted the ZOPP
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Objective-oriented project planning (ZOPP)
Goal-oriented project planning
“Zeroing on People and Processes”
ZOPP
 ZOPP is a systematic structure for identification,
planning, and management of projects
 Applied through iterative workshops with
project authorities, beneficiaries and
stakeholders
 Utilizes problem analysis and stakeholder
analysis to create a project planning matrix
similar to logical project framework
Methods
and Tools
Zopp Workshops
 Lasts from 1 day to 2 weeks (avg. 1 week)
 Participants selected to represent all interest
groups
 Basic premise: main interest groups must be
represented from all levels
 Exercise requires a facilitator with a high
degree of experience and skill
ZOPP
ZOPP has 2 phases:
A. Analysis
Analysis phase comprises 5 sub-types
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Stakeholder analysis
Problem analysis
Objective analysis
Alternative analysis
Assumptions
B. Project planning
A. Analysis
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Participant analysis: (interests, motives, attitudes and
implications for project)
Problem analysis: major problems grouped into a
problem-tree with cause and effect and identification of
the core problem
Objectives analysis: a restatement of the problems into
realistically achievable goals;
Alternatives analysis: assessment of alternative objectives
according to resources, feasibility, cost-benefit ratio, social
risks, sustainability and other factors as decided by group.
Prepared on charts.
Assumptions: These conditions are necessary for
successful transformation of problems into secured
objectives.
1. Participant/stakeholder
Any group
within or
outside a
project that has
a stake in the
project’s
activities and/or
outcomes.
Examples
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Government
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Local Authorities
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Vulnerable groups

Employers

Workers

NGOs
1. Participant/stakeholder Analysis
Purpose:
 To identify those groups who, directly or indirectly,
will affect or be affected by a project.
 To determine, through consultation, the issues,
concerns and information needs of different
stakeholders
 To estimate the probable impact which various
stakeholders will have on the project
 To identify measures to enhance stakeholder support
for the sustainable development objectives of the
project.
Methods
and Tools
Importance of Stakeholder Analysis
Stakeholder Analysis promotes the three necessary conditions
for the effective implementation of a project.
1. Awareness/Commitment: that stakeholders
understand and believe in the objectives and
implementation strategy of the project.
2. Capability: that stakeholders believe they can cope
with and benefit from the changes which the project is
intended to bring
3. Inclusion: that stakeholders feel they are valued,
consulted and part of the change process which the
project represents
Step 3
Identify the Strengths, Weaknesses,
Opportunities and Threats of the
Stakeholders to the Project (SWOT)
 What are the strengths and weaknesses of
the stakeholders?
 As a consequence, what are the
opportunities and threats of the external
environment?
Step 4
Methods
and Tools
Identify the main individuals/groups of
Stakeholders who need special attention and
propose specific measures in a summary table:
Stakeholder
Stakeholder
Interest(s) in the
Project
Assessment of
Impact
Potential Strategies for
Obtaining Support or
Reducing Obstacles
2. Problem Analysis
Purpose: To identify major problems and
their main causal relationships.
Output:
‘Problem tree’: a graphical arrangement
of problems differentiated according to
‘causes’ and ‘effects’
Methods
and Tools
Core Problem Approach
1.
Identify a “core” or central problem
2.
List all the problems related to or stemming from the
core problem
3.
Determine which related problems are causes and which
are effects of the core problem
4.
Arrange the problems in a cause-effect heirarchy around
the core problem
Example: Problem Tree of Infant
Malnutrition, Iquitos, Peru, 2005
Methods
and Tools
Problem Tree Analysis
Relies on:
• Group-based interaction e.g. Workshop format
• Participation of key stakeholders
• Process facilitation
• Achieving consensus on problems, causes and
effects
3. Objective analysis
The Problem Tree provides the basis for the
objective analysis:
a) the identification of specific project objectives
–
by converting problems or constraints into specific
objectives
b) the definition of project activities and outputs
– by substituting cause-effect relationships with means-end
relationships
B. Project Planning
Methods
and Tools
• The output of the Analysis Phase of the ZOPP process feeds
into the planning phase.
• The output of the project planning phase is the Project
Planning Matrix (PPM).
• The PPM is a 4 x 4 matrix.
• The PPM is a one-page summary of:
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why the project is carried out,
what the project is expected to achieve,
how the project is going to achieve these results,
factors crucial for the success of the project,
how the success of the project can be measured,
which data are needed to assess project success,
what the project will cost.
The Project Planning Matrix
Summary of
objectives/
activities
Objectively
Verifiable
Indicators
Means/Sources of
Verification
Important
Assumptions
Overall Goal (OG)
Indicators that the
OG has been
achieved
Document/database
available to prove that the
OG has been achieved
For sustaining
objectives in the
long term
Project Purpose
(PP)
Indicators proving
that the PP has
been achieved
Document/database
available to prove that the
PP has been achieved
For achieving the
overall goal
Results/Outputs
Indicators proving
that the
results/outputs
have been
achieved
Document/database
available to prove that the
results/outputs have been
achieved
For achieving the
project purpose
Activities
Specification of
inputs/costs of
each activity
Records of cost involved e.g.
voucher, personnel
emolument
For achieving the
results/outputs
Summary of objectives/activities
• Overall Goal to which the contributes
• Project Purpose: which project purpose needs
to be achieved for a significant contribution to
be made to the project goal?
• Results/Outputs: which results/outputs will
have to be obtained in order to achieve
anticipated impact?
• Activities: which activities will the project have
to carry out in order for the results/outputs to
be obtained?
Important Assumptions
• For sustaining objectives in the long term: Which external factors
will have to occur in order to assure sustained continuity of the
achieved contribution to the OG in the longer term?
• For achieving the overall goal: Which external factors will have to
occur for the anticipated contribution to the overall goal to actually
take place?
• For achieving the project purpose? Which important assumptions
in relation to the results/outputs 1-..., that cannot be influenced by
the project or has been consciously defined as external factors, that
must occur for the project purpose to be achieved?
• For achieving the results/outputs? Which important assumptions in
relation to the activities 1-..., that cannot be influenced by the
project or have been consciously defined as external factors, that
must occur in order for the results/outputs to be obtained?
Methods
and Tools
Stages in the ZOPP Process
 Pre-ZOPP: in-house exercise by agencies in preparation for a project.
 Appraisal ZOPP: in-house appraisal for preparing Project TORs
 Partner ZOPP: in-country; presentation and discussion of previous phase
conclusions and recommendations with staff of project country
 Take-off ZOPP: in-country; preparation of the plan of operations with
personnel responsible for project execution and counterpart authorities.
 Re-planning ZOPP: prepared in-country; adjustments during project
implementation.
Methods
and Tools
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•
•
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ZOPP’s Iterative
Workshops
ZOPP’s
Iterative
Process
ZOPP is not a oneshot exercise;
Each plannng phase has a specific goal
Each goal is the subject of a workshop
Each workshop comprised of different
stakeholders
• Participants analyse key issues throughout the
project cycle.
• No set formula for successful workshop.
• All need to create common language and
understand one another divergent views
Methods
and Tools
Conclusion
Conclusion
Collaboration is not "automatically" part of
the ZOPP process. The project team,
borrower/donor, and stakeholders must
commit to adopting a participatory stance for
the overall project; otherwise, the ZOPP
process is merely an organizing tool.
Logical Framework Analysis
Methods
and Tools
3. Logical Framework Analysis
Q:What is Logical Framework Analysis?
A:
An analytical tool to assist project specialists
and stakeholders in conceptualising:
 the objectives of a project;
 the means whereby these objectives will be
achieved
 how progress towards achieving objectives
will be measured and,
 the underlying assumptions and risks which
will be faced
Contents of the LogFrame Matrix
Objectives
(Narrative Summary)
Goal:
(Development
Objective)
Purpose:
(Immediate Objectives)
Outputs:
Indicate each of the
outputs that are to be
produced by the project
in order to achieve
project purpose
Activities:
Indicate each of the
activities that must be
undertaken in order to
accomplish the outputs.
Verifiable Indicators
Means of Verification
Important Assumptions
What are the quantitative
ways of measuring, or
qualitative ways of judging,
whether these broad
objectives are being
achieved? (estimated time)
What sources of information
exists, or can be provided
cost-effectively?
What external factors are
necessary for sustaining
objectives in the long run?
What are the quantitative
measures or qualitative
evidence by which
achievement and distribution
of impacts and benefits can be
judged (estimated time)
What sources of information
exists or can be provided
cost-effectively? Does
provision for collection need
to be made under inputsoutputs?
(Purpose to Goal):
What conditions external to the
project are necessary if
achievements of the project’s
purpose is to contribute to
reaching the project goal?
What sources of
information?
(Output of Purpose):
What are the factors not within
the control of the project
which, if not present, are liable
to restrict progress from
outputs to achievements of
project purpose?
What are sources of
information?
(Activity to Output):
1) What external factors must
be realised to obtain planned
outputs on schedule?
2) What kind of decisions or
actions outside the control of
the project are necessary for
inception of the project?
What kind and quantity of
outputs, and by when will
they be produced? (quantity,
quality, time)
VI’s should be included
against all activities. This is
essential for projects
reporting and monitoring
against the Logical
Framework.