Action
Implementation and Evaluation Planning
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Whist the intervention plan describes how the population nutrition
problem for a particular target group will be addressed (what type
questions)
•
The implementation plan details the specific tasks of the intervention
identifying who is responsible for each task, the resources required and
the timeline within which the task should be completed (how, who,
when and with what type questions)
•
Evaluation planning should occur in parallel with implementation
planning to ensure the two processes are linked
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Planning for Implementation
•
Implementation planning starts with the strategy mix and systematically
works through a process of:
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•
Deconstructing strategies into activities
Considering the time and resources required for this work
Scheduling the sequence of work
Assigning who is responsible for each piece of work
An implementation plan is a core project management tool and
provides a hierarchical breakdown of the work to be done for the
intervention
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Planning for Implementation
•
A possible process for identifying activities and tasks for each
intervention strategy includes :
 Writing down each strategy (output)
 Breaking each output into sequential units of work; activities
 Break each activity into sequential smaller units of work called tasks
 confirm the activities and tasks are appropriately grouped and classified
 each completion of each set of tasks will result in achievement of the
activity
 Move activities and tasks around as necessary
 give each item on the list a unique identifier to use as a reference
→ this information can be entered into a table for consultation
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Developing Work Package Plans
•
•
•
•
After identifying the activities and tasks required for achieving each
output, work package plans for each output can be detailed – one for
each strategy
Developing work packages for intervention outputs allows transparency
activities and identification of key milestones for each work package
Each work package should be developed by the intervention player
responsible for implementing the activities and tasks
Work packages can be illustrated in various forms and usually include
specific reference to the sequence and duration of activities
 Simple table format
 Gantt chart
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Work package schedule – example simple table format
Work package
ID
Description
Who
Scheduled
start
Scheduled
finish
2.1
Indentify nutrition
expertise + develop
session curriculum
Project
manager
05 Feb 2009
18 Feb 2009
2.1.4
2.1.5
2.1.6
Develop, consult and
pilot curriculum
Nutritionist
20 Feb 2009
30 March
2009
2.2
Identify and book venue
+catering
Project
officer
20 Feb 2009
05 March
2009
Predecessor
WP 2
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
2.1
Work package schedule – example Gantt chart
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Developing a Gantt Chart
•
A Gantt chart is a horizontal bar chart that shows intervention activities
and tasks in sequential order where bars represent the time estimates
•
A Gantt chart is a flexible document that should be regularly updated
through the life of the intervention
•
A Gantt chart can be used for day-to-day management, planning and
reporting
•
A Gantt chart is useful to clarify planning estimates, work requirements
and timelines with senior management
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Developing a Gantt Chart
•
The process to complete a Gantt chart follows:
 List the work/work packages of the intervention – list each output in a
separate cell in the first column
 Identify resources – list resources required for each activity in the next
column
 Identify who is responsible – in the third column list who is responsible for
delivering the activity
 Estimate timeframes – create a timeline for the project in the remaining
columns
 Identify milestones – mark each significant event that acts as a progress
marker (e.g. a black diamond) – add a milestone description
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Developing Intervention Budgets
•
Budgeting is the determination of costs associated with the defined
activities of the intervention
•
Developing an intervention budget involves calculating the cost of the
activities of the intervention
•
A costing table can be developed for each strategy and then collapsed
into a total intervention budget table
Example cost titles include:
•
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Personnel/staff
Catering/ venue hire
Travel
Design/ publishing/ printing
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Example - intervention costing table
Personnel
/ Staff
Catering/
Venue
Hire
Travel
Design/
Publishing
Phone/
Postal
Activity
1.1
Activity
1.2
Activity
1.3
Activity
2.1
Activity
2.2
etc
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Income
TOTAL
Developing Intervention Budgets
•
A costing table should include both direct and indirect costs
•
•
Direct costs = resources that are actually expended on the project activities
Indirect costs are ‘in-kind’ expenses the partnering organisations are going
to contribute to support the intervention
•
A costing table should include a brief description of the items and
calculation methodology
•
Estimating intervention costs may involve:
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Calling for quotes
Estimating the staff time an activity will require
seeking standard formulas for estimating on-costs and overheads
Applying standard government and consultancy rates for staff/consultants
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
•
Being able to accurately predict the resources needed to
implement an intervention and justify this resource allocation is
an important part of the grantsmanship process.
•
A submission that fails to explain and justify how each item of
funding (eg. Salaries, travel costs, equipment) relate to the
activities outlined in the plan is likely to be considered high and
will generally not be funded.
•
Remember to show ‘in kind’ costs funding agencies like to see
the organisation they are funding are also contributing to the
intervention.
Writing Action Statements
Evaluation Planning
•
Intervention evaluation is the systematic collection of data to enable
critical appraisal of an intervention’s activities and outcomes to produce
sensible conclusions and useful proposals that improve intervention
efficiency, effectiveness or adequacy
In simple terms:
•
•
Evaluation assesses whether the
 intervention objectives were met
 methods used were appropriate and well-organised
Evaluation findings are fed back into planning process to improve the
next phase of the intervention and future interventions
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Evaluation Planning
•
Evaluation starts at the planning stages of an intervention and
continues throughout the life of the intervention
•
It is important to plan evaluation strategies in parallel with
implementation planning to:
 Ensure the two processes are linked and inform each other
 Inform stakeholders of the importance of evaluation
 Assure stakeholders of the internal validity of the intervention
 Increase participation in evaluation strategies
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Levels of Evaluation
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There are several different levels of evaluation in PHN practice:
1. Formative Evaluation - data collected prior to intervention implementation
which is used to inform intervention design and assess capacity
2. Process Evaluation – assessed the intervention strategies and capacity
building strategies
3. Impact Evaluation – measures whether the intervention objectives have
been met
4. Outcome Evaluation – measures whether the intervention goal has been
met
5. Economic Evaluation – measures cost-effectiveness of the intervention or
intervention strategies
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Action Statements and Evaluation Levels
Relationship of goals and objectives to evaluation
Problem
reflected in
Goal
measured by
Outcome evaluation
Determinants
reflected in
Objective
measured by
Impact evaluation
Strategies
reflected in
Strategy
Activities
measured by
Process evaluation
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
Developing Evaluation Indicators
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Planning for evaluation involves considering two fundamental elements
of evaluation:
1. Identifying a criterion of good performance (indicator)
2. Gathering the necessary data through observation and measurement
too make an assessment
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Indicators are specific measures that signify the point at which goals
and objectives have been achieved and are used as the criteria in
intervention evaluation
Each objective and strategy should have at least one clearly defined
indicator of success – with the data source clearly stated
Implementation and Evaluation
Planning
•
Evaluation planning should be heavily dependent and
integrated with determinant analysis and related logic
modelling.
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Evaluation needs to answer the questions:
–
–
–
Has the intervention changed determinants?
By how much?
How and why? (or just as important questions such as why not?)
Writing Action Statements