On the fourth day, the fellowship participants were brought by the APTN team through the full cycle of programme management and step by step from Need Assessment, Program Design, Work plan and budget, Implementation, and Monitoring and Evaluation. This component of the workshop serves as the training to prepare fellows for implementing Seed Grant which they will receive after completing a series of training.
Step 1: Needs Assessment
Avali, our Programme Officer, took the floor and explained to the participants about the importance of needs assessments and ways to carry it out. According to them, needs assessments are about identifying the community’s priorities and recognizing existing gaps in current programs or services that are not being addressed.
One of the most important reasons to conduct needs assessments is to ensure accountability to the communities we work with. We know that having the data is helpful for advocacy, especially with governments, it can be also used to assess programs if it truly reflects the communities’ needs.
Sometimes, large funding can shift focus toward donor-driven agendas, rather than community priorities. By doing proper needs assessments, we create a system where our work can be checked against real community needs, keeping us grounded and responsible. Avali also acknowledged that everyone in the group already has strong understanding and experience with needs assessments.
Example of question to ask ourselves during the need assessment step for advocacy projects Who is impacted by this policy; negatively or positively
- What understanding of this new policy does the community have?
- What are the barriers to accessing this scheme
- Who are the stakeholders we need to be aware of in facilitating the implementation of this policy.
- Determine what we need to do to ensure the community is aware of the new law and can access it.
Step 2: Program Design
After performing a needs assessment, the participants were taught to start with the design of their program.
First, the vision statement needs to be clearly defined based on the needs assessment result, as well as the problem that your project will aim to solve or address. After that, the available resources will need to be assessed; which includes skills, and expertise of the staff, budget, financial and logistical support.
Next, the goal needs to be defined based on the vision statement using the SMART objectives method:
- S stands for Specific. Your goal needs to be clear and focused, not vague like “end world hunger.” It should address a specific problem your community faces.
- M is for Measurable. You need to be able to measure your project’s impact. For example, if your project helps trans people learn how to change their legal gender marker, you should track how many people actually succeed in doing that and how much their knowledge improved before and after your program.
- A means Achievable. Your goal should be realistic based on your organization’s strengths and weaknesses. Sometimes organizations do a SWOT analysis to understand this.
- R stands for Relevant. Your goal should be important and connected to the needs of the community and the context the communities are living in.
- T is for Time-bound. Your project should have a clear timeline. Without it, it’s hard to measure the impact or know if you met your goals.
Step 3: Workplan and Budget
Moving from the program design, the next step is to think about what we’re going to do to achieve those goals, step by step. This will help us create a realistic and organized workplan and make sure your project goals can really be achieved.
From the table,
- Vision – Your dream or the big change you want to see in the world
- Goals – What you want to achieve through your project, Use the SMART framework
- Activities – Detailed steps to reach each of your goals. Be specific about what you’ll do
- Timeline – Plan when each activity will happen, Write down which month each activity will take place, and Make sure the timeline is realistic
Chompoo, Project Finance Lead, from APTN also presented on the importance of workplans and budgets. According to her, it is important to start planning on how to manage the money allocated to the program. While the budget isn’t the actual spending, it is a plan to follow. The plan should list what you want to do by activity, and allocate the funds in a reasonable manner. The allocation should be proportionate across the budget (for example, $10,000 for a consultant per day is too high.), and the allocation should be proportionate across the budget lines to ensure all the aspects and components of the project are covered.
At the expense stages, she also emphasized that transparency is key, and that keeping receipts as evidence is incredibly important. Receipts, proof of purchase, invoices need to be kept and properly issued, and all financial documents should follow the correct formats. It’s not only the finance team who will verify and check your documents, but also the auditor will review them. In addition, donors have their own requirements, and they will often ask for many supporting documents.
It is also crucial to provide proof that the payment was made. Whenever a service is contracted, you will need the consultant’s CV, contract, invoice and receipts. You need to be able to prove that the expense actually happened; not just for financial tracking, but also to show your responsibility and accountability to the communities you serve and to the money you receive. Lastly, this process also helps to prevent fraud or misuse of funds.
Step 4: Implementation
When finally implementing your plan, it is important to make sure that your project is achievable within the given time and budget.
Nhuun shared that the key to success is to:
- Make sure not to make too many promises that can over , and make sure that the project is achievable within the given time and budget. Otherwise, it can delay the timeline and may not be possible with the proposed budget,
- Clear and consistent communication between you, your colleagues, and stakeholders is very important. Otherwise, it can lead to miscommunications and delays.
- Take into account that things don’t always go as planned, so you should always have a backup plan.
- Financially, you may overspend in some areas, and underspend in others. Having a small contingency fund for emergencies is a good idea.
Step 5: Monitoring and Evaluation
At the end of the project, we’ll often do an evaluation. This includes collecting all your monitoring data, possibly doing another survey or focus group, and seeing how people’s knowledge, behavior, or experiences have changed. The evaluation helps you understand the final outcomes and impact and as well as ways to do better in the future.
Documentation
Nhuun, our Human Rights and Advocacy Manager,shared that throughout the project cycle, it’s important to document progress and changes in every stage , not just for tracking, but to know the real change and impact that has happened. This doesn’t always mean numbers, stories of change from the community can also be powerful indicators of success. By interviewing people, collecting personal stories, doing surveys, or holding focus groups, we can gather strong qualitative evidence.
We always advocate with donors that impact isn’t just about data; it’s also about the real experiences of people. So, in our report, sharing meaningful stories, clear changes, and reflections from the community is more important.
Learning from evaluation
Nhuun stressed that evaluation is not the end; Ideally, it helps us learn how to improve future programs, supports our organizations’ bigger goals, and can even help shape our next proposal. Projects should be seen as part of a long-term, sustainable effort, not something we forget once the timeline ends. Reports are one of the most reliable ways to monitor previous projects, and can also be a powerful way to share stories, highlight real impact, and reflect on what happened throughout the project.
Through review, it is possible to learn from previous mistakes and improve. Whether it’s a small project or part of a bigger plan, the evaluation helps you understand what worked and also what didn’t. For example, maybe people misunderstood something, or maybe a part of the project wasn’t as relevant in the local context. From there, you can improve your next round of work.