OBGP 3290 - Project Cycle Management for inclusive interventions (NEW)

***UPDATED for 2022/23***

This new course gives a better understanding of the gender-responsive approach to the Project Cycle Management (PCM), aiming at the co-creation of inclusive cooperation interventions in partner countries. Students in the Concentration on Project Cycle Management will learn about the five phases of the PCM (programming, identification, formulation, implementation and monitoring & evaluation) and find out how they can contribute to sustainable international cooperation, as outlined in the Agenda 2030. They will systematically and in an interactive way (addressing sectors such as energy, education, health, water & sanitation, climate change), apply the different tools for each of the phases in consecutive Modules (each two sessions). The course outlines in a first Module the origins and the five phases of the PCM. The different applications of PCM across multilateral (e.g. UN Women, UNESCO) and bilateral organisations (e.g. GIZ, Enabel) will be explained and PCM will be compared to other approaches (e.g. Outcome Mapping). In Module 2, students will address the tools to understand the programming phase and acknowledge the importance of the human rights based approach and gender mainstreaming and appreciate the added value of the Theory of Change. Students will further distinguish the tools to use during identification (Module 3) and formulation (Module 4) and discuss the importance of maintaining or refuting this distinction. They will learn how to draft Terms of Reference, Logical frameworks, and conduct a risk analysis, power analysis, stakeholder analysis or policy analysis. The mid-term review is planned for the last session of Module 4 and encompasses teamwork (creating an infographic on a Theory of Change). In Module 5, students will understand the importance of the integration of gender into the PCM and apply different tools related to the implementation phase (such as gender budgeting). Module 6 is dedicated to the understanding of the monitoring & evaluation phase of the PCM. This Module creates familiarity with multiple databases on indices and indicators. During the last session, students will be invited to present the results of their collective exercise (drafting a project).

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will learn about the origins and the five phases of the Project Cycle Management (PCM) : programming; identification; formulation; implementation and monitoring & evaluation;

2. They will discover how different bilateral and multilateral organisations apply the PCM;

3. Students will assess and discuss the PCM's role in closing the gap between theory and practice in international cooperation;

4. They will apply the tools used during the different phases of the Project Cycle Management (e.g. gender and human rights analysis, stakeholder analysis, power analysis, policy analysis, risk analysis, logical framework, Theory of Change, Terms of Reference, gender-responsive budgeting);

5. Students will know how to mainstream gender into the Project Cycle Management;

6. They will be able to situate a project or programme within the whole cooperation cycle and deliver a project/programme formulation (during the final assessment).

Professional Skills

• Building alliances in the workplace (sharing vision, mission, developing strategies);

• Enhancing teamwork skills and collaboration;

• Strengthening leadership skills (leading by example, setting priorities and strategies, communicating convincingly, managing resources, holding oneself and others to account).

Saskia RAVESLOOT

Séminaire

English

- In Class Presence: 4 hours a week / 24 hours a semester

- Reading and Preparation for Class: 6 hours a week / 36 hours a semester

- Research and Preparation for Group Work: 6 hours a week / 36 hours a semester

- Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 7 hours a week / 42 hours a semester

- Other: podcast, online conferences, video: 2 hours a week / 12 hours a semester

None, however, the course welcomes students that have already attended courses on Project Cycle Management. These students are invited to share their knowledge and expertise with the other students that do not have the same background. To ensure the use of a shared language, the course will go through the basics at the beginning of the course.

Spring 2022-2023

a. Participation in class: 10%

b. Mid-term review: 30% - 17 February 2023

c. Final assessment: 60% - 24 March 2023

Mid-term review: Feedback per group and individual written feedback on presentation, understanding, answering questions, respecting peers and sharing burden. Final assessment: Collective feedback and written individual feedback on preparation, clarity, content, argumentation and logic.

Students are invited to take an active role and come prepared. Building arguments and respectful debates are key.