Shaping Ideas – LogFrame Workshop at the oikos Winter School 2008

12 Apr 2023 www.oikos-international.org

Shape Your Ideasoikos Winter School 2008Katharina Beck & Martin Herrndorf

University Witten/Herdecke20 November 2008

based on a presentation by Kim Poldner and Martin Herrndorf at the oikos Autumn Meeting 2008, GrazAlpstein Fotos: Katharina Beck; LogFrame Content based on BOND publication

12 Apr 2023 www.oikos-international.org 2

Agenda

2 A project as a journey

1 Introduction and expectations

3 The Logical Framework (LogFrame) Method

4 Group work on your project ideas

5 Discussion and Feedback


Agenda







Intro: The Butterfly Effect


After this workshop...

...you will have learned how to•systematically shape your project – from high-level goals to nitty-gritty activities.•get agreement on your project shape in your project team through systematic group work.•communicate your project shape systematically to external partners (and funders…)•develop indicators for your goals – for checking progress and following-up•identify critical issues and assumptions of your project


Some rules.

We are convinced this workshop is important for shaping your project idea.

To make it a success, please•Jump in with questions whenever they are appropriate.•Bring in your project idea and aspirations.•Be flexible enough to challenge your idea.•Give the workshop time to develop its content.•If you feel it really does not matter for you, feel free to do something else (without disturbing the rest)


Agenda







Measuring and managing

A project is like a journey!so...

How do you find your way?


How do you find your way?


Agenda







Why use a logical framework?

1 Goal

2 Purposes

3 Outputs

4 Activities

5 Input


What is in a logical framework? (1)

State the overall goal – the project’s contribution to societal or env. progress 1 Goal

Describe the purposes of your project, like the direct benefits to your target group(s))

2 Purpose

List the outputs – tangible products or services – that you deliver in the project?

3 Outputs

List the activities that you will undertake to deliver the desired outputs

4 Activities

List the inputs that you need to implement the planned activities? 5 Input C

ontrol

Importance


LogFrame: “Getting into the day”

“Be well-prepared for the day”

1 Goal

“Have all my stuff with me”“Look nice and be healthy”2 Purpose

“Bag packed with books and laptop”“Clean, shaven and perfumed body”

3 Outputs

“Check agenda and collect books for courses”“Check laptop battery, cables and adaptors”“Take a shower and shave afterwards”

4 Activities“Agenda, course list and bookshelf”“Backpack with stuff from yesterday”“Bathroom, running water, shaver”5 Input C

ontrol

Importance



• Where do you stand? • How does this

compare to your ambitions?

• What are the next steps you should take?

• Should you adapt your goals or your activities?

„encourages the discipline of clear and specific thinking“

Preparation Running Follow-up

• What do you want to achieve?

• What action do you want to take?

• What resources do you need?

• What could be the limitations you phase?

internal

• What did you achieve?

• Did you achieve your initial goals?

• Where your assumptions realistic?

• What would you do different next time?



• Are you achieving what you promised?

• When you change course, does your project still aim for the same objectives?

„encourages the discipline of clear and specific thinking“

Preparation Running Follow-up

• Why should a partner team up with you?

• Do you have coherent or conflicting goals?

• Why are you attractive for funders?

• How do you contribute to their goals?

external

• What did you achieve?

• Did you partners and funders achieve their goals?

• Does this lay the basis for future co-operations?


Shaping Exercise 1• Split into two-person groups• Work individually on your project

idea• Work top-down! • Move from goal to activities• Depending on time, only fill sample

activities

• Explain your LogFrame to your partner

• Explain bottom-up! • Move from activities to goals• Discuss: Does the LogFrame make

sense?• Depending on time, only fill sample

activities

• Panel discussion • What did you learn in this exercise?


What is in a logical framework? (2)1 Goal

2 Purposes

3 Outputs

4 Activities

5 Input

How to measure?• Concrete indicators• Specify data sources• Include (scoping /

feedback) questionnaires into your project.

• Be realistic and ambitious

• Might feed back in goal definition!

• Consider degree of control


What is in a logical framework? (2)How to measure?

• Quality: What shall change?• Quantity: By how much?• Timing: By when?

“I want to encourage sustainability transportation patterns at our university”

“I want to have 200 free, shared bicycles on the university campus by November 2009”


Side-talk: Typical oikos indicators


Shaping Exercise 2

• Split into the same two-person groups

• Work individually on your project idea

• Fill in indicators in your sheet

• 1 for goal, 2 for purposes, 3 for activities


• Explain your indicators

• Discuss: How good are these indicators? Precision?



What is in a logical framework? (3)1 Goal

2 Purpose

3 Outputs

4 Activities

5 Input

Assumptions1. Logic between the layers“If management students take part in

a seminar on renewable energy with a clean venture investor, they will be more aware about the chances of renewable energy”.

2. External factors beyond your control

“No major university block seminars will be placed on the same date as the congress”


What is in a logical framework? (3)

Sharpen your project understanding• Critically challenge: How high is the

likelihood for this assumption?• Risk assessment: ‘The Killer

Assumption’

Adapt or extend your project• Can you extend your project to cover

assumptions or external factors?• Which partners can you involve to

cope with external factors?• Do alterative activities rest on

different / fewer assumptions?

1 Goal

2 Purpose

3 Outputs

4 Activities

5 Input

Assumptions


Shaping Exercise 3

• Split into the same two-person groups

• Work individually on your project idea

• Fill in assumptions in your sheet

• 2 for each linkage (1 logic, 1 external factor)


• Explain your assumptions

• Discuss: How good are these indicators? Precision?



Further reading & surfing…………

• Bell, Simon; Morse, Stephen (2008); Sustainability Indicators: Measuring the Immeasurable?

• George, Clive; Kirkpatrick, Colin (2007); Impact Assessment and Sustainable Development: European Practice and Experience (Evaluating Sustainable Development)

• BOND: Logical Framework Analysis. BOND Guidance Notes Series (nice introduction and overview on LogFrames)

• European Commission: Project Cycle Management Guidelines. Aid Delivery Methods, Volume 1 (nicely prepared, but very extensive treatment of LogFrames and other tools)

• Lawlor, E., Neitzert, E., & Nicholls, J. (2008). Measuring real value: A guide to Social Return on Investment. London, UK: new economics foundation (nef). (variant to LogFrame, wider scope)

• Butterfly-works: www.butterfly-works.org


LogFrame Summary

1 Goal

2 Purpose

3 Outputs

4 Activities

5 Input

Assu

mp

tion

sIndicators &data sources

Indicators &data sources





Agenda







Group work… If we would have some time left…

• Spend some time revising the LogFrame you started during the previous exercises.

• Write questions on the board

• Martin and Katharina answer your specific questions individually / in small group / in plenum, depending on the interest others have in the question.


Group work… As we have some time left…

• Spend some time revising the LogFrame you started during the previous exercises.

• Write questions on the board

• Martin and Katharina answer your specific questions individually / in small group / in plenum, depending on the interest others have in the question.


Agenda







Discussion

• Did LogFrame help you to shape your project idea?

• Is it a method you will use for shaping your project further (and preparing your Saturday presentation)?

• Is it a method you would like to use in the future on other projects?

• Oh, and what did you like about the workshop?


What to keep in mind…..

Well, you might…• Continuously reflect on your project;• Balance ‘questioning’ and ‘full steam’;• Not drown yourself in paperwork, but keep it

simple;• Be out there and not locked in an office

And also…• Act from the heart & with good intentions;• Trust that you actually can have a great impact!


Be a butterfly until you're 88! and

beyond…


Thanks for...

oikos Winter School 2008Katharina Beck & Martin Herrndorf

[email protected], [email protected]

University Witten/Herdecke20 November 2008

Shaping Ideas – LogFrame Workshop at the oikos Winter School 2008

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Transcript of Shaping Ideas – LogFrame Workshop at the oikos Winter School 2008