2. Plan of Operations

Transcription

1 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 1 2. Plan of Operations 2.1 What to expect in this chapter? An overview of topics This chapter gets down to the nitty-gritty of: detailing activities scheduling activities/ work plan distributing responsibilities budgeting and financial planning devising a procurement plan for required equipment and materials It offers a tool to draw all these elements together and relate them in one document. The management software gives hints on running a meeting: the form at which such operational planning is likely to take place. 2.2 Core issues: what details go into an operational plan? The implementation of a project can be compared with the functioning of a big machine. All its parts must be functioning, wheels need to be greased, there must be fuel, everybody operating it must know what to do, and then it works through one thing after the other. Only if all the components or parts of the machine itself, the useable materials, and the human factors, work together, then the whole functions. What are the important components for implementing a project? If we assume that we know what we want to achieve (= objectives are fairly clear, perhaps they were in a LogFrame format), then it may be useful to think about A. Which activities (in detail) are we carrying out? What are the steps in implementation? Do we need to specify (quality) standards for an activity? B. What comes first? What comes next? What step needs to be done before we can start with the next activity? C. Who is involved? Who is really doing the work? Who co-ordinates and supervises? D. Which materials must be there for each step? When must we procure them? When must they be there? How do they get where we need them?

2 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 2 E. Which funds do we need for each step? When do we need the funds? F. What knowledge or other inputs to we need in each step? How do we make sure we have it at the time required? G. What else could but must not happen in a work step? Is there anything we need for successfully implementing a step that we cannot control? H. Does everything fit together? Let us take an example: A group of women wants to open a bakery. One of their objectives should be to establish the bakery (building, equipment) itself. (Another one could be to bake bread, then to sell the bread, yet another one to deal with the income generated.) Let us see what planning the operations for establishing the bakery (only) could mean. A. Activities in detail could be: to find a site (plot or premises) for the bakery, to get or build an oven, to get other implements and construct the work place (for preparing the dough, for preparing the bread loaves, for putting the baked loaves). B. Activities may be scheduled in the following sequence: Finding the site - by when? Establishing the oven by when? Ordering and getting other implements delivered by when? Constructing the workplace by when? C. Who decides on the site? Who decides on the technology of the oven? Who is responsible for building or supervising the building? Who is contracted to do the building construction? Who from the women s group works on the construction site? Who orders and checks the implements? Who organises the workplace? D. What materials are required for establishing each part of the bakery? When to procure them? E. Costs and funding the premises? For the oven? For implements? For other requirements (tables, plastering/painting/tiling the walls, floor, etc.) F. Is any training required for the construction phase? For construction tasks or their management? G. What could go wrong in each area (e.g. implements not available, not delivered in time, craftsmen do not finish their job as required, ) and what would the women do then? H. Do all the components for establishing the bakery fit with one another? Is anything / any step missing? All this seems a lot to plan. But many of the activities, time schedules, responsibilities are quite easy to determine. What is important is that they are clear and known to all parties involved.

3 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 3 Not everything needs to be written down and documented. If the spirit in a project is constructive and supportive, if there is enough energy, then people will help one another and many things will be done spontaneously. If people want a more formal interaction, written orientations are more welcome Tools Now let us look into some tools that may help to specify activities (section 2.3.1), to come to time frames and co-ordinate activities (section 2.3.2), to determine who does what and when (section 2.3.3), to organise purchase of materials (section 2.3.4), to clarify funds required (section 2.3.5), to decide on other requirements (section 2.3.6), to assess risks (section 2.3.7), and to check in how far all the components fit with one another (section 2.3.8) Specifying activities a) Identify a certain step in the activities foreseen, e.g. organise premises for bakery. b) Ask: what is involved (in detail) until the premises for the bakery are organised? This may involve: Scanning possible options for premises (sites, costs,...) Getting the point of view of authorities (e.g. village headman, ) Making a decision on which site to chose Purchasing the site Contacting a lawyer to get the premises officially registered Constructing or renovating a building (which would have other detailed activities in consequence)

4 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 4 This procedure can be done for all steps of activities in as much detail as the case requires Coming to time frames and co-ordinating activities Sequencing of activities will give time co-ordination for all actors involved. An easy tool to use is a calendar, in which activities are entered according to the week (or sometimes the month) in which they need to be executed and finished. The calendar then looks like a table, the headline consisting of the weeks, the column of the activities. The degree of detail may vary in each case. It is important to indicate clearly the crucial deadlines that, if not met, would cause delay in the following activities. A format can look like this: Activity: Premises for bakery organised Weeks 1) Detailed Activities: Scanning possible options for premises Getting the point of view of authorities Making a decision on which site to chose Purchasing the site Get the premise officially registered Activity: Constructing or renovating the building Detailed Activities: 1) (or months, or a combination of both) X --- -x X Such a table is called a bar-chart, as one puts bars to indicate when an activity will happen. Various signs show that there are ongoing activities ( ), or activities that only happen at one point in time (e.g. X for a meeting in which a decision is made), or other activities that last over a

5 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 5 period of time but may not be continuously ongoing (e.g. checking on the quality of a building at various stages of construction) Determining who does what and when Clear responsibilities are another key to smooth implementation. There are two questions involved: a) who is responsible for organising or supervising that an activity is done in time (and to the required standards), and b) who actually does the work. That means, for all the key activities and detailed activities in a project the responsibility and the execution should be clarified. Related to this is the question of standards. It makes a difference whether the users of a product or a service can use it practically and easily and are satisfied, or not (e.g. the bread oven in a bakery needs to function for the bakers without major hassles, hence it should be clear what features it should have, how big it should be and where in the bakery it should be situated). It is therefore useful for some activities to clarify the standards. This may entail quite detailed descriptions (e.g. for buildings, for implements, but also for the bookkeeping system, etc.). Practically this task may be clarified by taking the list of activities and detailed activities, and adding the standards (where useful), the responsibilities and executed by. It can then look as follows: Activity: Premises for bakery organised Detailed activities Standards Responsible Executed by Scanning possible options for premises etc. Chairperson of group Elected committee of 3 group members Getting the point of view of authorities Ask traditional and modern authorities etc. etc. Making a decision on which one to chose Purchasing the site Get the premise officially registered 2/3 majority decision of all women in group etc. Chairperson of group.etc. Chairperson of group etc. etc. Contracted lawyer

6 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 6 The distribution of responsibilities is better done in consultation with the persons involved, in order to avoid over demanding or overcharging staff Organising purchase of materials For each detailed activity, special materials may be required, that are either purchased by the project implementers or by those subcontracted to execute an activity. Materials can be equipment, which is in some cases used beyond the special activity for which it is first required (e.g. office equipment), or usable (e.g. office materials). Hence one can make up two categories of materials and equipment: those for general use, and those specifically required for a detailed activity. The equipment and materials for general use need to be listed and calculated. Practically, materials allocation can be planned using the same approach as above: make a table with activities in the first column and then the materials in the rows. In all cases, you can include cost and date of requirement in the plan. Activity: Renovating the building: Detailed activities Replace missing roof tiles Equipment Use-ables Cost Date when required 1 ladder 3 boxes of roof tiles plastic sheets Install new ceiling 1 ladder Ceiling board White paint Build chimney for oven Bricks Cement Sand Install new plumbing and sink Sink pipes

7 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations Deciding on other requirements Sometimes it is necessary not only to attend to physical structures but also to the human or institutional aspects of a project. Two examples:! Members of a CBO have a good and feasible idea of a project, they have the energy to undertake it, but they do not have the experience or the technical knowledge required. This they are willing to acquire through training or in practicals. These need in this case to be included in the Plan of Operations as an activity.! In infrastructure projects, co-ordination with the respective department (e.g. government ministry) for staffing, equipping and running it are usually necessary. What would a school building be without teachers, a clinic without doctors and nurses, and a water supply without maintenance? The involvement of government departments can vary widely, but it needs to be clarified before infrastructure is built. There is not a single tool for dealing with the additional requirements, as they vary from project to project. What is important is to ask the questions and find answers, thus checking that everything necessary for the project to be successful/ functional/ completed is specified and listed Assessing risks Each project has risks. They are either related to frame conditions, which one may have hoped to change (e.g. if a CBO erects a school the education department must be prepared to provide equipment and teachers), or they are related to the ongoing activities (e.g. that all craftsmen do their job according to schedule in a building construction). How can we check those risks systematically and react to them before it is too late? One can try to think of risks related to each activity or detailed activity. It is helpful to distinguish between: a) risks related to preconditions and b) risks related to consequences. It is helpful to formulate them positively, as assumptions, again in table format:

8 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 8 Activity: Premises for bakery organised Detailed activities Assumptions related to preconditions Assumptions related to consequences Conclusions for the project Scanning possible options for premises There are suitable premises available The prices for possible premises do not go up beyond affordability Do a pre-scan Act carefully in order not to raise price expectations Getting the point of view of authorities Making a decision on which site to chose Purchasing the site Get the premise officially registered Checking in how far all the components fit with one another Most of the above information can be put together in a big tabular overview that helps to steer implementation of a project. It is a combined activities, standards, schedules, responsibilities, purchasing and assumptions table: the Plan of Operations. Here is an example of (one output/result and its related activities of) a transport facilities initiative in a rural area (see below). Rules: Be pragmatic, practical, make it useful, useable, user friendly! Do the Plan of Operations according to the specific needs of your project. Check, whether all elements fit one another.

9 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 9 The Plan of Operations: a basic outline Activities Who does what When Materials Assessing risks On the next page our example...

10 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 10 Project: Rural Bus System Planning Period: Date of Issue: 2002 Result No.: 2) Standard training courses for bus drivers executed Activities Who does what? Output Mile-stone a)assigned to '03 '03 indicator b) Responsible I II '03 III Timing Materials Risks '03 IV 2004 I 2005 II Training Requirements Cost Equipment / Materials Cost Building Cost Misc. Cost Maintenance & Repair Cost Assumptions and Remarks Activity Detailed activities 2.1 Check knowledge and deficits of drivers Devise test Sample testing Comprehensive testing 70% of bus drivers tested by 200x multiple choice test agreed on by...200x variations in test results are significant test results available as per schedule Operations manager (= op.ma)/ official examiner op.ma/ official examiner op.ma/ official examiner op.ma/ official examiner computer paper Travel allowances for tests 2, computer - - for examiners computer - - for examiners paper for test printouts for drivers for examiners 1, Employment records up to date: official examiner cooperates Analyse deficits deficits are clear op.ma/ official examiner

11 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations Other aspects, getting input from specialists There may be aspects of doing a Plan of Operations that cannot be done at project level. For example: # Technical and organisational plans / advice may require specialists. # Feasibility studies (e.g. are prices of village bakery bread viable in comparison to commercial bread?) may be beyond local expertise. # Bank loans may require special conditions and formats for which one needs support. # Applications for project support (e.g. donor funding for bakery construction and equipment) may require complex fixed formats. In these types of cases it is useful to look for support from experts consulting in these fields. 2.5 A piece of management software A Plan of Operations is usually the product of meetings among and between project management, project staff and support persons. In a large project there may be meetings at project department level and among various committees for certain aspects, with information from these all being fed up to the management committee/ level. In any event many meetings, decisions, discussion and piece of information are required. Here are some tips to make this process easier. How to hold better meetings Before the Meeting (Preparation) If you are to conduct a meeting clarify the purpose / expected result(s) of the meeting draw up a provisional agenda and time schedule prepare all material and information that could possibly be required anticipate possible conflicts and tactics

12 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 12 If you are attending a meeting clarify your expectations prepare all possible information to share, contribute and discuss anticipate conflicts and tasks think of items you want to raise, to be placed on the agenda During the Meeting If you chair a meeting agree on the agenda (probably make your own proposals, give others the opportunity to bring up the points they would like covered) agree on the time schedule of the agenda ensure that minutes are taken and that assignments and deadlines are recorded visualise major statements and discussions in an appropriate manner (or have them visualised) apply good communication (see chapter 1) bring every point on the agenda to an appropriate end before the next one is taken up record the decisions taken in such a way that they are known to all members If you are a participant in the meeting make sure all your concerns are tabled and dealt with and minuted take your own notes to report back to your department if applicable After the meeting make sure the minutes are circulated Formulating a Plan of Operations involves intensive interaction between individuals and groups/ teams, in order to determine the tasks of each over a period of time. With the allocation of tasks goes pressures of time, workload, often scarce resources; so the process involves some bargaining and discussion where the stakes may be high and conflict possible. The rules of good communication (see chapter 1) apply here, but it is especially important to be clear and honest with others about

13 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 13 your position and requirements and to hear them clearly in return. Useful in this instance is the ability to give feedback.

14 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 14 Feed-back during the process of implementation Giving feedback involves telling others ones own views on an issue and sharing perceptions about the other. Feedback is the crucial tool to keep a team and its work going. It needs to be formally arranged periodically, but it can also be woven into daily interaction, making for a culture of openness and directness. A first step toward giving feedback is acknowledging. This means signalling that one has listened to somebody else attentively and has received and understood the other without prematurely judging. Acknowledgement is not an answer or a response. Neither does acknowledgement indicate that the receiver agrees with a message. Making the effort to acknowledge what somebody has said is one of the crucial secrets of good communication. It requires: listening patiently until the sender has finished his/her message and until it has been fully received; asking questions of clarification if the receiver has been unable to duplicate and understand a message. # Following active acknowledgement comes feedback. This involves bringing oneself into the discussion by telling the other how one experiences a given situation or how one perceives the other person. Such feedback is indispensable in cases of any misunderstanding or conflict. The feedback may concern one's own understanding of the other s statements, one's own mood and feelings. or it may be a direct appeal to the other.

15 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations 15 Feedback describes facts rather than puts values on the other person s statement; is formulated as a personal or "I..." -message rather than as a general statement; is made on a common basis, i.e. that a person in a subordinate position has the same right to talk freely as his/her superior; reflects one's own proposals and wishes (e.g. concerning what is specifically being asked to be changed). Some helpful hints: $ explicitly state "I..." (e.g. "I am annoyed if you are always late for our meetings", or: "I do not dare to approach somebody else in this matter", etc.); $ refrain from "you" - formulations ( do not say: "obviously you can never be punctual!") $ refrain from "one" - formulations (do not say: "In such a matter one cannot see somebody else!") $ directly express wishes or observations (not: "I could imagine you doing this job", but: "I would like you to do it"). $ be courageous enough to make personal statements, and possibly also $ voice controversial positions, e.g. concerning assessments of someone (one should not attempt to hide behind people of higher authority) $ attempt to sense at which moment he/she is required (or finds it necessary) to state his/her own opinion, and when not; $ present his/her aims and objectives as early and as clearly as possible; $ keep potential differences in opinion and / or conflicts of interests in mind and address them frankly.

16 BAOBAB: Handbook on Implementation Management 2. Plan of Operations Closure of the chapter After working through this chapter you can expect to have learned: how to identify all the key activities and detailed activities required to achieve a project output, how to detail who is to carry these out, when and with what equipment and materials, how to stipulate costs of all this, how to take note of any related risks in order to manage them, how to practically list all these aspects in a table which shows their interrelation and interaction, that human interaction in meetings generates the information in a Plan of Operations, and that this needs to be structured and constructive.