Certificate in Project Cycle Management (13 days)

This certificate course consists of 3 modules:

1. Needs Assessment: 2-6 September 2013 (5 days)
2. Planning, Programming and Monitoring Projects: 9-13 September 2013 (5 days)
3. Evaluating Projects: 16-18 September 2013 (3 days)

The three modules in Project Cycle Management provide comprehensive training for beginners and advanced users. They will equip you with the essential skills, tools and good practices from the field to successfully manage projects in development cooperation and humanitarian work.

All modules follow a participatory approach based on case studies, with many exercises and facilitated discussions. This allows trainers and participants to bring in and share their experiences in the group.

Upon completion of the three modules, participants obtain a Certifiate in Project Cycle Management.

Modules can also be taken individually, leading to a course certificate for each module.

Registration and course fees*

Registration and payment deadline: 26 August 2013. Early bird fee available for payments until 2 July 2013.

Early Bird Fee / Full fee:

• Non-OECD: CHF 2990 / 3460
• OECD: CHF 3690 / 4290

*This course is subsidised with CHF 750 by the Chèque Annuel de Formation (CAF), available for individuals living and paying their taxes in and around the canton of Geneva. CAF students benefit from the Early bird fee at any time of the course registration. More info here.

Above fees are in Swiss francs (CHF). Online currency converter: CHF to USD CHF to EUR CHF to GBP. These are indicative rates, provided by XE Currency Converter.

10% discount for returning students (within 12 months since the last course) or additional course participants from same organisation.

*Tax-paying individuals living in and around the canton of Geneva can apply for a subsidy of CHF 750 by the Chèque Annuel de Formation (CAF). Please contact us if you are a qualifying CAF student.

Who should attend

The course will benefit persons who are new to project management, or have experiences but not yet obtained training, in particular:

• Program managers
• Program coordinators
• Key field and HQ staff involved in assessments
• Managers supervising assessments

How you and your organisation will benefit – Learning Objectives

At the end of the course, participants are familiar with the assessment concept and process. They are able to prepare and use the appropriate tools to collect information from key stakeholders.

The emphasis is put on practice/exercises rather than on presentations.

• Group work
• Brainstorming
• Role play
• Case study

Course programme

Needs Assessment

Whilst a good needs assessment does not necessarily guarantee a good project, no needs assessment almost certainly guarantees a bad one!

Assessments are a vital element of the project cycle: they provide the information on which decisions will be made.

This module enables participants to improve the quality of their needs assessment and therefore the relevance of potential interventions which may follow. It focuses on the various tasks to be done throughout the whole assessment process as well as techniques and tools used to improve the collection of information during interviews with stakeholders.

More details: http://ngomanager.org/ngoms/course-programme/needs-assessment-5-days/

Planning, Programming and Monitoring Projects

In this module, participants are first introduced to the Results-Based Management (RBM) concept and its application in project management. RBM focuses on the performance and achievement of objectives and is the dominant management strategy in use.

Then, participants are working through the project planning and activities programming steps. The main tool used is the logical framework. It provides a structured model for identifying expected results as well as the activities and inputs needed to accomplish them. The course also provides additional techniques and tools to identify stakeholders, analyse problems, define objectives in line with population's needs and program human, financial and logistic resources in an efficient way.

Finally, participants discuss how to design and implement a proper monitoring.

More details: http://ngomanager.org/ngoms/course-programme/planning-programming-and-monitoring-projects/

Evaluating Projects

This course focuses on internal and external project evaluation and presents how these tools are used to measure and improve the performance of projects. Participants work step by step on the process of designing and performing an evaluation.

After reviewing key management issues required to design an evaluation plan (i.e., Results-Based Management and Project Cycle), participants focus on the main concepts in the field of projects evaluation (i.e., founding principles, types and criteria).

The course then presents the phases and the steps of the evaluation process:

• Design phase
• Conduction of the evaluation
• Look into activities related to the communication and sharing of the findings

More info: http://ngomanager.org/ngoms/course-programme/evaluating-projects/