Project Design & Proposal Writing

1 Susan Brock, MPHD irector of Health ProgramsRita Columbia, MD, MPARH/FP Technical Specialista program of the International Youth FoundationProject Design & Proposal WritingA Guide to Mainstreaming Reproductive Health into Youth Development ProgramsThe International Youth Foundation (IYF) invests in the extraordinary potential of young people. Founded in 1990, IYF builds and maintains a worldwide community of businesses, governments, and civil-society organizations committed to empowering youth to be healthy, productive, and engaged citizens. IYF programs are catalysts of change that help young people obtain a quality education, gain employability skills, make healthy choices, and improve their communities. To learn more, visit Youth Foundation32 South StreetBaltimore, MD 21202, USAP hone: +1 410 951 1500 Fax: +1 410 347 Youth Reproductive Health Project Design and Proposal Writing Guide was developed by the International Youth Foundation as part of the Planning for Life Project funded through grant agreement GSM-027 under the USAID GSM Flexible Fund.

2 The guide is intended to assist IYF partners and others to Design quality projects and open new opportunities to integrate reproductive health and family planning into youth development guide is based on materials developed for workshops on youth reproductive health and Project development held in India, Tanzania and the Philippines in February March, 2008. We wish to acknowledge the contribution of Felicitas Rixhon, Ben Ngoye, MD and Vinita Nathani in reviewing the materials which served as the foundation for the guide. We also acknowledge the support of the following IYF staff for their assistance with the review and editing process: Ami Thakkar, Leadership and Engagement Center Christina Miranda, Finance, Administration and IT Support Julia Freed, Health CenterPetula Nash, Education Center Sarabecka Mullen, Employability CenterGillian McCallion, Graphic Design 2 CONTENTSACKNOWLEDGEMENTSINTRODUCTIONPROJ ECT DEVELOPMENTP roject Design CycleYouth Reproductive Health Integration Cycle I.

3 Situation Analysis a. Data Analysis and Participatory Needs Assessment b. Problem Analysis c. Stakeholders Analysis II. Organizational Capacity Assessment III. Finalizing the Problem Statement and Focus of the Project IV. Identifying Entry-Points for YRH Integration V. Project Planning Frameworks and Project Design The Outcome Logic Model The Results Framework Critical Assumptions Project Results and Activities VI. Monitoring and Evaluation Monitoring and Evaluation Plan a. Indicators b. Targets VII. Project BudgetA Supportive Mechanism for YRH IntegrationPROPOSAL Writing I. Project Overview II. Organizational Profile III. Project Background and Justification a. Situation Analysis b. Organizational Capacity IV. Project Description a. Project Planning Framework and Project Goal, Strategic Objective And Results b. Project Activities V. Implementation Timeline VI.

4 Monitoring and Evaluation VII. Program Management a. Management Structure b. Other Organizations VIII. Sustainability IX. BudgetANNEX AANNEX BANNEX C144567791214161819192122242627283132323 43434353535363638393940404041424446483 CONTENTS (continued)ANNEX DANNEX EANNEX FANNEX GANNEX HANNEX IACCRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONSAIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency SyndromeBCC Behavior Change CommunicationCBDs Community Based DistributorsCHWs Community Health WorkersCYP Couple Year ProtectionDOH Department of HealthDOL Department of LaborEC Emergency ContraceptionFP Family PlanningHIV Human Immunodeficiency VirusHMIS Health Management Information SystemIEC Information, Education and CommunicationIYF International Youth FoundationLC Local CurrencyLS Life SkillsLTO Long Term OutcomeMCH Maternal and Child HealthM&E Monitoring and EvaluationNGO Non-Governmental OrganizationQOC Quality of CareRH Reproductive HealthSMART Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-boundSO Strategic ObjectiveSTI Sexually Transmitted InfectionSWOT Strengths, Weaknesses.

5 Opportunities and ThreatsTOT Training of TrainersUN United NationsUNFPA United Nations Population FundUSAID United States Agency for International DevelopmentUSG United States GovernmentVCT Voluntary Counseling and TestingWHO World Health OrganizationYFC Youth Friendly ClinicsYFS Youth Friendly ServicesYRH Youth Reproductive Health4951525354554 INTRODUCTIONThe International Youth Foundation (IYF) supports a variety of Youth Reproductive Health (YRH) initiatives, including Family Planning (FP) and HIV prevention, and encourages partners to integrate reproductive health and other preventative health measures into current youth development practices. To have a strong impact on youth reproductive health behavior, it is more effective to address young people s lives in a broad context rather than to adopt a narrow focus on sexuality. A holistic approach to working with youth is supported by many international organizations who believe that interventions that focus only on specific problem behavior like substance abuse or precocious, unsafe sexual activity are less effective because they do not address the antecedents or determinants of the behavior.

6 1 To initiate and support YRH integration, IYF launched Planning for Life in March 2007 with funding by USAID/World Learning. The Project aims to improve the reproductive health of young people ages 10 24 by integrating YRH and FP into youth development programs such as livelihoods and employability, leadership and engagement, education and health. The Planning for Life Project developed this guide to assist IYF partners in developing a YRH initiative that can either be integrated into an existing program or created as a stand-alone Project . The guide is not focused on how to integrate youth reproductive health into other programs but rather provides information about steps in YRH Project development and guidelines for Writing a Proposal . Although the guide is focused on YRH, it can be adapted in other youth development guide is comprised of two parts: Project development and Proposal Writing .

7 The Project development section describes the Project Design cycle vis- -vis the integration cycle and explains each step in the Project development process with illustrative examples. This section includes an explanation of how to use two types of Project planning frameworks: the results framework developed and used by USAID and the outcome logic model espoused by IYF. The Proposal Writing section of the guide provides guidelines on how to formulate Project goals, objectives and strategies and suggests layouts for monitoring and evaluation and budget plans. The Proposal format is based on the Planning for Life grant initiative, but can be adapted by Project developers according to donor development is the process of identifying solutions for clearly stated problems and structuring them in a way that makes them implementable. A Project Project DEVELOPMENT1 World Health Organization.

8 Programming for Adolescent Health and Development. WHO Technical Report Series 886. Geneva: WHO, Cycle should be utilized for Project development when designing a YRH-specific program, whereas the Youth Reproductive Health Integration Cycle should be employed when an organization seeks to integrate YRH within existing programs. Comprehensive Project Design starts with a needs assessment and follows with diagnostics concerning causes and consequences of identified problems. Based on this analysis, appropriate Project strategies and interventions should be defined and selected. After these steps, the Project is either summarized in a results framework with a performance monitoring plan or a logic model/logical framework with a monitoring and evaluation plan. Project Design CYCLE2 Basic Project Design can be broken into two main parts: understanding problems and designing solutions.

9 Underlying these two components is a cycle that consists of the following steps:Situation analysis: needs assessment, stakeholder analysis and problem analysis Assessment of organizational capacity Project Design and planning framework Project monitoring and evaluation plan Project budget Project implementation and monitoring Final evaluation and dissemination of lessons learned Each step of the cycle is equally important and should not be skipped. 2 All steps of Project Design Cycle and YRH Integration Cycle are described in more detail later in the guideProject Design CycleProject implementation & monitoringFinal evaluation & dissemination of lessons learnedSituation analysisAssessment of an organizational capacityProject Design & planning frameworkM&E planProject budgetFigure 1: The Project Design Cycle6 YOUTh REPRODUCTIVE hEALTh INTEGRATION CYCLE When an organization designs a YRH Project that integrates new interventions into existing programs, the Project Design requires additional steps beyond those described in the Project Design Cycle.

10 This procedure is demonstrated in the YRH Integration Cycle. The YRH integration cycle was designed by IYF partners who participated in the Planning for Life Project Launch and Technical Workshop. The YRH Integration Cycle is based on the Project Design Cycle with additional elements that support the integration process and ensure its sustainability. These elements include the identification of entry-points for new interventions, establishing supportive mechanisms for integration, and building the capacity of the organization. For successful integration a supportive mechanism should be established while developing and implementing the Project . The integration cycle consists of eight steps: Conduct a situation analysis that includes analysis of reproductive health issues, an 1. assessment of young people s reproductive health (RH) needs, a stakeholders analysis and problem analysis.