OverviewA decentralized project management

system for development and emergency programs

A common situation in management of large emergency and development projects:

• Operations at different geographical scales (e.g. local, district, national, regional, global)

• Several organizational levels/units are involved (strategic, tactical and operational), arising different information requirements

• Numerous implementation partners involved – inconsistent planning and reporting

• Lack of proper analysis of information flows and of structured workflows

• Large amount of unstructured information; normally the tools used to handle it are structurally inappropriate (e.g. Excel)

• Several reporting formats to be followed at the same time (e.g. corporate, donor, partner, etc)

• Considerable resources are spent for monitoring of operations, still lack of efficiency.

Common Issues

The quantity and complexity of the information to be managed can increase considerably. The complexity of the project is the result of the combination of the following dimensions:

– Institutional: the partners involved in the implementation

– Logical: the strategies and activities

– Temporal: implementation period, reporting frequency

– Geographic: where the implementation is taking place

– Financial: resources and budget

Given the prevailing conditions in which interventions are

implemented, efficient but simple information management

tools are needed

Need for simple tools

There are several project management software on the market

The great majority is designed to manage business or construction projects and prove to be ineffective when applied to development and emergency interventions because:

◦ too detailed and require a very fine level of planning and monitoring of project resources

◦ follow a project cycle typical of commercial initiatives

◦ do not explicitly use the Logical Framework and Objectively Verifiable Indicators (OVI) for planning and reporting

The few existing software targeted specifically to development and emergency are focused on a central level (headquarter or government) rather than field level operations: e.g. AMP

SPHERE is a unique tool for bridging the information gap between field operations and program management

Need for simple tools

SPHERE (Système de gestion de Projets HEbergé sur Réseau – Online Project

Management System) is an on line project management system specifically

designed for development and emergency programs. Main features:

• A tool for project managers addressing most information management needs in one package

• Ideal in projects where more implementing partners are involved

• Based on the Logical Framework Approach

• Focused on supporting all the phases of project

• Several project can be managed at the same time

• Easy to use – designed for challenging operating conditions

• Web based – no software installation required for end users

• Released as an open source product, licensed with GNU General Public License (GPL). Can be freely modified and adapted.

About SPHERE

• Facilitate, simplify and optimize management of projects:

• Easier, safer standard planning and reporting

• Authority over respective data delegated to implementing partners

• No more time spent in compiling files or checking information

• Secured data

• Comprehensive historical information

• Information updated in real time– easy to query and aggregate

• Bottom line, no additional reporting burden – a service for

more effective project management for the organization

and implementing partners!

Key Benefits

• Developed in 2003/2005 in the framework of a large FAO project in Tunisia – Soil and water conservation program, Zaghuan, Siliana and Kairouan; successfully used to manage the whole project cycle.

• Other main applications:

• World Food Program of UN (WFP) – Nepal Protracted Relief and Recovery Operation (PRRO) 10676.0

• FAO Project Land Degradation Assessment in Drylands - Tunisia component

• Project Himalayan Partnership for Ecosystem Management (HKKH) – IUCN

History and applications

Project Management Functions

•Develop a workplan for a specific time frame•Set targets for each activity•Partners can develop workplans within a common framework

Plan

•Update implementation progress data for each activity •Store information related to the activities (pictures, documents, etc.)•Partners will update own component

Implement

•Create reports at a click of a button•Customize the information contents through easy to use filters •Partners can generate individual reports

Report

•Monitor progress on-line in real time •Quickly identify issues and implementation problem areas •Partners can use the system to track their components

Monitor progress

•Establish the Logical Framework and OVIs•Identify implementing partners, set the area of intervention (geography)•Establish a baseline

Create a project

•Assess the impact, effectiveness and efficiency comparing baseline, targets and actual situation

•Consult the information attached to the activities •Partners can generate individual assessments

Evaluate

DemonstrationThe following slides will take you through a guided tour of the System.

A demo Food Security Project will be used as an example.

The tour is not covering the financial management modules.

This is the first screen before

the user logs in.

If required, SPHERE can be

easily configured and used to display

public information that can be viewed without log in.

Guided Tour – Create a Project

•Develop a workplan for a specific time frame•Set targets for each activity•Partners can develop workplans within a common framework

Plan

•Update implementation progress data for each activity •Store information related to the activities (pictures, documents, etc.)•Partners will update own component

Implement

•Create reports at a click of a button•Customize the information contents through easy to use filters •Partners can generate individual reports

Report

•Monitor progress on-line in real time •Quickly identify issues and implementation problem areas •Partners can use the system to track their components

Monitor progress

•Establish the Logical Framework and OVIs•Identify implementing partners, set the area of intervention (geography)•Establish a baseline

Create a project

•Assess the impact, effectiveness and efficiency comparing baseline, targets and actual situation

•Consult the information attached to the activities •Partners can generate individual assessments

Evaluate

After logging in as a Project Manager we will start creating and configuring a new project.

In this screen and the next one a new project

is added.Tip: it is always possible to know where you

are located in the system looking at this bar. Click on any item to navigate there.

It is possible to link documents, maps, external hyperlinks and any type of

electronic object to a project.

In this way a useful repository will be created.

No more confusion with different versions of the

same document!!

Here it is possible to search the document linked to a project.

Once documents are linked to activities, they will display here as well.

In this screen, the area of intervention of the project is defined.

Using a standard coding system it will be possible to easily visualize on maps activities and progress

information.

In this screen, the partners involved in project implementation are defined.

To keep information well organized, indicators can be arranged in categories defined by the

user.

Here the indicators categories are defined.

In the next screen indicators are created and associated to an indicator category.

Here new indicators are added. Indicator can be numeric or qualitative; for qualitative indicators you can define a list of values to be used (e.g.

Good, Average, Bad).

Each indicator is classified in an indicator category.

SPHERE uses the Logical Framework as the reference tool for planning and implementation.

The next screens show how the LF is built, how to add an activity to the Logical Framework and

how to associate indicators to monitor it.

It is possible to browse though the structure of the LF and modify it depending on the requirements of the

project.

The upper part of the screen defines the structure: in some Organizations the structure is defined by

Objectives, Results, Activities and SubActivities in others by Goals, Outcomes, Outputs, Activities.

SPHERE provides the flexibility of creating the structure you need.

Here the indicator categories to be used in monitoring different levels

of the Logical Framework are selected.

For example you can select the indicators of the category “Impact

assessment” to monitor the Outcome level.

The lower part is used to define the actual contents of the LF: what are the Goals, Outcomes, Outputs and Activities that will

be planned.

We are browsing through the LF data that was entered in the system. Clicking on the green button will allow to add a new item while clicking on the red one will delete an existing one.

Selecting an element, for example Activity A.1.1.1.1 will display…

…the activity properties over here. The name, code etc. are defined here.

Clicking on “Assign indicators” will

show…

…this window where the indicators to be used for monitoring and reporting are

selected.

The list of indicators is drawn from the

indicators that were previously created.

For each activity there must be at least a Main Indicator;

“secondary” indicators can be either Mandatory (users will be obliged to enter data for

them in the monitoring forms), or Optional (users can submit the form without data

for these indicators)

Once the Logical Framework has been developed, it can be

consulted and printed through this interface.

Also the indicators available in the project can be consulted and

printed.

Guided Tour – Plan

•Develop a workplan for a specific time frame•Set targets for each activity•Partners can develop workplans within a common framework

Plan

•Update implementation progress data for each activity •Store information related to the activities (pictures, documents, etc.)•Partners will update own component

Implement

•Create reports at a click of a button•Customize the information contents through easy to use filters •Partners can generate individual reports

Report

•Monitor progress on-line in real time •Quickly identify issues and implementation problem areas •Partners can use the system to track their components

Monitor progress

•Establish the Logical Framework and OVIs•Identify implementing partners, set the area of intervention (geography)•Establish a baseline

Create a project

•Assess the impact, effectiveness and efficiency comparing baseline, targets and actual situation

•Consult the information attached to the activities •Partners can generate individual assessments

Evaluate

Here new activities areadded to the workplan: each activity is identified by its Duration, Location, Activity name and

indicators.

The 3 steps are shown in the next screens.

The activity has been saved and is

now part of the workplan.

If needed, it can be modified through a different interface.

One the planning is approved

modifications can be disabled.

Here it is possible to consult the

workplan for a given period.

The upper part of the screen provides several easy to use filters to query the

planning and rearrange the information

according to your needs.

Guided Tour – Implement

•Develop a workplan for a specific time frame•Set targets for each activity•Partners can develop workplans within a common framework

Plan

•Update implementation progress data for each activity •Store information related to the activities (pictures, documents, etc.)•Partners will update own component

Implement

•Create reports at a click of a button•Customize the information contents through easy to use filters •Partners can generate individual reports

Report

•Monitor progress on-line in real time •Quickly identify issues and implementation problem areas •Partners can use the system to track their components

Monitor progress

•Establish the Logical Framework and OVIs•Identify implementing partners, set the area of intervention (geography)•Establish a baseline

Create a project

•Assess the impact, effectiveness and efficiency comparing baseline, targets and actual situation

•Consult the information attached to the activities •Partners can generate individual assessments

Evaluate

Once the planning is approved,

implementation starts and we

need to update the progress status of the

activities.

This interface allows to select the activity for

which you want to update the progress.

As an example we will focus on

A.1.1.1.1.

Clicking on Update will…

…open this window where the staff in charge

of implementing the activities will update the status of the indicators.

The form is very simple to use. It is possible to

add comments that explain possible

deviation from the planning or provide

further details about the implementation.

Each user will be able to update the progress only for the component of the project for which he has

editing rights.

If there are several partners, each of them will be able to edit only

the status of the activities of his

component.

Once the progress data is submitted, the form displays the cumulated

progress for the activity.

It is possible to link documents, pictures or other information to the

activity.

Using this function over time will build an extremely useful

knowledge base that can be used for lesson learning,

dissemination and historical analysis.

A very valuable tool for corporate memory and

value addition!!

Guided Tour – Monitor and report

•Develop a workplan for a specific time frame•Set targets for each activity•Partners can develop workplans within a common framework

Plan

•Update implementation progress data for each activity •Store information related to the activities (pictures, documents, etc.)•Partners will update own component

Implement

•Create reports at a click of a button•Customize the information contents through easy to use filters •Partners can generate individual reports

Report

•Monitor progress on-line in real time •Quickly identify issues and implementation problem areas •Partners can use the system to track their components

Monitor progress

•Establish the Logical Framework and OVIs•Identify implementing partners, set the area of intervention (geography)•Establish a baseline

Create a project

•Assess the impact, effectiveness and efficiency comparing baseline, targets and actual situation

•Consult the information attached to the activities •Partners can generate individual assessments

Evaluate

The reporting module is very

powerful: you can immediately view

the overall situation of the project.

By default progress information is aggregated for

each activity at the most general

level : for example if food is

distributed in 100 villages, you can get the overall

progress at country level.

By default, only the main indicator is shown for each

activity. If this box is unchecked…

…all the indicators

associated to the activity are

displayed.

If more details are required for

a specific activity, It is possible to

zoom in and assess the

progress and possible issues

using the functions of this

section.

As an example we will focus on

A.1.1.1.1.

We will perform a search on the

activity

...and zoom in at geographic

level where the activity has

been planned, the VDC level.

The activity has been planned in 2 VDCs. We can

see that the level of

progress is different for

each activity.

Being able to focus on the

desired level of aggregation simplifies the

identification of problem areas.

If we want to assess the

status of the project by

location, it is possible switch

to the Geographic

view.

The report will display the place in the first row.

Any report displayed can

be easily printed clicking

on the “Print View” button.

Filter and aggregation criteria used are displayed in the header of the report. It will be very easy to produce reports by district, partner or project component.

The report can be saved and opened in Excel for further analysis.

• The system can be easily configured through a control panel

• All or only some of the modules can be activated: other modules available at the moment are finance management, document management and web mapping.

• New modules can be developed or existing applications can be linked to the system

• User and group level administration is available

• The system is multi-language: all the interfaces and as well as the contents can be easily translated

• While we will not enter in the details of system administration, the next two slides show the interfaces for module management and translations.

Configuration and system admin

Modules can be easily added and deleted.

Access rights for the modules are set at group

level.

We are now logged in as system administrator.

Here it is possible to enter the

translations for the interfaces

and data for all the languages

that are activated in the

system.

Conclusions

• SPHERE is a unique tool for bridging the information gap between field operations and program management

• Based on the Logical Framework

• It is easy to use

• Successfully applied to manage large projects in different organizations

• Open source, can be modified and adapted

• Great strategic value for knowledge based organizations: project products and implementation info are stored and can be used for lesson learning, analysis of management effectiveness, design of new projects, etc.

• Useful to enhance management effectiveness, accountability and transparency

Conclusions

Thanks for taking the time of going through this

presentation!

For enquiries and more information write to:

info@sphereworld.org