Title: Project Design and Management (PDM)
Keywords: Planning and programming
Management
Health indicators
Country: United Kingdom
Institution: UK - Institute for Global Health and Development, Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh
Course coordinator: Kathleen Rutledge
Date start: 2025-01-20
Date end: 2025-02-21
About duration and dates: 5 weeks
Classification: advanced optional
Mode of delivery: Face to face
Course location: Institute for Global Health and Development,
Queen Margaret University,
Edinburgh, EH21 6UU Scotland
Tel. 44 131 474 0000
Fax. 44 131 474 0001
http://www.qmu.ac.uk/iihd/

tropEd representative:Dr. Paul Kadetz
PKadetz@qmu.ac.uk
ECTS credit points: 5 ECTS credits
SIT:
150 hours SIT:
● 24 hours in class teaching
● 6 hours of tutorials (in class)
● 12 hours of group work (6 hours face-to-face and 6 hours online)
● 4 hours online lectures
● 12 hours practical online exercises
● 42 hours self-directed study
● 50 hours assignment preparation
Language: English
Description:
On successful completion of the module the student will be able to:
● critically evaluate problems and challenges in the application of project design approaches to development and health work
● apply and defend the principles of project cycle management and frameworks such as the Logical Framework and the Results Framework in structuring health and development interventions
● construct project memoranda linking situational analysis, project rationale and project appraisals (from a range of disciplinary perspectives) in a coherent manner
● develop detailed project implementation plans
● develop coherent strategies for the monitoring and evaluation of projects, and the management of project staff, in a manner aligned with project objectives and environmental constraints
● deploy effective presentational, team-working, conflict resolution and task management skills in a context of time pressure and resource limitations
Focus or specific features: Note: Please contact IGHD for the specific dates for class-based activities.

Elective modules (semester 2) - subject to the number of students
Assessment Procedures:
There are three components to the assessment:
● Rationale and stakeholder analysis for proposed project design. This component will be completed during the face-to-face period individually. Length of assignment 1,500 words). Counts for 20%
● Results/Logical Framework completion exercise (group work). This component will be completed during the face-to-face period in groups and will be presented as a PowerPoint face-to-face. Counts for 20%
● Critical analysis of a project proposal. This component will be completed during the final online component of the module individually. Length of assignment 2,000 words). Counts for 60%

If a component is failed, the student may resubmit it within an agreed time period. The mark will be capped at 50% for resubmissions that pass. For the group work component the group will rework and improve the PP slides only and these will then be marked.
Content:
● Projects as vehicles for development assistance, the project cycle and frameworks
● Problem analysis and stakeholder analysis: concepts of community, partnership and accountability
● The Logical Framework: concepts, structure and purpose
● The Results Framework: design & processes
● Applying a Project design framework: critical discussion of strengths and weaknesses
● Donor approaches & requirements to project designs and proposals
● Theory of Change
● Identifying indicators
● Assumptions & risk mitigation
● Developing the project memorandum: institutional and technical assessments & DFID Business Case/Value For Money
● Project management – people, time, and material resources
● Leadership in project management: theory and practice
● Monitoring, evaluation and Learning processes (including Output to Purpose Reviews)
Methods:
The module will engage the student in the following types of learning experiences:
● Face-to-face delivery of classes at Queen Margaret University (Edinburgh) for 2 weeks: Lectures, practical exercises & group work
● Online engagement with content for 3 weeks (e.g. annotated and narrated PowerPoints, mini-lectures, online reflection and discussion; videos etc.). The virtual learning platform used is Blackboard which will be used for all synchronous and asynchronous teachingand learning experiences.
● Self-directed study (reading materials provided online)

Students will be encouraged to provide critical peer support through group work; will obtain feedback from tutors on discussion posts, homework tasks and formative mini-assignments, and feedback on outlines of their assignments.
Prerequisites:
● English level TOEFL 550 or IELTS 6.0 or equivalent for applicants for whom English is not their first language
● Regular access to a computer and the internet (broadband) and capacity to stream videos for the duration of the module.
● Basic computer skills, including using the world-wide web

Please note that UK visa regulations are changing and students may need to apply for a student visa when entering the UK.
Attendance:
Maximum number of students is 30 (no limit on number of TropEd students) and a minimum number of 8 students.
Selection: No specific selection criteria apply – first come first served principle. Applications stay open until two weeks before the course is due to start.
Fees: Home: £820
International: £1,750
Scholarships: None
Student evaluation:
Students give consistently positive feedback about the content and learning methodologies of the module. They appreciate the opportunity to learn the skills needed to engage in critical project design as well as to evaluate ownership, partnerships and accountability as part of the process of design and management. Group work was highly appreciated by most students but some students found this challenging, saying that not all participants do their share of the workload. In order to rectify this we have changed the allocation of percentage to individual and group sections so that only 20% of the mark is now obtained through group work. This will reduce the stress where group work is not functioning at optimal level.
Lessons learned:
Reducing the proportion of the mark that is obtained via group work and increasing the proportion obtained through individual work reduces the stress of group work.
tropEd accreditation:
Accredited in Heidelberg June 2016. Reaccredited at GA Online Meeting (Hamburg), June 11-12, 2020. This accreditation is valid until June 2025.
Remarks: Participants receive a module handbook identifying relevant journals, web resources and – for specific fields of project development.
The two major texts used are both reference and workbooks based on the DFID approach to project design (Logical Framework) and the USAID approach (Results Framework).

In addition, we will be using a series of case studies, exemplifying the two different approaches to project design that we will be studying.
Email Address: PKadetz@qmu.ac.uk
Date Of Record Creation: 2012-01-14 08:00:25 (W3C-DTF)
Date Of Record Release: 2020-06-30 10:05:09 (W3C-DTF)
Date Record Checked: 2017-07-20 (W3C-DTF)
Date Last Modified: 2024-09-18 10:16:15 (W3C-DTF)