STEP FOUR: FINDING THE RIGHT SOLUTION

Creating the Right Environment to Find Solutions

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One of the key contributions we make whilst facilitating the process of finding the right solution is maintaining clarity of purpose throughout. In that way, everyone involved is clearly focussed on the job in hand, namely focussing on what exactly needs to be accomplished and making a decision on what represents the most pragmatic solution. This needs to be a solution that can actually be implemented in practice, rather than holding out for the ‘ideal’ solution.

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Being able to create the right environment in which it is possible to stimulate collaborative working, generate innovative ideas and identify potential solutions is crucial to moving the change process forward. Adopting a logical and flexible framework approach to design and develop a project capable of turning strategic goals into successful projects is another essential element within this step in the change process.

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The most effective way to facilitate this process is through organising group workshop sessions involving key partners, stakeholders and potential beneficiaries. Although engaging with representatives in one-to-one discussions also has a valuable role to play, especially to elicit ideas and views that may not necessarily be forthcoming in a public session. It is important to ensure people who have local knowledge and experience participate in this process, as well as those with power, influence and resources.

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The use of an outside facilitator is often a good way to create the right environment in which to have a productive debate and find common agreement on the right solutions. An outside facilitator can bring a fresh perspective and open up the discussion to the consideration of new ideas and avoid the risk of falling back on familiar solutions and repeating the same thought processes that may have happened before.

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The process of finding the right solution will often involve a discussion about a range of possible solutions, including a discussion about past experiences and approached that have been tried, as well as a discussion of new ideas. This process could involve participants being involved in scenario planning activities. A process of narrowing down possible solutions will involve participants evaluating the pros and cons and risks associated with each potential solution before arriving at a decision on the most appropriate solution.

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Turning Strategic Goals into Successful Projects

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Once agreement has been reached on a particular solution, more detailed work will need to follow to take that solution and develop it into a project capable of realising the desired change and delivering agreed goals, outputs and outcomes.

 

We adopt a logical and flexible framework approach to designing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating projects through their life cycle. The Logical Framework Approach, as it is formally known, has proven to be a highly effective methodology to help turn strategic goals into successful projects.

 

This approach takes project partners and stakeholders through the six critical strategic questions one by one to provide a robust framework for developing the project. The Logical Framework Approach was originally developed in the USA in the 1960’s and continues to be used today by successful project managers all over the world, including Pentuple Consulting. Incidentally, this approach also provides a useful framework to guide the design of funding proposals to secure external project funding.

 

Logical Framework Approach

 

Using the Logical Framework Approach to turn strategic goals into successful projects involves implementing a two stage process:

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• The Strategic Thinking and Planning Stage

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• The Project Design and Management Stage

 

The Strategic Thinking and Planning Stage in the process of developing a project, involves reflecting on ‘why’ one is undertaking a project in the first place. This involves consideration of a project’s ‘goals’, which relate to the overarching ‘big picture’ strategic intent and rationale for this projects, as outlined in any underlying strategy. It also involves consideration of a project’s ‘purpose’, which relate directly to reason for the project, the desired changes expected after the project’s deliverables are in place and the benefits that will arise.

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The Project Design and Management Stage in the process involves considering ‘what’ a project must produce, ‘how’ it will get there, ‘who’ will be responsible for its delivery and ‘when’ it will be delivered.

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In terms of ‘what’ a project is trying to accomplish, this involves considering a project’s outcomes – in other words what does a project need to make happen to enable it to achieve its identified purpose. When considering a project’s outputs, it is also important to know what success will look like and how to measure success, in order to be able to evaluate whether a project has been successful or not. This involves identifying a number of success measures and specifying what monitoring and evaluation arrangements will be employed during and after the completion of a project.

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The decisions taken on a project outcomes, what success will look like and the measures of success to be employed will help answer the question of 'how' a project will be delivered. A key priority here is to prepare a project plan, which should outline the specific project ‘inputs’. These include the 'tasks' (activities) to be undertaken, the financial and human resources that will be required, 'who' will be responsible for undertaking the tasks and 'when' will the tasks be delivered.

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To assist the collaborative approach of implementing the two stage process and answering the five strategic questions, we guide participants through a process of completing what is known as a simple Logical Framework (LogFrame) Matrix.

 

The Logical Framework Approach is particularly appropriate for use when adopting a collaborative cross-sector approach to designing and developing projects. It helps promote active engagement, involvement and ownership amongst stakeholders because they can experience being part of a creative process and have a hand in developing something tangible. It is also a user-friendly approach as it is not dependent on complex software or programmes, nor requires the use of complex language and is logical in its implementation.

 

For further information on our Logical Framework Approach to project design follow the link below.

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How We Can Help You: Project Design and Development

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We know what makes for a successful project: a well-defined rationale for intervention, an explicit 'logic model', clearly defined objectives, activities and responsibilities, underpinned by a robust and realistic model of expected costs, benefits and risks. We have a proven track record of turning strategic goals into successful projects that deliver meaningful change on the ground and achieve agreed outcomes.

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We adopt a Logical Framework Approach to managing the process of designing and developing a new project. We believe the process of designing and developing new projects needs to be a collaborative process. The Logical Framework Approach helps participants maintain a clarity of purpose throughout the process, so that everyone involved is clearly focussed on the job in hand. It also helps ensure that a project addresses the root causes behind the need for change, rather than the symptoms.

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We specialise in bringing people and ideas together in a collaborative manner to find the right solutions and turn them into successful projects. We are experienced in creating the right environment in which to encourage participation, stimulate creative thinking and an interchange of knowledge and information. This approach helps generate breakthrough ideas and identify creative solutions. It also provides the opportunity to arrive at a consensus of agreement on the right solution as well as facilitate a discussion on potential barriers to change, how to avoid them and what to do if any are encountered.

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This Logical Framework Approach helps promote active engagement, involvement and ownership amongst stakeholders because they can experience being part of a creative process and have a hand in developing something tangible. It is also a user-friendly approach as it is not dependent on complex software or programmes, nor requires the use of complex language and is logical in its implementation.

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Our approach also helps facilitate the decision making process to find a pragmatic project solution. In many cases, there may undoubtedly be more than one potential solution. We are experienced in taking clients, their partners and key stakeholders through the decision making process, giving them the opportunity to carefully consider all the potential solutions that have been identified, whilst ensuring their focus is maintained on what it is exactly that is needed to be accomplished. This approach will help ensure the most pragmatic solution is chosen – a solution that can actually be implemented in practice, rather than the ‘ideal’ solution.

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