Introduction to Project Planning and Development

The Project Cycle The process of planning and managing projects follows a logical, continuous cycle. Each phase of the project leads to the next.

• The identify stage includes a needs assessment process to determine the needs and problems in a community. 
• The design phase includes the actual planning and design of a project. 
• The implement stage refers to the implementation of the project, whether it is a single-year or multi-year implementation period. 
• The evaluation of project results occurs at the end of a project and involves determining whether the project’s goal and objectives were achieved. 
• The evaluation stage then leads to the identification of additional or persisting problems, allowing the cycle to begin again. 
• Project monitoring occurs throughout all stages allowing for small adjustments in the project’s planning, design, and implementation in order to ensure the project’s success.

An Overview of Project Planning

Project planning involves a series of steps that determine how to achieve a particular community or organizational goal or set of related goals. This goal can be identified in a community plan or a strategic plan. Project plans can also be based on community goals

or action strategies developed through community meetings and gatherings, tribal council or board meetings, or other planning processes.
Download also:

• Business Plan Template
• Marketing Plan Template for Excel
• Project Cost Management Plan Templates

The planning process should occur before you write your application and submit it for funding. Project planning:

• identifies specific community problems that stand in the way of meeting community goals. 
• creates a work plan for addressing problems and attaining the goals. 
• describes measurable beneficial impacts to the community that result from the project’s implementation. 
• determines the level of resources or funding necessary to implement the project

Why is project planning important?

Project Planning helps us to:	Project Planning helps to eliminate:
think ahead and prepare for the future	poor planning
clarify goals and develop a vision	overambitious projects
identify issues that will need to be addressed	unsustainable projects
choose between options	undefined problems
consider whether a project is possible	unstructured project work plans
make the best use of resources
motivate staff and the community
assign resources and responsibilities
achieve the best results

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