List of Acronyms
HIV- Human Immunodeficiency Virus
SMART- Specific Measurable Attainable Realistic Time bound
SWOT- Strengths Weaknesses Opportunities and Threats
VIPP- Visualization in Participatory Programmes
Table of contents Page
1.0 Introduction 4
2.0 The Social Planning of a Short Term Manual for the
2.1 Introduction to the Planning Process 4
2.2 Preparing to use the Manual for the Community Planning Exercise 5
3.0 Facilitating the Planning Cycle 6
3.1 Step One (a) : SWOT and Risk Analysis 6
3.1.2 Step 1(b)Analysis of Risk 8
3.2 Step two: Identify the Aim of the Plan 9
3.3 Step Three: Explore the Options 10
3.4 Step Four: Selection of Best Option using the Grid Analysis Approach 11
3.5 Step Five: Detailed Planning 13
3.6 Step Six: Plan Evaluation 14
3.7 Step Seven: Plan Implementation 15
3.8 Step Seven: Plan Implementation 15
3.9 Step Eight: Feedback 15
4.0 Conclusion 15
References 16
Annex 1: The Planning Cycle 17
1.0 Introduction
This paper discusses issues related to Social Planning in development particularly planning for community based social service programmes. The selected community is
2.0 The Social Planning of a Short Term Manual for the
2.1 Introduction to the Planning Process
Facilitator’s notes: Planning is the management of the organizations future in an uncertain environment. It could be physical, Economic, Social and of other types. Social planning involves a series of actions designed to address future development challenges. Also planning challenges are not homogeneous. Moreover, there are variations in the time horizon or planning period according to the type, level of planning and also variations between countries. Therefore, a Planning Manual could be targeting a short term planning, realizable within one year or Medium term with a clearly defined development strategy for more than one year or Long term planning which is a detailed analysis addressing specific issues realizable over a longer period.
There are also different types of planning depending on the focus and there is a variety of aspects of planning which include the spatial levels of planning such as the National level, the Regional or district level and the local level. Also the manual has to consider the Operational Field of Planning if it is at Project, Sect oral, Macro economic or integrated area planning. The operational field here is a project which is in line with the government planning in
Finally, the influence and effectiveness of planning will depend on how and where the planners and planning units are inserted organizationally in the structure of Public Administration The village planning team will review their structure to determine if the role the planning unit is given is fundamental and ensuring a flow of information. All aspects combined will assure planners a coherent and unified planning process through a Planning Cycle.
2.2 Preparing to use the Manual for the Community Planning Exercise
Requirements: Flip chart, marker pens. Proposed time: 1 hour
Notes to the planning facilitator:
(i) Facilitate the Selection of the Village Participatory Planning Team. This will compose of representatives of various age groups, sex, occupations, location (from each sub village), and role in the community and will also include the marginalized people like the disabled, the widowed and those living with HIV (if open).
(ii)Introduce the team to the concept of planning to enable them to reach consensus on the appropriate planning aspects by brainstorming on each aspect and comparing with their real situation to identify their planning aspects such as:
a) Time Horizon: Short term Planning to fit the national objective of having a
dispensary in each village
b) Spatial Level: Local/Village level planning
c) Operational Field of Planning: Project Planning
d) Planning and Public Administration: Review the current administrative structure to determine the role allocated to the planning committee in the village.
3.0 Facilitating the Planning Cycle (Also see Annex 1)
Requirements: Flip chart, marker pens. Proposed time: 2 hours and 30 minutes
3.1.1 Step One (a) : SWOT and Risk Analysis
Notes: One approach to starting the planning process is to examine the organization’s current position, and agree on how you can improve it.
(i) Tell the planning team that the very first step will be to make an analysis of the situation by using a framework known as the SWOT Analysis and the Risk analysis.
(ii) Provide the definition of a SWOT Analysis that according to the Wikipedia, the Free encyclopedia SWOT Analysis is “a strategic planning method used to evaluate the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats involved in a project.
(iii) Share with the team what each letter in the word SWOT means as follows:
Ø Strengths: these are internal attributes in the organization that are helpful to achieving the objectives of the project.
Ø Weaknesses: these entail to internal attributes in the organization that may disable the achievement of the project objectives.
Ø Opportunities: these are external conditions that are helpful and could be captured to achieving the objective.
Ø Threats: these refer to external conditions which could be barriers to the success of the targeted project.
(i) Give a template of the SWOT Analysis below to the Planning team to internalize.
Template 1: SWOT Analysis for an Environment Project
strengths
| weaknesses
|
opportunities
| threats
|
(v) Form 2 groups. Give the Planners an empty SWOT framework provided below to fill in Worksheet 1 by referring to their selected project of constructing a dispensary. They work in groups and present in plenary.
Worksheet I: SWOT Analysis for a Dispensary Project
| Strengths | Weaknesses |
| Opportunities | Threats |
(vi) Conduct a Plenary Session by getting and reconsidering the responses from the 2 groups. Let each team put a tick on the most important strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats they foresee.
(vii) Clarify to the participants the significance and use of the SWOT Framework as an aid to decision making related to planning. Tell them that doing this they may answer such questions as “How can we Use each Strength to complete our project successfully”, “How can we improve each Weakness to avoid constraints?” “How can we Exploit each
3.1.2 Step 1(b)Analysis of Risk
Requirements: Flip chart, marker pens. Proposed time: 1 hour
Notes to team facilitator: Tell the participants that nearly everything we do involves some sort of risk. This is ‘the perceived extent of possible loss' that impacts on people differently. These may include: pressures for change due to changes in customers, increased competition, weather changes, pests and other constraints outside your control. Here it could be risks of weather and animals grazing on the young trees. A risk analysis helps to work around factors that minimize disruptions in your planning process, leading to cost-effectiveness and enabling them to plan how to neutralize planning risks.
(i) From the identified threats that are facing you can now analyse them further.
(ii) Find out which ones have direct link with your planned project
(iii) Guide the participants in groups to write down those threats that exist and may impact the planning process and therefore assess the likely impact in advance.
(iv)Let them brainstorm on how to manage those risks before they compare their ideas.
(v)Tell them that risk may be managed by planning to review the existing methods and approaches, making changes in responsibilities, improved accountability and internal controls, adapting the use of existing resources or having a contingency plan to address any incidentals that can affect the project like fencing around the trees.
3.2 Step two: Identify the Aim of the Plan
Requirements: Flip chart, marker pens, coloured VIPP cards. Proposed time: 1 hour and forty five minutes.
(i) A Vision Statement: Notes: Tell the team that to get a feasible aim they will work on the “Vision” and “
Ask the participants the following question: What success do you see in the village in 5 years or more especially with the challenge of access to healthcare? Give one VIPP card to each participant to write down what they envision age for their community. After 5 minutes put them in groups to compare individual visions and integrate their ideas into one group vision. After group presentation let them incorporate the ideas from different groups into one team planning vision.
(ii) A Mission Statement: Notes: Tell the participants that a mission statement presents the reason and purpose for the existence and the justification for what the organization plans to do. This answers the questions: “Who are we?” and “What do want to do do”. You may add” How do will we do what we do in order to reach our mission?”
Give them a sample mission and then following the procedure you used for the Vision statement above let the team come up with the
(iii)Planning Aim
Notes: Share with the planning team members that the aim of the plan should be a broad statement supporting the vision and mission. Insist to them that here they require simple and single sentences answering such questions as, “What do I want the future to be?” ”What benefits do I want to give to my customers?”. “What returns do I seek?”. “What standards am I aiming at?”. “What values do I and my organization believe in?” “Given the resources available (or have been promised) … what does your plan aim at?”. “Give them an example of an aim such as:“ To have an environment that has a sustainable conservation plan”.
Use brain storming to collect initial ideas from the members. Ask each participant to write one to two aims on a VIPP card and continue with the process as you did for the vision and the mission and come up with a minimum of 2.
(iv)Planning Objective
Notes: Share with the planning team that this helps them to be more specific with what they want to achieve and that the features of an objective that it has to be SMART meaning, Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Time bound. Clarify that objectives are clear targets for specific action needed to meet the aim. Give an example of an objective. An example could be,” A Sustainable plan for environmental conservation with 4 performance indicators in Nganjoni village is in place by June 2009”. The team should come up with one or 2 objectives for their identified project this will give way to possible activities to be carried out. Follow the same procedure as for other components above.
3.3 Step Three: Explore the Options
Requirements: Flip chart, marker pens, coloured VIPP cards. Proposed time: 1 hour
Notes: In this step tell them that after getting the identified objectives the planning team needs to explore further to know their position and the way forward. Encourage the generation of many options for a wider choice. Tell them that they will brainstorm to create quick and possible solutions when planning and an opportunity to get better ideas.. For the environment project the brainstorm could be around ‘tree planning’, ‘contour farming’, ‘culverts along road’, ‘protection of water sources’ and others. By following the example, ask the team to brainstorm on how the construction plan should be organized once they get the money. Follow the following sub steps.
(i) Clearly define the problem the team is addressing and what standard is expected.
(ii) Encourage people to develop other people's ideas to promote creativity and group cohesion.
(iii) Tell participants that all ideas are respected and no criticism. Any polishing and synthesizing could be done at the end of the step.
(iv) Ask one group member to jot down everyone’s points on the flip chart.
3.4 Step Four: Selection of Best Option using the Grid Analysis Approach
Requirements: Flip chart, marker pens. Proposed time: 1 hour and a half
Notes: Tell the team members that in this step they will make choices of options by prioritizing the best choices and considering various factors. They will use the Grid Analysis Tool to help them to discuss and reach an agreement especially when there are different options suggested. Use these steps for the Grid Analysis:
(i) Put a list of all the suggested options on the blackboard as rows.
(ii) Put the factors to be considered as columns.
(iii) Follow the columns downwards in the table, scoring each option for each of the factors in your decision
(iv) Give scores for each option and factor by giving them values according to the way they satisfy each factor. Give 0 for no value and 5 as highest value.
(v) Add up the scores to get a score for each option.
(vi) Get the weight or relative importance of each option by multiplying each of your scores.
(vii) Finally, add up the weighted scores for each option and the one that scores the highest is the winner!
(viii) Present the tables below as templates done for the Environment project.
Template 2(a): Grid Analysis for an Environment Project
| Factors | Cost | Community Acceptability | Easy to Implement | Sustainability | Risk | Total |
| Weights | | | | | | |
| Tree Planting | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Contour Farming | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 3 | |
| Culverts on road | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 2 | |
| Water Source Rehabilitation | 3 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Template 2(b): Grid Analysis for an Environment Project
| Factors | Cost | Community Acceptability | Easy to Implement | Sustainability | Risk | Total |
| Weights | 5 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 1 | |
| Tree Planting | 10 | 6 | 6 | 12 | 3 | 37 |
| Contour Farming | 5 | 3 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 25 |
| Culverts on road | 15 | 9 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 34 |
| Water Source Rehabilitation | 15 | 9 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 36 |
(ix) Tell them that despite low acceptability and high cost, tree planting scored higher on the grid because of high sustainability.
(x) Facilitate the Planning team members to fill in the worksheet 2 (a) and (b) provided. Tell them that for best results, serious thinking is required by all.
Worksheet 2(a): Grid Analysis for a Dispensary Project
| Factors | | | | | | Total |
| Weights | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
Worksheet 2(b): Grid Analysis for a Dispensary Project (Weighing)
| Factors | | | | | | Total |
| Weights | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| | | | | | | |
3.5 Step Five: Detailed Planning
Requirements: Flip chart, marker pens. Proposed time: 1 hour and a half
Notes: Inform the team has to agree on the most efficient and effective way of achieving the aim and also the distribution of roles and identify resources. One technique is the Gantt Chart which summarizes the project from step one to step 4.
(i) Tell them that Gantt Charts that, a) summarize such things as who will do what, when, where, how and why, and the cost. b) encompass control mechanisms for monitoring performance, deviations in reporting, quality assurance, cost effectiveness and assessment.
(ii) Assure them that Gantt Charts help them work out the activity order and resource identification and the targeted time for project completion.
(iii) Show them a template Gantt Chart .
Template 3: A five week Gantt Chart for the Detailed Plan.
| Week | ||||
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
| 1. Define the Current Situation using a SWOT Analysis. | 2.Have a clear Aim, vision, 3. Identify risks and work out contingencies. . | 4. Work on Activity details: who, what, when priorities, deadlines, where? How? Why? Cost? | 5.Identify Available Human Financial and Material Resources. 6.Identify Community Training Needs | 7.Design Control mechanisms: monitoring performance, deviations in reporting, quality assurance, and cost effectiveness. 8. Design Transitional arrangements for keeping things going during plan implementation. 9.Work out Documentation System |
(iv) Facilitate them to agree and insert the various contents of a Gantt Chart given above.
3.6 Step Six: Plan Evaluation
Requirements: Flip chart, marker pens. Proposed time: 1 hour
Notes: Tell them that they ought to objectively review their project plan and decide if it is worth implementing before further investing more resources. If the analysis shows that the plan will not give sufficient benefit, agree to restart the cycle for improvement or to drop it altogether. A few techniques suggested below could be tried out with the facilitator:
(i) Cost Benefit Analysis: Used to determine if the plan makes financial sense. Add up all costs involved with the plan, and compare them with the expected benefits. If it won’t pay, drop it.
(ii) Force Field Analysis: This gives an overall view of all the forces for and against your plan thus enabling you to see where you can make constructive adjustments.
3.7 Step Seven: Plan Implementation
Here you will carry out your viable actions and apply all the controls for monitoring that the plan is on track.
3.8 Step Eight: Close the Plan
You can do this after you are certain that the plan has been achieved. The evaluation results will inform you any lessons learnt which could be an input for future planning.
3.9 Step Eight: Feedback
This is the compilation of lessons learnt used as feedback into future planning cycles.
4.0 Conclusion
This is one of the many alternatives to social planning depicting a systematic process of addressing social issues in a given community to be able to bring about access to healthcare. In all cases emphasis is put on the major pillars of the planning cycle. People who are healthy are more likely to sustain their livelihood compared with those with ill health. Therefore health being one of the social problems could be addressed by planning a short term project at a community level by the community being facilitated to design their own plan by assessing the situation they are in, the risks they may face, working out the aim, agreeing on the feasible option and working on the implementation process. A close follow up is also necessary including evaluation and feedback into any future plans. The participatory Approach to planning is inevitable if we aim at having a plan which has ownership by the community.
References
1. Daily news 12th October 2008.
2. The Planning Cycle. Project Management Training. www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newPPM_05.htm
3. Bobrow, Edwin E. (1998). Ten Minute Guide to Planning.
4. Torok, Marianna. (1997). Strategic Planning.
Annex 1
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