Course 6E03: Project Development and Management in the NGO Sector
24 March- 15 June 2003

Instructor: Felisa Tibbitts

This course will introduce the basic elements of project development and management. Step-by-step processes and techniques will be introduced for the various phases of a project life cycle. The course is intended for staff of non-governmental organizations who have responsibility for designing and carrying out a project, but with relatively little experience. Participants will be assisted in the development of a project plan that could be submitted to senior management or a funding agency.

The course involves approximately 60 hours of reading, on-line working groups, interaction with students and instructor/facilitator and assignments, and is offered over a 12-week period, beginning on 24 March 2003. E-mail will be the main medium for the course, although participants will need to have periodic access to the Web. The course is based on a participatory, active learning approach, with an emphasis on peer-to-peer learning. Participants will do the required readings, prepare interim and final assignments and participate in group discussions.

The main course text is Marion E. Haynes’ Project Management: Practical Tools for Success (Crisp Learning, 2002, $13.95) and a resource to be announced. These will need to be obtained by participants prior to the commencement of the course, and are available in on-line bookstores.

The maximum number of course participants is 25. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a Certificate of Participation. It is also possible to audit the course.

Course outline

Weeks 1-2: Introduction

Week 1. Introduction to Projects and Project Management
Week 2. Role of the Project Managert

Weeks 3-6: Project Development

Week3. Defining Project Objectives and Strategies
Week 4. Overview of Planning and Estimating
Week 5. Preparing a Detailed Project Plan
Week 6. Dealing with Risk and Uncertainty

Weeks 7-12: Project Management

Week 7. Identifying and Supporting Team Members
Week 8. Monitoring the Project
Week 9. Communication and Documentation
Week 10. Relations with Stakeholders
Week 11. Project Evaluation
Week 12. Concluding a Project

About the instructor

Felisa Tibbitts has successfully developed and managed projects in the NGO sector for over 12 years, managing over $2 million worth of projects from “idea development to evaluation” stage. As project manager, she has assisted partner organizations in their project design and management, often in the area of new programming. Ms. Tibbitts is co-founder and Director of Human Rights Education Associates (HREA) and former coordinator of Human Rights Education Programming for the Netherlands Helsinki Committee. She has Master’s degrees from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (Public Policy) and from Harvard’s Graduate School of Education (Administration, Planning and Social Policy) and has published several articles on program planning and development in the education field.

Who should apply

The course is intended for staff members of non-governmental organisations, particularly those working in the human rights and development sector. Candidates should have a good written command of English and have high competence and comfort with computers and Internet use. HREA aims to ensure equal gender and geographical distribution across the selected participants.

Costs

The course tuition fee is US$ 455 (tuition for auditors is $200), not including purchase of the main course textbooks, which should be arranged by individual participants. Scholarships are available for applicants from Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe/Newly Independent States, Latin America/Caribbean through the support of the Dutch Foreign Ministry.

Application

The application deadline for this course was 15 February 2003. We are no longer accepting applications.