Assessment of Project Identification and Design Practice: The case of Concern Worldwide, Ethiopia Office
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Date
2024-10
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to assess the project identification and design practices of Concern Worldwide's Ethiopia office. A cross-sectional study design was utilized, where a questionnaire was distributed to 55 employees directly involved in project identification and design, and 50 responses were received. The study found that the office faces challenges in project identification and design practices, including limited proactivity, heavy reliance on donors resulting in a lack of internal project idea generation and community needs assessment, unclear role assignments for project identification and design teams, and limited staffing of the grant and intelligence unit. To address these challenges, the study recommends tackling donor influence through diversifying funding organizations, improving role assignments among project identification and design teams, and investing in staff development to address shortages and capacity gaps. It also recommends establishing a stakeholder mapping approach based on stakeholder importance and influence, ensuring transparent stakeholder engagement, conducting regular reviews and adaptations of project designs, and leveraging technology for efficiency. Furthermore, the study highlights the need for better stakeholder engagement during project identification and design stages to enhance project outcomes and inclusivity. The study notes that local partner engagement has shown improvement, but emphasizes the importance of training project identification and design teams, diversifying funding sources, and collaborating with local organizations and academic institutions to achieve better project identification and design practices.
Key words: Project identification, Project Design, Stakeholders, Concern Worldwide