LOGICAL FRAMEWORK APPROACH

Dr. İpek İmamoğlu

Dr. Barış Kaymak

Previously

• Stakeholder Analysis

– Interest, Importance and Influence

– Type of participation

Analysis

Stage

Planning

Stage

Stakeholder

Analysis

Development

of the LF

matrix

Problem

Analysis

Planning of

activities

Objective

Analysis

Planning of

Resources

Strategy

Analysis...

Fundamental Stages of LFA

Today…

• Problem Analysis / Problem Tree

• Objective Analysis / Objective Tree

Stakeholder Analysis and Problem Analysis

The two are very much related with each other

• The stakeholders need to be involved in the planning stage of a project in order to take into account their views, their look at the nature of the problems, & even their proposed solutions to the problems

This is one of the important factors affecting the success of any project

Interrelationship of Stakeholder Analysis with other LFA tools

Problem Analysis

What is the problem?

Objectives Analysis

What objectives need to be achieved to ‘solve’ the problem?

Options Analysis

Which option is most suitable to

achieve the objective?

Stakeholder Analysis

Strategy Analysis

What is a Problem?

Problem Analysis

On the basis of available information, the existing situation, in particular the major problems should be analyzed and the main cause-effect relationships between the major problems should be visualized in a problem tree.

This exercise of analyzing the existing situation is referred to as a problem analysis.

Problem Analysis

The problem as identified by the problem

analysis becomes the main focus of the

project that you propose. In other words,

the goal of your project is to mitigate the

problem you have analyzed in the problem

analysis.

Problem Analysis

• The aim of problem analysis is not only to

reveal apparent symptoms, but to identify

`root causes` of a problem and design the

project such that these are addressed

• A clear and comprehensive problem analysis,

provides the basis on which to develop a set

of relevant and focused objectives.

Problem Analysis • One main tool used in problem analysis is the ‘problem

tree’.

• An optimum way of the preparation of a problem tree is

via a workshop attended by all stakeholders which is lead

by an independent facilitator

Problem Tree

FOCAL

PROBLEM

Effects

Causes

Problem Analysis

IMPORTANT: Different stakeholders have

different perspectives of what constitutes a

“problem”, therefore stakeholders and their

interests should be considered in parallel to

problem analysis

Problem Analysis

• The problem tree should provide a simplified

but nevertheless robust version of reality. It

should not be too complicated, otherwise it

will not be used in providing direction for later

steps in the analysis

How to prepare a problem tree? • First step: Identify all relevant problems in a brainstorming

session

– “what are the problems of our municipality?” OR “what are the problems regarding solid waste in our municipality?” general OR specific

• 2nd step: Among the problems identified in 1st step, identify a `focal problem`

– the one which appear to be linked to most of the other problems

• 3rd step: Identify the direct causes of the focal problem (“what is causing this problem?” or “Why?”) and place them at the bottom of the focal problem

• 4th step: Identify direct effects of the focal problem, and place them on top of the focal problem (what does this problem lead to?)

How to prepare a problem tree?

• Based on available information

• No future potential problems

• For this purpose a problem should rather be

seen as a currently existing negative state

rather than as the absence of a solution.

How to prepare a problem tree? • 5th step: construct a tree showing these relationships

– If one “effect” is due to two “cause”s, then place them side by side

• 6th step: combine the problems using arrows to clearly

identify cause-effect relationships

• 7th step: make sure that no steps are skipped and the

logical sequence is clear (direct causes of the problem

should be identified)

• 8th step: Review the entire problem tree, verify its validity

and completeness, and make necessary adjustments (“are

there other important problems?”)

How to prepare a problem tree? During the construction of the problem tree:

• Problems that are very general in nature and which affect not only this

issue, but would apply to almost any development problem can be treated

as “overall constraints” and moved to the side of the problem tree.

– Examples: lack of government revenue, institutional corruption, low income of

residents, high population pressure, etc.

hence, the problem tree becomes more

focused & manageable

How to decide?

Can the problem be addressed by an activity based solution? YES:

keep it! NO: it’s a constraint!

How to prepare a problem tree?

Check the logic:

• Move the pieces around and suggest other relationships

• Ensure that related streams of cause & effect are close to each

other on the problem tree

• Move from the very top to the bottom by asking:

“what leads to that?” or “what causes that?”

in order to check the completeness of the cause-effect structure

Exam

ple

Pro

ble

m T

ree

Example Problem Tree • The water supply company on the town of Lembang wishes to sell

more water to potential customers. Currently, in Lembang, there is an idle capacity for production of drinking water that they are not using. At the same time, the coverage rates are very low. If the water company could expand the service coverage, they could sell the water by using the full capacity of their system. Potential new customers seem unwilling to connect to the network, however. See below an overview of water service condition in Lembang:

Indicator Lembang

Total Population 128,175

Number of Connection 1823

Service Coverage 10%

Installed capacity of system 321 s-1

Idle capacity 61 s-1

Unaccounted for water 29%

Example Problem Tree A survey was conducted to investigate why the different households were unwilling or unable to obtain household connections. One of the main reasons for not connecting to the network was simply the unaffordability of the connection fees. A substantial portion of the respondents, however, had other reasons for not connecting to the network. Statements made by respondents illustrate these reasons:

• “We feel that water is simply a public good and should be provided either by government or the water supply company for free” (Endra Saleh Atm. 2000)

• “We think that quality of water provided by the water supply company is only good for the cattle but not for drinking, cooking, washing and other human activities. What we have now is […] better than piped water” (Endra Saleh Atm. 2000)

After identifying all the existing problems, a main problem is identified for Lembang case, namely the company has an idle capacity for the production of drinking water.

Example stakeholder matrix

Example stakeholder matrix

(one-way flow)

Causes

Effects

Objective Analysis • This analysis is done to:

– Define the desired situation in the future where all the previously identified problems are solved

– Verify the hierarchy of aims

– Schematically represent the relationship between the things to be done and the outcomes

• Similar to the problem tree, the objective tree is best prepared after a workshop with all involved parties

Objective Analysis • Objective trees should be prepared after the problem tree

has been completed and parallel to a stakeholder analysis.

• In its simplest form, the objective tree uses exactly the same structure as the problem tree, but with the problem statements (negatives) turned into objective statements (positives). (be careful here!)

• However, the results of the stakeholder analysis may have helped to give better focus to priority problems and not all of the original problem statements may therefore need to be translated into objective statements.

– Unrealistic objectives should be deleted!

Objective Analysis • While the problem tree shows the cause and effect

relationship between problems, the objective tree shows

the means - end relationship between objectives (i.e. the

means by which desired ends – or objectives – will be

achieved).

– Objectives are desired conditions & situations and

should not be formulated as activities

• The objective analysis leads directly into developing the

activity’s narrative description in the logical framework

matrix.

How to prepare an objective tree? • First step: Re-word all the negative statements in the problem

tree with desired and realistically achievable situations

• 2nd step: Make sure that the cause-effect relationship is

transformed into a means-ends relationship

• 3rd step: If needed,

– revise the statements,

– add new objectives if required to reach the upcoming objective

– Delete objectives that are inappropriate or unnecessary

Objective Analysis Once the negative statements from the problem tree have

been re-worded to positive statements, you should then check: – are the statements clear?

– are the links between each statement logical and reasonable? (Will the achievement of one help support the attainment of another that is above it in the hierarchy?)

– is there a need to add any other positive actions and/or statements? More detail may be required. (check problem tree)

– are the positive actions at one level sufficient to lead to the result above?

– do the risks to achieving the objectives and also having sustainable outcomes appear to be manageable?

– is the overall structure simple and clear? Simplify if possible or necessary.

Can not be manipulated easily & left out because unrealistic objectives

Out of scope of project

New objective added

Revised objective tree - example

Example stakeholder matrix

Example stakeholder matrix

(one-way flow)

WHAT IS NEXT • Tuesday (18/10): RFP – Contents of

Report/Proposal • Thursday (20/10): LFA

What should you be doing! • Read RFP thoroughly, • Start sharing tasks • Start doing research for background

information, legislative framework, stakeholders…

Sources of Information

• Project Cycle Management Training Manual (in Turkish), Dr. Merih

Kerestecioğlu, 2005

• Improving Municipal Wastewater Management in Coastal Cities Training

Manual, Version 1, February 2004, www.gpa.unep.org.tr/training

• AusGuideline Activity Design 3.3 The Logical Framework Approach,

October 2005, www.ausaid.gov.au/ausguide/pdf/ausguideline3.3.pdf