Planning and Project Management
Planning and Project Management tests whether a candidate can move from a policy idea to an appraised, scheduled and monitored project.
Core tools
- Project cycle: identification, preparation, appraisal, negotiation, implementation, monitoring, evaluation.
- Logframe: goal, purpose, outputs, activities, indicators, means of verification, assumptions.
- Appraisal: NPV, IRR, payback, cost-effectiveness; discount future cash flows.
- Scheduling: Gantt for calendar view; CPM/PERT for dependencies; critical path is the longest path and sets duration; float is spare time.
- Procurement, contract management and M&E must be built in, not added later.
Worked example
Activities: A=3 days; B=4; C=2 after A; D=5 after B; E=2 after C and D. Paths: A-C-E = 3+2+2 = 7; B-D-E = 4+5+2 = 11. Critical path is B-D-E, duration 11 days. Float on A-C is 11−7 = 4 days. Reasoning: delaying A by up to 4 days need not delay the project, but delaying B delays completion.
Traps
- Confusing the critical path with the shortest path.
- Comparing cash flows without discounting.
- Counting sunk costs in appraisal.
- Treating IRR as a ranking rule when project sizes differ.
- Building a logframe with no verifiable indicators.
- Ignoring procurement lead times and land acquisition.