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Introduction
Program planning is an indispensable responsibility of field workers. Program planners not only plan but also implement, monitor and evaluate the impact of their programs.
According to Waterston, (1965), program development is viewed as an ongoing process that consist of a study of the situation, thinking about long range and immediate objectives and choosing learning experiences that would be constructive as far as the target audience is concerned.
On his part, Kettner, Moroney and Martin (2008) viewed program planning as the process of constructing various actions to shed light to community development. Blair (1998) does not divert from the views of Kettner, Moroney and Martin since he defines program planning as a set or a number of related events that portray some needed actions aimed at achieving certain objectives over a specified time.
In his view, objectives show what are to be attained. The same objectives can be revised as new knowledge is generated. Knepper (2010)argues that there are a number of factors that must be considered when designing a program. Firstly, the planner must work with the lay advisory committee.
Again, the program planner should explore and describe the general situation of communities being planned for. Other factors include identification of problem areas and their prioritization, stating of objectives, preparation of a program document including work plans and finally monitoring and evaluation of the program.
From the above information, it is evident that a good program requires careful planning whereby the planner should set goals and objectives, evaluate the effectiveness of the program, implement its tenets and monitor the implementation process.
Program planning is not an easy task hence it is imperative for a project planner to come up with various techniques that would help him or her counter the challenges associated with implementation. In this paper, the planner would wish to introduce an online help center where clients could acquire information pertaining to community services.
Program Description
With the emerging technologies the world, Skype has turned out to be a new phenomenon in the cyber world. In fact, it is almost a necessity, just like the email address. In this proposal, the planner intends to use the tool in relaying information to the locals as regards to health, especially mental health.
The planner would set up the Skype center so that people with mental problems can easily seek for advises. The service is very efficient since it permits the planner to communicate with the locals without any difficulty. It has an advantage over the local phones since it transmits both analog and digital information without any interruptions.
For this reason, the planner will have to register an account with the service provider in order to make calls with other registered users. For this case, community members would be encouraged to open accounts with the service provider for easier communication (Glauser, 2011). The service has one more advantage, which is related to the cost.
It is relatively cheap as compared to other means of communication. This would suit the wishes of the planner since this program suffers from funding. The terms of payment for Skype service is friendly to the user since an individual goes for the one that best suits him or her.
Community members would be comfortable reporting their health problems without necessary using many resources. The transportation costs would be reduces since the community members use money to seek advisory services regarding their health.
However, the planner would need initial capital to put up structures that would house employees. Communication equipments would also be installed.
Needs Assessment and Rationale
There are two concepts that are central in the process of planning. These include planning and projects. In the preparatory phase of any project, the planner aspires to establish various stages that are critical in the project planning. Each stage has its own importance. Stage one entails a decision to adopt planning. The planner needs to establish this in advance before proceeding to fulfill any other task.
The subsequent stage is the organization for planning stage. This stage is only arrived at after the planner has adopted the program. In the second stage, the planner would consider coming up with a program that would suit the demands of the audience, which is provision of information regarding health and mental awareness information.
For this to happen, the planner establishes the work force and determines how much resources are available to accomplish the task. For the Skype program, the planner would need adequate resources for financing website formation and advertising the same site through the social media such as yahoo and twitter.
The third stage in need assessment and rationale would be setting goals, objectives and targets. The performance of the program is measured in terms of its ability to achieve goals and objectives that are set for it. Goals are abstract and specify what planning should ideally achieve in the medium and long term.
Based on the Skype program, goals would be both short-term and long-term. On the other side, objectives are more precise implying that they are operational statements that represent specific steps necessary in attaining chosen goals. They are different from goals since they are specifically achieved in a shorter period.
Progress toward their attainment can be measured and evaluated. Targets are least specific since they are clear statements about what should be achieved over a given time period. It should be noted that in advance that goals, objectives and targets change, especially in the medium to long-term.
As implementation, monitoring and evaluation go on; they generate new lessons that help in changing these stages in the planning cycle. At the third stage, the planner needs to assess various variables that may affect project implementation. Each goal and objective should be rationalized, implying that a sensible reason should be given for its existence (Celotta, & Sobol, 1983).
The fourth assessment need entails data collection and analysis. This implies that in project planning and evaluation, collection and analysis of data is vital owing to the fact that planning is a decision-making process and decisions are made based on certain information.
In the Skype program, the planner needs to establish how much information is available and how much is needed to kick-start the program. Conyers (1982) distinguishes data from information in project planning and evaluation. Data in this case refers to factual information to be collected from health respondents while information would refer to data that is useful in decision-making.
Information is very important in project planning because of three main reasons. One is that it helps in showing development needs and problems. Again, the planner would identify and evaluate alternative courses of action as regards to health problems affecting the community.
Finally, information provides feedback about the impact of those courses of actions during and after implementation. Since some data is required before any significant planning starts, data collection is one of the first steps in planning and implementation of the program.
The type of data collected should show the relationship between different factors in the planning and implementation process. This is because planning seeks to ensure changes in a given situation. For this case, the health conditions of people would be improved since adequate information would be provided.
Furthermore, identifying the sorts of data needed and that are able to provide information required for planning is another key stage. The planner should assess the type and amount of data required in designing the program. In this community, many planning decisions are made without adequate information owing to high costs of data collection and scarce resources.
Due to this problem, the planner should decide on the data required, analyze the same data and apply it in planning. Subsequently, a number of methods are used in data collection. Unlike agricultural planning that utilizes natural research surveys, this Skype program would use social surveys.
This means that the researcher would aspire to conduct a detailed survey as regards to socio-economic statuses of individuals in the community. Due to limited resources, the researcher would utilize sampling method where a small population is used to represent the views of the entire community (Hassan, Kamarudin, Ahmad, & Baki, 2009).
The fifth assessment task would be related to project appraisal, what is popularly termed as Ex-ante. In this section, it further elucidated that one task of the planner is to facilitate identification of alternative courses of action.
This implies identification of various alternative ways of working toward the chosen project goal. Once the ways or means have been identified, they have to be appraised or assessed. This calls for identification of advantages of different courses of actions. Economists carry out the appraisal by calculating the financial costs and benefits of different options.
The main technique used is cost-benefit analysis. Other appraises include environmental impact assessment (EIA) and social impact assessment (SIA). These techniques would also be applied in assessing the effectiveness of the Skype program in providing relevant information to the community regarding health and mental fitness.
Project appraisal aims at obtaining critical information that can be utilized by the decision maker to decide which course of action to embrace (Barreto, 2004). A term trade-offs id frequently used, which means choosing between different alternatives that is, arriving at a compromise where a certain option is dropped in favor of another one that would increase the chances of achieving project goals and objectives.
An appraisal aims at proving information on a number of important implications of planning. It concerns itself with factors such as the nature and amount of resources to be deployed, the nature and scale of effects produced, where the effects occur and who is affected, and finally the relationship between resources deployed and effects produced.
Social impact appraisal is commonly utilized in sociology to determine the effects of a program to the lives of people. Social impact assessment is not focused on attaching money values to costs and benefits.
Friedman and Schrieber (2008) suggests that Social Impact assessment deals with four major categories, including demographic (population, labor, displacement and relocation of persons), social economic (income changes and employment patterns), institutional (demands on local and administrative services), and psychological/community factors (social networks, integration and cohesion).
Conyers and Hills emphasize the before and after studies of social impact of development projects. They argue that social impact appraisal should seek to achieve certain goals and achievements. The SIA should attempt to predict the likely positive and negative social effects of a project and consider them in the planning process.
The SIA should also examine the social cultural conditions in the project area and identify those to be considered in the planning process in order to maximize social benefits. Finally, the scholars commented that the SIA should identify what kind of social services and facilities are to be included in the project design in order to meet social requirements of people and minimize social disruption that often occurs in such projects.
Cochrane noted that project managers should bear in mind cultural factors and consider them in project design. He outlined various factors, which should be considered in such SIA. These factors include identification of social groups, patterns of social organizations, belief system, wealth forms and patterns of mobility.
Program Goals and Objectives
To understand program goals and objectives, the planner utilizes a logical framework. A logical framework is a tool used in preparation of a project document or proposal. Conyers (1982) observes that a logical framework refers to as a concept that describes the main aspects of a project, otherwise referred to as program goals and objectives.
The tool summarizes key features of a project and provides a planner with a visual and comprehensive view of the project. It can also be seen as a tool that is used in the design of a project and provides a basis for its monitoring and evaluation.
There are two major advantages of a logical framework. One of them is that it provides a vision of what the project seeks to achieve that is, it visualizes various aspects of the project and what it seeks to achieve. Furthermore, it provides a basis for the project’s monitoring, evaluation, review and impact assessment.
The components of the logical framework include goals, purposes, outputs, activities, verifiable indicators and means of verification. Furthermore, the tool may consist of risks and assumptions. A goal is a high-level objective meaning that it is broad and is achievable in the end. It may be termed the mission or main objective of the project (Olsen, 2004).
The purpose is what the project seeks to achieve meaning the accomplishments, also known as the main aims or specific objectives. The purpose of shows why the project is being undertaken. It describes the impact that is desired or what is to be changed because of delivering project outputs.
Purposes are usually outside the control of the project planner. In other words, they are responsible for producing a set of results. Various activities in the logical framework are shown in the format below.
Title: Introduction of Skype program in Cochise County Arizona
Lifespan: Two years
Phasing: Implementation will start in one location at the beginning of the First Year and be expanded to three locations in the Second Year. Three hundred households will be covered in the First Year and 900 in the Second Year
Type of Project: Community-based seeking to empower local people to prevent metal illnesses.
Logical Framework Matrix
Program Implementation
Implementation refers to the whole process of translating broad policy goals and objectives into visible results in the form of specific actions. It refers to what happens after the actions required to achieve specific objectives have been identified and affected.
Conyers and Hill refer to implementation as the process of converting resources such as materials, technology, and funds into goods and services, which support behavioral change in the beneficiary groups. Planners role in this process is that of mobilizing, organizing and managing the resources needed to undertake the actions specified in the plans.
According to Secret, Abell and Berlin (2011), the planner must perform the following activities. One of them is to know what to do, ensure availability of required resources, have the ability to assemble, control and manage these resources to achieve what is desired and finally be able to communicate to others involved in the implementation. Overall, effective implementation is very demanding since many things can go wrong.
A work plan is a tool utilized by planners in the implementation process. The work plan is a simple tool that provides answers regarding what is to be done, where will the project take place, when would the planner kick start the project, and how the project will be implemented.
Pennig (2006) views it as an annual document that outlines the activities to be conducted with people in order to accomplish the objectives of a program. What is clear is that the work plan must be related to the objectives of the project. In other words, it is a guide for daily actions.
In the introduction of the Skype program for callers to obtain help online, the planner would identify what is to be done and who would be responsible in order to implement the program successfully. A decision is to be made about which projects are to be programmed including calling rates.
For a successful implementation, the planner would have to consult community members charged with delivering services to the people. This is because there are no adequate resources for project implementation. During implementation, the planner would encourage participants to speak their minds freely, contribute their experiences and raise objectives where necessary, without fear.
Since the program is complex and very expensive, the planner would encourage community members to think about the forthcoming implementation process carefully. The planner would encourage callers to think about resources needed in the implementation, how the program would be implemented, the timing of the program, possible bottlenecks and credibility of the program (Langlois, & Hallam, 2010).
In a number of cases, quantifiable targets are to be discussed, agreed upon and written down. Completion indicators such as events and outputs showing the operations are entered in the right hand column of the work plan chart. The work plan chart is shown below.
The planner utilizes a Gant chart to show how activities will be fulfilled. A Gant chart shows input of time, money and other resources. The required time to perform various activities in each area of work is estimated. Interrelationships with other areas of work are discussed and coordination would be agreed upon.
Each activity is then scheduled by being drawn to a scale on the chart as a bar. The chart reveals periods when different staff have agreed to be working on various activities of the project. The Gant chart for the Skype program is shown below.
Gant Chart (Weeks)
Program Evaluation
Just as a planner has to anticipate implementation process and plan for it before actual implementation starts, he or she has to anticipate for monitoring and evaluation, as well as plan for them before actual implementation. Monitoring and evaluation need to be in-built in the implementation process.
As the Skype program is being implemented, it is necessary to monitor its progress and to ensure that activities are being carried out according to the plan. Monitoring is usually done continuously (Helitzer, Sanders, Roybal, & Deusen, 2010). It is important to consider the type of monitoring and how it would be carried out.
In addition to monitoring the Skype program, the planner is also to carry put a detailed evaluation of the program. This is done after completion of the program or at specific points in the implementation process. Evaluation calls for collection of additional data, which are related to the project.
Evaluation helps the planner to identify new problems or issues, which should become the focus of planning in future. Generally, monitoring and evaluation are means of measuring past successes and failures, as well as providing information needed to improve future planning activities (Knepper, 2010).
In the Skype program, evaluation would involve periodic review of the project inputs, activities and outputs. In this case, the resources used in putting up the online call center, the activities undertaken such as delegating duties and the achievements such as improved standards of living would be measured.
References
Barreto, R. (2004). Diversity Perspectives for Social Work Practice. Journal of Sociology & Social Welfare, 31(3), 190-191.
Blair, R. (1998). Strategic Planning for Economic Development: A Suggested Model for Program Evaluation. Public Administration Quarterly, 22(3), 331-348.
Celotta, B., & Sobol, B. (1983). Needs Assessment: Reconciliation of Children, Parent and Teacher Views. Journal of Education, 83(104), 176-179.
Conyers, D (1982). An Introduction to Social Planning in the Third World. New York: Wiley.
Friedman, L., &Schrieber, L. (2008). Healthy Families America State Systems Development, Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 34(1), 67-87.
Glauser, W. (2011).The Skype solution. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 183(12), 98.
Hassan, A., Kamarudin, N., Ahmad, J., & Baki, R. (2009). The solution of Social Problems from the Perspective of Philosophy of Education. The International Journal of the Humanities, 7(2), 27-34.
Helitzer, D., Sanders, M., Roybal, S., & Deusen, I. (2010). Evaluation for Community Based Programs: The integration of Logic Models and Factor Analysis. Evaluation and Program Planning, 33(2), 223-233.
Kettner, P., Moroney, R., & Martin, L. (2008). Designing and managing programs: an effectiveness-based approach (3rd ed.). Los Angeles, CA: Sage Publications.
Knepper, H. (2010). Review of “Designing and Managing Programs: An Effectiveness-Based Approach”. Administration of Social Work, 34(1), 107-108.
Langlois, M., & Hallam, J. (2010). Integrating Multiple Health Behavior Theories Into Program Planning: The PER Worksheet. Health Promotion Practice, 11(2), 282-288.
Olsen, D. (2004). Transition to Adulthood: The Important Role of the Pediatrician. Pediatrics, 113(3), 159-162.
Pennig, S. (2006). HPM: A model to relate costs, benefits, and strategic impact of human resource programs. Performance Improvement Journal, 11(6), 17-22.
Secret, M., Abell, M., Berlin, T. (2011). The Promise and Challenge of Practice-Research Collaborations: Guiding Principles and Strategies for Initiating, Designing, and Implementing Program Evaluation Research. Academic Journal, 56(1), 9-20.
Waterston, A. (1965). Development Planning: Lessons of Experience. Baltimore: John Hopkins Press.
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