Project Design Manual, a step-by-step tool to Support the Development of Cooperatives and Other Forms of Self-Help Organizations

Together with the ILO International Training Centre in Turin, COOPAfrica has published a Project Design Manual. A step-by-step tool to support the development of cooperatives and other forms of self-help organizations. The manual provides cooperatives and other types of self-help organizations with practical guidance to formulate project proposals that are economically, socially, politically and environmentally viable. It covers all the steps of project design: from the identification of the main problem to be addressed, to the planning of the project implementation, monitoring and evaluation. The project design approach is based on the widely accepted planning methods known as project cycle management (PCM). PCM tools help cooperatives to take advantage of business and development opportunities while using a coherent and participatory approach to management. This in turn involves using resources wisely, integrating common values, and thinking ahead about results. Each opportunity can give birth to a new project, and sound projects have a better chance of finding the required financial resources, either through the competitive advantage that they bring to the market, or from banks and other financing institutions or donors.