Memoire Online - Project selection and management in international development organisations

I would like to register my deepest appreciation to my supervisor Mr. Mike J. Herman for being an instrumental part of my dissertation research. His availability, guidance and direction made everything much easier and I learned a great deal under his stewardship.

My sincerest thanks also go to my parents Gaspard and Denise, who have been eternally supportive and provided me with invaluable input throughout my course work. Warm thanks are also due to my siblings Tino, Serge, Rabi, Clovis, Urbain and Linda for their useful recommendations and inspiration.

Finally, I dedicate this thesis to my lovely daughter Leyla, from whom I get endless inspiration to do the very best.

Abstract

Selecting programmes and projects that are in line with strategic goals and objectives has been described as the primary objective of organisations today. For International Development Organisations, selecting the right mix of projects is even more crucial because of their purpose, the specific nature of the programmes and projects they implement and the environment in which they operate. This dissertation proposes a simple and flexible multilevel Framework, based on the principles of Project Portfolio Management, that can be used when selecting and implementing development programmes and projects while at the same time ensuring that they are in line with the strategic orientation of the implementing organisation.

5.1 Programme Selection Committee 42

6.2 What is the nature of International Development Organisations as opposed to

6.3 What is the proposed framework for the selection and management of

1. Introduction

Implementing Strategic Objectives through projects has been the aim of many organisations (Gardiner, 2005; Englund & Graham, 1999; and Srivannaboon & Milosevic, 2006) but many of the projects being implemented have little or no significant tie to the strategic objectives they are meant to be supporting (Englund & Graham, 1999). Selecting the right mix of projects is therefore one of the most important task in project-based organisations to ensure the achievement of their strategic objectives within their constrained resources and capabilities. Several tools and techniques which aim to help organisations select projects for their portfolios are available with each tool and technique having both advantages and disadvantages. Organisations therefore have a wide range of methods they can choose from in order to make their project selection process more effective. However, the adoption of any of these tools and techniques requires the development of a comprehensible framework that will support the organisation's portfolio selection. The importance of project selection in project-based organisations is widely recognised but as it was observed by Dye and Pennypacker (2000); a clear and formal project selection and prioritisation process is too often lacking thus leading many researchers and practitioners to develop their own project selection frameworks integrated with tools and techniques (Archer & Ghasemzadeh, 1999; Englund & Graham, 1999; and Cooper et al., 2001).

International Development Organisations are project-based organisations whose goals are in line with the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and range from ending poverty to halting the spread of HIV and Aids. International

Development Projects differ from other projects because of the environment in which they are implemented (Ika et al., 2010) with complexity, resistance to change, competing stakeholders' agenda and the contradictory expectations of the different parties involved in the implementation of such projects (Crawford and Bryce, 2003; Diallo and Thuillier, 2005) being the factors that that have an impact on the successful implementation of such projects. The sole nature of International Development Projects in comparison to the traditional sector in which Project Management tools and techniques are used resulted in International Development

Projects not getting enough attention in literature (Themistocleous and Wearne, 2000; Diallo and Thuillier, 2004) hence there is no clear universal framework that be used when selecting and implementing these types of projects.

«How can programmes and projects be selected and managed in an International Development Organisation to ensure the successful implementation of its strategy?»

This dissertation aims to highlight how some the principles of Project Portfolio Management can be applied when implementing international development projects. After working for two years in an International Development Organisation in East Africa, I came to the realisation that our biggest challenge was the selection of the right mix of projects that were in line with our three strategic pillars: Access to Markets, Competitive Enhancement and Access to Finance. The only way through which we could make it possible for the different organisations working with us to benefit from our support (both technical and financial) was through the implementation of projects. The projects were brought to us by the local organisations and the only tool we used to rank and prioritize these projects was a Balanced Scorecard which in our case only measured the managerial capabilities of the local organisations; in other words we used it to judge whether or not the given organisation was able to manage the project's budget and if there was a person within the organisation capable of ensuring the successful implementation of the project. The tool we used to select and prioritize projects did not guarantee that the selected project would be completed within the agreed time, scope, and budget nor that the project deliverables would be in line with our strategic objectives. This led me to conclude that our selection process was not effective enough and its lack of effectiveness had a direct impact on the way the projects were implemented and their successful completion. The importance of project portfolio selection and management, how proper portfolio management leads to the successful implementation of corporate strategies and how project portfolio management principles and processes can be applied when selecting and managing International Development Projects will be discussed throughout this dissertation. The objectives of this dissertation are:

- to understand how project portfolio selections can applied within an organisation

The focus of this dissertation is the selection and management of International Development projects with the aim of developing a framework that can be used by International Development Organisations worldwide. Project management and Project Portfolio Management have been accepted by both academics and practitioners as being respectively about «doing the project right» and «doing the right project» (Cooke-Davies, 2002; & PMI, 2004, 2006), it is therefore important for International Development Organisations to be able to select the right mix of projects and manage them accordingly in order to achieve their strategic objectives.

Turner (1994) observed that Western-oriented tools and techniques of project management can not a be applied in non-western countries because of the different cultural differences hence both the project selection and management tools and techniques used have to consider these cultural differences.

This dissertation will review the Project Portfolio Management literature with an emphasis on the different tools, techniques and frameworks it proposes and the impact they have on the successful implementation of corporate strategies. A review of literature on of International Development organisations will also be conducted to understand both the nature of this type of organisation, some of the critical success factors for development projects, and some of the challenges faced when implementing these projects.

2. Literature Review

This Literature review is aimed at improving our understanding of both the theoretical and practical concepts that constitute Project Portfolio Management. The review is divided into two parts: the first part looks at Portfolio Management with a focus on the project selection process, the different tools and techniques that can be used and the frameworks that can be used to select projects for a portfolio. The second part of this literature review looks at International Development Organisations and what makes them different from traditional organisations.

2.1.1 What is Project Portfolio Management

Project management can be defined as a process by which projects are defined, planned, monitored, controlled and delivered (APM, 2006). The aim of this process is the achievement of well-defined objectives. How is project management different from project portfolio management? Different authors have tried to answer this question to show the gap that portfolio management aims to fill. Levine (2005) argues that project portfolio management is the bridge between portfolio planning and portfolio management within a traditional organisation. Project portfolio management therefore links the organisation's strategic objectives to its project selection process by ensuring that individual project goals are in line with the portfolio's goals. LaBrosse (2010) on the other hand argues that project portfolio management is a way companies can collectively manage a group of projects to reap benefits that would not be available if the projects were managed individually. The two authors put emphasis on the benefits that linking an organisation's strategic goals and objectives to its project selection process can bring for that organisation. This dissertation as explained previously focuses on the project selection process as part of project portfolio management therefore a good understanding of an organisation's strategic goals and objectives is crucial in order to make its project selection process more effective. Dye and Pennypacker (1999) argue that project portfolio management is the application of knowledge, skills, tools and techniques to a collection of projects as opposed to a single project's activities to meet or exceed the needs and expectations of an organisation's investment strategy. Project portfolio management is therefore not only about linking strategies and goals to the project selection process but also about applying the existing knowledge and tools to

the project selection process. The PMBOK (2010) refers to project portfolio management as the selection and support of project investments that are guided by the organisation's strategic plan and the available resources. The resources available within an organisation have an impact on the way the project portfolio is selected. Cooper et al (1998) suggest that project portfolio management has the following three objectives: maximising the value of the portfolio, linking the portfolio to the strategy; and balancing the portfolio.

2.1.2 Corporate Strategy

Shendar et al. (2001) argue that project portfolios are powerful strategic weapons therefore they can be described as building blocks in implementing an organisation's intended strategy. Muller et al. (2008) on the other hand state that there exist a positive relationship between strategic portfolio selection and project portfolio performance. Understanding the strategic orientation of an organisation is therefore crucial when wanting to implement project portfolio management processes. Various definitions exist in literature for the term `strategy'; early strategic management literature puts emphasis on the activities that are undertaken by an organisation in order to maintain its competitive advantage when defining strategy (Chaffee, 1985). The focus on competitive advantage is also supported by Walker and Ruekert (1987) who describe business strategy as the way in which an organisation decides to compete in a given industry in comparison to what its competitors are doing. Yelin (2005) argues that every organisation has a strategy therefore there cannot be a single, definitive definition of the term. For the purpose of this dissertation which focuses on project portfolio selection in International Development Organisations, the term strategy will be defined using the Five P's of Strategy proposed by Mintzberg et al (1998) because of the specific nature of this type of organisations:

- Plan: strategy is a direction, guide or course of action into the future that an organisation follows

- Position: strategy is a means of locating the organisation in its external environment

- Perspective: strategy looks into inside the organisation and is applied throughout

- Ploy: strategy is a specific manoeuvre intended to outwit an opponent or a competitor

Strategy is therefore the direction that an organisation follows over a long period of time and which helps it achieve its objectives in a changing environment (Johnson et al, 2006).

2.1.3 Project Portfolio Selection Process

Projects as we know them can be defined as being temporary endeavours undertaken to create a unique product, service or result (PMI, 2006). To create this unique product or service, a well-defined process consisting of interrelated activities as to be followed (APM, 2006). This process converts inputs into outputs. Project portfolio selection has become increasingly popular in recent years as illustrated earlier in project-based organisations. The PMI (2008) defines the project portfolio selection process as the process which ensures that projects are reviewed to ensure that organisational resources are allocated accordingly and that the management of the projects in the portfolio is consistent with and aligned to the organisation's strategy. Englund and Graham (1999) argue that the project portfolio selection process begins with the establishment of an upper management team. The role of this management team is to set directions for the portfolio, manage multiple projects or a set of projects, decide on the selection criteria, and aid in cross-organisational issue resolution. The goal of this management team is to ensure that the projects in the portfolio support the organisation's strategy. The APM (2006) describe the project portfolio selection process as a process that is concerned with screening, analysing, and appraising the characteristics of a project or group of projects in relation to the organisation's strategy. The strategic alignment of the projects selected for the portfolio is therefore crucial within organisations. Levine (2005) argues that the project portfolio selection process' aim is to help the organisation rank projects according to their value and benefits, the risks of achieving these benefits, the resources available to the organisation to help support the implementation of the projects in the portfolio and the size of the pipeline. He later on argues that the project portfolio selection process is made up of two sub-processes:

the selection and prioritization of projects and the management of the selected projects. These two sub-processes are directly linked to the organisation's strategic objectives in that they help in executing the strategic plan set by the organisation with a focus on meeting both the individual project's goals and the portfolio goals. The project portfolio selection process is not as straight forward as it might seem; factors such conflicting objectives, unavailability of resources, uncertainty and risk can turn it into a very complex process as it was observed by Ghasemzadeh and Archer (2000). The strategic focus of the portfolio selection process should therefore take into consideration of these factors to ensure that the process is effective.

2.1.4 Project Selection Tools and Techniques

Project selection tools, techniques and models are used by the project selection team to evaluate both the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of a given project or a group of projects. Their aim is to help the project selection team select the project or group of projects that is consistent with the strategic goals of the organisations. Souder (1973) identified five criteria for project selection models:

- Realism: the model should reflect the organisation's objectives and be applied throughout. The model should also take into account the resource availability within the organisation

- Capability: the project selection model should be able to deal with uncertainties

- Flexibility: the project selection model should give clear results and be easy to modify when responding to specific changes.

- Ease of use: The project selection model should be convenient, easy to understand and use without requiring special interpretation.

- Cost: the cost associated with using the select project selection model should be low relative to the cost of the projects and less than their potential benefits.

Meredith and Mantel (2010) argue that there are two types of project selection models:

- Numeric project selection models: they use numbers as inputs but the criteria they measure can be either objective or subjective.

Furthermore, Cooper et al. (2001) broke down the project selection models into five categories when discussing their popularity and dominance for project selection and portfolio management:

- Use of financial methods: financial models are used to rank projects against each other by determining their expected economic value

- Use of strategic approach: these approaches are concerned with the allocation of resources in the different strategic buckets or categories within the organisation

- Use of scoring models: these models are used as a ranking and prioritization tool with the project scores used to rank projects against each other. The criteria mainly used with the scoring models are the strategic fit, financial rewards and the risks.

- Use of bubble diagrams: these diagrams are used to support the decision making process.

- Use of check list models: check lists act as a supporting tool and are employed to make Go/Kill decisions on individual projects.

Their study showed that organisations tend to use a combination of tools, techniques, methods and models instead of one alone to boost their chances of selecting good projects for their portfolios.

2.1.5 Decision Support for Portfolio Selection

Having understood the aim of the project portfolio selection process, one important question still has to be answered; which project or group of projects should be included in the portfolio? Different tools and techniques are available for project portfolio selection hence making it easier for an organisation to select the one that best matches its purpose. There is however a lack of framework that would arrange both these tools and techniques in a logical manner. It is therefore important for an organisation to adapt or develop a framework that can used to evaluate project proposals and select a portfolio which is in-line with its strategy (Sommer, 1999). Difficulties that are associated with project portfolio selection are often caused by the following factors according to Ghasemzadeh and Archer (2000): (1) multiple and often conflicting objectives, (2) qualitative project objectives, (3) uncertainty and risks which affect projects, (4) an unbalanced portfolio in terms of factors such as risk and completion time, (5) independence amongst projects and (6) an enormous number of

feasible portfolios. It is important to develop a framework that aims to address all these difficulties and at the same time takes advantage of the different tools and techniques available. The frameworks that will be presented in this section are the most widely cited in literature:

2.1.5.1 Cooper's Framework for Strategic Portfolio Management Cooper (2005) proposes a hierarchical process made up of two levels of decision making for project portfolio selection. These two levels answer the following questions:

- How should the resources be split across the different projects? - What specific projects should be taken on board?

The first level of Cooper's Framework called the Strategic Portfolio Decisions is concerned with the strategy that the organisation will follow when selecting projects for its portfolios and how the organisation's resources will be utilised. This level helps in the establishment of a Road Map for project portfolio selection in the organisation. The second level of Cooper's Framework called Tactical Portfolio Decisions is concerned with project selection, prioritization and resource allocation. Projects are

looked at individually on this level following the strategy set on Level 1. Different tools and techniques are used on this level to select the right projects that fit the agreed portfolio's strategy.

To address the difficulties mentioned earlier, Ghasemzadeh and Archer (2000) propose a framework which combines methods commonly used when selecting projects for a portfolio because of their desirable decision support characteristics. This framework is made up of two main phases: the Pre-process stage and the Post-process stage; each made up of sub-stages.

The pre-process stage provides a guideline for the general project portfolio selection process and helps the organisation in determining the strategic focus of the portfolio and its resource constraints. This stage also helps in the selection of a methodology including the different techniques that will be used for the project portfolio selection. The following sub-stages make up the Pre-process stage:

- Pre-screening stage: during this stage, projects proposals are analysed and only the projects that fit the strategic focus of the organisation will be selected

- Individual project analysis: during this stage, a set of parameters such as net present value or internal rate of return will be calculated for each individual projects then used to compare the selected projects

- Screening: attributes from the previous two sub-stages are examined during this stage to eliminate any project that does not meet the pre-set selection criteria.

The aim of the Pre-process stage is to eliminate projects that do not fit the organisation's strategic goals and objectives therefore making it the work of the project committee easier. The Post-process stage consists of the following subprocesses:

- Optimal portfolio selection: projects are matched against different objectives set for the portfolio while at the same time considering factors such as the organisation's resource availability, project timing, etc.

- Portfolio adjustment: during this final stage, the decision makers apply their knowledge and experience to balance and make adjustments to the portfolio by adding and deleting projects.

Archer and Ghasemzadeh's Framework for project portfolio selection support Cooper (2005)'s critical factors for project portfolio selection, i.e. alignment with corporate strategy, value maximization and right balance and mix of projects.

Englund and Graham (1999) framework is based on a study they conducted at Hewlett-Packard and is concerned with selecting projects for their strategic emphasis therefore creating an environment for successful projects within the organisation. This framework consists of a series of steps that help link projects to the organisation's strategy and it can be applied to any type of organisation.

The focus of the framework is on developing cooperation across the organisation to fulfil the overall strategy of the organisation. The following four steps make up this framework:

- What the organisation should do: This step is concerned with the identification of the people who will be deciding which projects should be taken on board and the overall goal (s) of the whole portfolio. Projects are also put into different categories to facilitate their analysis by the project selection team. This idea of categorising projects is similar to Cooper (2005)'s Strategic Buckets which give the organisation a clear picture of what it is involved in. Furthermore, criteria should be set within each category to assess whether or not a given project is in line with the agreed goals of the portfolio.

- What the organisation can do: this step is concerned with the evaluation of projects by the project selection team through analysis and debate with a focus on the characteristics of the projects. As a result of this evaluation process, certain projects will be eliminated while others will be adjusted in respect with the priorities set in the strategy. The second part of this step is concerned with the identification of the resources both within and outside the organisation that will be required when implementing the projects.

- Analyse and decide on projects: a comparison between the estimated resources and the available resources is done during this step to prioritize the selected projects with a focus on their benefits. Different project selection tools and techniques can be used during this step but the authors suggest that using the Analytical Hierarchy Process is the better alternative.

- Implementation: the selected projects can finally be implemented following a well-defined plan that will serve as a guideline for the management team when allocating resources and monitoring progress and change.

International development projects are concerned with poverty alleviation, living standards improvement, environment protection, capacity building and the development of basic physical and social infrastructure (Khang and Moe, 2008). Ika (2012) argues that international development projects are technical, social and political undertakings. They are social because they aim to improve directly or indirectly the wealth of the population and political because the choice of project's options often results from a political decision made by either the International development agency, the donors or the local political leaders or policy maker (Diallo & Thuillier, 2004, 2005). International development projects can be blueprint (physical capital-based) projects or process (human-capital-based) projects (Bond and Hulme, 1999; Ika and Hodgson, 2010). Blueprint projects are typical infrastructure projects that provide a package of goods and services for low income beneficiaries (Morgan, 1983) while process projects include projects that deal with education, health and capacity building. The social objectives of International development projects are less tangible and have less visible and measurable objectives when compared to projects in other sectors. This intangibility of project deliverables requires the development of a new body of knowledge or the adaption of the existing body of knowledge to help monitor the implementation of International development projects. International development projects also have a variety of stakeholders which makes them very complex as it was observed by Youker (1999).

They usually involve three separate stakeholders namely: the funding agency which finances the project but does not benefit from its outputs, the implementing unit which is in charge of managing project activities from the initiation phase to its completion, and the targeted beneficiaries who actually benefit from the project's outputs. Like other types of projects, International development projects have a life cycle that has been discussed widely in literature (Baum, 1970; Rodinelli, 1976; Youker, 2003; Ahsan and Gunawan, 2010; Londoni and Corti, 2011). A six steps cycle that provides a well-defined structure and direction for project activities while keeping the focus on the development objectives of the projects was proposed by Baum (1970, 1978). These steps are namely: identification, preparation, appraisal, negotiation, implementation and supervision, and evaluation. Radinelli (1976) however, suggest that well-planned international development projects should follow a ten steps cycle: Identification and definition, Formulation, preparation and design, Appraisal, Selection, negotiation and approval, Activation and organisation, Implementation and operation, Supervision , coordination and control, Termination and completion, Dissemination of output and transition to normal administration, Post-evaluation and follow-up. Due to the nature of International development projects, Youker (2003) suggests that their life cycle should consider both the Donor side of the implementation and the beneficiaries. He argues that the Identification phase of the cycle should be carried out by both the donor organisation and the beneficiaries to ensure that the projects identified meets their needs.

2.2.2 Approaches to managing International Development Projects Two main frameworks exist for managing International Development projects: the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) and the Project Management for Development Professionals (PMD Pro).

The Logical Framework Approach was developed for the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the 1960's and was described as a set of interlocking concepts used together to develop well-designed, objectively-described and evaluable projects (Rosenberg and Posner, 1979, cited in Hermano et al., 2013). The Logical Framework Approach was introduced to (NORAD, 1999):

- Provide a basis for monitoring and evaluation and make planners think in evaluator terms

The Logical Framework Approach proposes seven steps for planning development projects: participatory analysis, problem analysis, objective analysis, alternative analysis, identification of project elements, development of assumptions, and identification of project indicators. The first two steps are concerned with the identification of the group or groups that will be affected by the project and the problem that will be addressed. The third and fourth steps are concerned with the transformation of the problem identified into project objectives and the assessment of the different options available for the project (technical, financial, environmental, etc.). The remaining three steps form the project planning matrix of the Logical Framework Approach and are concerned with the identification of the project goal, purpose, outputs, activities and inputs. A description of the conditions outside the control of the project that have to be met in order for the project to succeed and the performance standard that have to be reached in order to achieve them should also be provided. Despite its wide popularity in the development sector, the Logical Framework Approach has been criticized in literature for various reasons (Crawford and Bryce, 2003; Ika et al., 2012; Hermano et al., 2013). These critics have highlighted the lack of body of knowledge of the Logical Framework Approach in the monitoring and evaluation phase of the project lifecycle has being its major drawback. Crawford and Bryce (2003) identified the following four limitation of this framework: (1) the absence of time dimension; (2) the inappropriateness of assigning efficiency-level objectively verifiable indicators; (3) the inadequacy of the means of verification; and (4) the static nature of the Logical Framework Approach. The application of well-known project management standards to the Logical Framework Approach has also been proposed as a possible means of addressing its limitations (Hermano et al., 2013) in order to improve the performance of International Development projects but as Khang and Moe (2008) observed, the uniqueness of international development projects make the application of standardized tools and methods difficult.

The Project Management for Development Professionals framework (PMD Pro) was developed in 2010 by the Project Management for Non-Governmental

Organisations (PM4NGOs) International Group. This framework provides guidelines for managing international development projects and it is based on two assumptions: (1) project managers in the international aid industry share similar challenges; (2) project managers in the international aid industry can learn from project managers in other sectors. The PMD Pro is organised into four sections (PMD Pro, 2013): Projects in the Development Sector, Phases in the Life of a Development Project, Project management Disciplines, and Adapting the PMD Pro. The first two sections of the framework are concerned with the roles and responsibilities of the project manager when managing international development projects and the importance of having balanced project management throughout the lifecycle of international development projects. The last two sections are concerned with the array of project management disciplines that the project manager must apply throughout the lifecycle of international development projects and how the PMD Pro approach can be adopted by a development organisation. PMD Pro has been described as an extension of the Logical Framework Approach by Hermano et al. (2013) in that it mixes the Logical Framework guidelines with tools contained in the widely used project management bodies of knowledge. The PMD Pro is built around five principles:

2.2.3 Critical success factors for International Development Projects Literature on success factors and criteria for international development projects is scarce which makes the identification of success criteria in this sector difficult. An exploratory study of the success criteria for international development projects in sub-Saharan Africa conducted by Diallo and Thuillier in 2004 was the first empirical research on the subject. Their research assessed project success as perceived by its key stakeholders: the project coordinator, task managers, supervisors, project team, steering committee, the beneficiaries, and the population. The resultant set of criteria identified from the research include beneficiaries' satisfaction, conformation of goods and services produced to the project documents, achievement of project objectives and completion of project within time and budget. Khang and Moe (2008) later grouped the success criteria identified by Diallo and Thuillier for international development projects into three main categories: Competencies, Motivation, and Enabling Environment. Competencies relate to the project manager and the project team members and are directly linked to their ability to perform project tasks successfully. The competencies can be technical, interpersonal and administrative. Motivation relates to the willingness to perform and the dedication to the success of the project by the project manager and the project team members. Motivation and competencies go hand in hand in this case because without motivation, competencies will have no impact on the project. The enabling environment refers to the relationship between the project's internal and external environment. An enabling environment will provide adequate support from the key stakeholders to the project manager thus facilitating the implementation of the project. Furthermore, Hermano et al. (2013) identified seven critical success factors for international development projects that they later used to compare the Logical Framework Approach to the Project Management for Development Professional (PMD Pro) approach. The success factors they identified are also based on Diallo and Thuillier's research and other researches on success factors for development projects. They identified the following success factors: team building, local environment, implementation approach, learning opportunities, policy characteristics, availability of resources, and stakeholders/beneficiaries' satisfaction. Team building is concerned with the characteristics of the project team members as mentioned by Khang and Moe (2008) and the impact that proper competencies mixed with motivation can have on the implementation of international development projects. As Youker (2003) observed,

the environment in which development projects are implemented is quite complex and uncertain therefore using `'what if» scenarios when selecting the right implementation approach becomes necessary. Transferring knowledge to the beneficiaries is viewed as one of the most important goals of international development projects therefore creating learning opportunities is crucial. The implementation of international development projects must take into account the characteristics and plans of the country in which the project is being implemented (Rosenberg and Posner, 1979) therefore understanding local policies with contribute to the successful implementation of development projects.

3. Methodology

This section of the dissertation will highlight the different research philosophies, approaches strategies that can be used when doing a research and it will give an explanation the research philosophy, approach and strategy used for this dissertation.

3.1 Research Philosophy

3.1.1 Epistemology

Epistemology is concerned with what constitutes acceptable knowledge in a field of study (Saunders et al., 2007). It is the study of what we know about reality and it depends on what we believe reality is (Lee and Lings, 2008). There are three main types of epistemology: Positivism, Realism and Interpretivism.

Researchers who adopt a positivist stance are similar to natural scientists in that they only work with observable phenomena that will lead to the production of credible data (Saunders et al., 2007). Positivist researchers collect data and use existing theories to develop hypotheses.

Realism is similar to positivism in that it advocates the use of a scientific approach to develop knowledge. Direct realism says that what we experience through our sense portrays the world accurately while critical realism argues that what we experience are sensations or images of things in the real world not the things directly (Saunders et al., 2007).

The interpretivism advocates that the truth cannot be determined in any absolute way and the purpose of an interpretivist inquiry is to gain sufficient understanding about a phenomenon in order to predict the future (Jankowicz, 2005). Researchers that adopt the interpretivist stance enter the social world of their research subjects and understand it from their point of view.

The epistemology chosen for this dissertation is interpretivism because this research aims to understand how projects are selected in International development organisations and to develop an alternative theory in the form of a framework based on the principles of Project Portfolio Management that can be used to select and manage development projects while at the same time assuring the achievement of the strategic objectives of the organisation. The interpretivist approach is appropriate

for this research because as it was discovered, no general framework can be said to be the one that is best suited for International Development Projects but instead, each of the organisations part of the sample selected, used tailored made framework that best suit their objectives. The findings show that because of the uniqueness and complexity of international development programmes and projects, they are not restricted to one unique framework therefore making this dissertation relevant in that it aims to develop an alternative framework for project selection and management in International Development Organisations which will be an addition to the existing knowledge in the international development field.

3.1.2 Ontology

Ontology as opposed to epistemology is concerned with the nature of reality (Saunders et al., 2007). There exist two different aspects of ontology: Objectivism and Subjectivism.

Objectivism argues that social entities exist in reality external to social actors concerned with their existence (Saunders et al., 2007).

Subjectivism on the other hand argues that social phenomena are created from the perceptions and actions of social actors concerned with their existence.

The ontology chosen for this research is subjectivism because it supports the interpretivism epistemology. The subjectivist view studies the details of a situation in order to understand reality (Remenyi et al., 1998). To understand how International Development Organisation operate, a critical literature review on the this area was conducted and it focused on the nature of these organisations, the two approaches that are widely used within these organisations when it comes to selection of projects and finally the critical success factors for international development projects. Prior to understanding how International development organisation operate, Project Portfolio Management was introduced with a focus on the selection process, the different tools and techniques that can be applied, the different frameworks that can be used for portfolio selection and the concept of strategy. The literature review allowed me to find out about the different concepts of Project Portfolio Management and it gave an insight on the current practices within the International Development sector. This understanding prepared me for the next task which was to analyse the documentation obtained on the five selected organisations.

3.1.3 Axiology

Axiology is concerned with the aims of the research (Lee and Lings, 2008). The aim of this dissertation is to develop a framework based on the principles of Project Portfolio Management that can be used for the selection and management of International development projects.

In order to achieve this aim, the research first focused on project portfolio management with the objective of understanding what it is and how programmes and projects are selected and managed when applying the principles of project portfolio management. Secondly, the research looked at International Development Organisations as a whole in order to understand their nature and what differentiate them from the other types of organisations, how projects are selected and managed within this type of organisation and what critical success factors lead to the successful implementation of International Development Projects. Thirdly, five international development organisations were analysed with a focus on their strategic objectives and their programme selection framework. This analysis helped in identifying the key features of their respective frameworks and how they function. Finally, a simple and easy to implement framework based on the discussions in the literature review and the findings was developed.

3.2 Research Approach

Deduction also known as theory testing is associated with scientific research and it involves the development of a theory that will be tested (Saunders et al., 2007). The deductive approach aims to explain relationships between variables by using a highly structured methodology.

Induction which is associated with building theory is concerned with the context in which events take place (Saunders et al., 2007). This approach analyses events and use this analysis to formulate a theory.

The research approach selected for this dissertation is induction because the aim of this dissertation is to understand both project portfolio management and International development organisations in order to develop a framework that can be used when selecting and managing development programmes and projects. The building of this theory required the analysis of qualitative date from five selected

International Development Organisations in order to get more insight on their strategic objectives, the way they are funded and the framework they currently use to select and implement their programmes and projects. The findings of this analysis lead to the development of the framework proposed in this dissertation.

3.3 Research Design and Strategy

3.3.1 Research Design

Research design is the general plan of how you will answer your research question based on your research purpose, research objective (s), the sources of data collection and the constraints of your research (Saunders et al., 2007). There exist three types of research purpose: exploratory, descriptive and explanatory.

An exploratory study is a study which aims to find out what is happening and asks questions to assess phenomena in a new light (Saunders et al., 2007).

A descriptive study is one that aims to portray an event or situation accurately (Saunders et al., 2007). It gives a clearly understanding of events or situations prior to the collection of data.

An explanatory study on the other hand is one that aims to establish a causal relationship between different variables (Saunders et al., 2007). Explanatory studies put emphasis on studying a situation or problem in order to explain relationships between variables.

This dissertation is a combination of both the exploratory research approach and the descriptive approach. The research is exploratory in that it aims to give an insight on what project portfolio management is about, how it is used and finally how it can be applied in the programme and project selection processes of International Development Organisations through to the development of framework based on project portfolio management's principles. The descriptive aspect of this research focuses on International development organisations and aims to help understand the nature of this type of organisation, what differentiate these organisations from organisations in other sectors, the two commonly used frameworks in the project selection process of the these organisations and the factors that lead to the successful implementation of these projects. Combining these two approaches help meet the research objectives which are:

- to understand how project portfolio selections can applied within an organisation

3.3.2 Research Strategy

The research strategy is concerned with data collection and its analysis (Saunders et al., 2007). The choice of research strategy is guided by the research question, the objective (s) of the research and the amount of resources available. The most commonly used research strategies are: experiments, surveys, case studies, action research, grounded theory, ethnography and archival research.

Experiments are a form of research strategy that aims to establish causal links between variables and are widely used in exploratory and explanatory research to answer used to answer `how', `why' questions and typically involve an hypothesis that has to be tested and a sample of individuals from a known population (Saunders et al., 2007).

Surveys are a research strategy commonly used in business and management research and associated with the deductive approach that involve the collection of quantitative data following a pre-established strategy giving more the researcher more control over the overall research process (Saunders et al., 2007).

Case studies are a research strategy associated with an empirical investigation of a phenomenon in its real life context using multiple sources of evidence to answer why, what and how questions and are commonly used in explanatory and exploratory research (Saunders et al., 2007). The case study strategy can be single case, multiple cases, holistic case and embedded case. Single case studies represent an extreme or unique case and are used to provide an opportunity to analyse a phenomenon that has not been considered before. The Multiple case studies strategy is used to establish whether or not the findings of the first case occur in other cases (Saunders et al., 2007). Holistic case studies focus on a single phenomenon as a whole while embedded case studies focus on units within a single phenomenon.

Action research is a research strategy which puts emphasis on the purpose of the research, the involvement of practitioners in the research, the iterative process of diagnosing, planning, taking action, evaluating and the implication of the research beyond the project's boundaries (Saunders et al., 2007).

The Grounded theory strategy is associated with both the inductive and deductive approach and is used to explore different issues in business and management with data collection starting without the formation of an initial theoretical framework making it possible for a researcher to discover or build a theory or theories through the analysis of data (Saunders et al., 2007).

Ethnography is a research strategy used to describe and explain the social world and it is rooted in the inductive approach (Saunders et al., 2007).

Archival research involves making use of records and documents as the primary data source (Saunders et al., 2007). The archival research strategy allows the research to study changes over time by focusing on the past.

This dissertation uses the multiple case study research strategy to understand how programmes and projects are selected and managed in International Development Organisations. Fifteen international development organisations were identified for this research and five out of these fifteen organisations were analysed. These five organisations were selected because they give a good representation of the sectors in which International Development Organisation are involved, mainly: education, poverty alleviation, health, water and sanitation, child protection, women empowerment and children rights. Through the use of this approach, it was discovered that no universal framework was used by the five selected organisations but that instead they all use different tailor made frameworks. These frameworks are different in terms of process and the organisational structures that support them but are similar in that they help these organisations implement cost-effective programmes and projects. The data collection technique chosen for this research is documentary through the analysis of annual reports and strategic documents to capture the strategic objectives and goals of the different International development organisations and how these organisations implement their strategies through programmes and projects. The documents that will be analysed will consist of year end activities reports. The documentary analysis allowed me to understand how the

frameworks developed by these five organisations are different in terms of operations and organisational structure and how they are aligned to their strategic objectives. Getting this understanding helped me develop my own framework using some of the key components of the five frameworks analysed.

3.4 Time Horizons

Two main types of time horizons exist in relation to academic research: longitudinal and cross-sectional (Saunders et al., 2007).

Longitudinal research is conducted over a period of time and allows the researcher to examine the changes that have an impact on a specific problem.

Cross-sectional research on the other hand is time constrained and only allows the research to examine a problem for a specific time period.

This dissertation follows a cross-sectional time horizon in that it focuses on the frameworks currently being used for programme and project selection in the five selected international development organisations. The cross-sectional data gathered from their reports and strategic documents allowed me to compare these organisations in terms of strategy and programme selection and management processes. This comparison allowed me to identify the similarities and differences between the frameworks and facilitated the development of the framework proposed in the recommendation section of this dissertation.

3.5 Limitations

Like any other research, the findings of this dissertation are constrained by the research strategy adopted and the data collection technique used to support it. The initial idea was to interview project managers or members of programme selection committees of the five selected organisations to get a practical description of the different frameworks used when selecting programmes and projects in these organisations but due to conflicting schedules and the amount of work they are subjected to, I was re-directed to their official strategic documents and annual reports and advised to use them to capture the information I required. Analysing documents is a good way to get background information about a phenomenon in a non-intrusive manner. In the case of this dissertation, using this technique did not allow me to get a practical understanding of the way these framework are used but it

did not however compromise the findings of the study because the aim of this research is to find out how programmes and projects are selected in these organisations and their annual reports and other strategic documents did provide sufficient information on the subject. The information gathered mixed with the discussions in the literature review lead to the development of the framework proposed at the end of this dissertation. Future research could be focussed on how these frameworks are used in practice and the other factors that are considered when selecting development projects and compare the findings with what is described in the strategic documents of these International Development Organisations. This type of research would give even more insight on project selection in development organisations and the skills and attributes of the people responsible for the selection and implementation of development programmes and projects.

4. Findings and Analysis

This section of the dissertation looks at five International development organisations in terms of their strategic objectives and the different sectors they are involved in. The aim of this research is to develop a programme/project selection model based on the principles of project portfolio management that can be used by International Development organisations. In order to achieve this aim, this section of the dissertation will focus on the following four areas: project identification, project prioritization, project management and project evaluation. The International development organisations selected for the study are: OXFAM UK, Action Aid UK, Christian Aid UK, Water Aid UK and Plan International. These organisations were selected because they paints a perfect picture of the sectors in which other development organisations are involved in worldwide and the impact that their work has had in the different regions in which they are operating.

4.1 Findings

4.1.1 Action Aid International

4.1.1.1 Background

Action Aid was founded in 1972 by Cecil Jackson-Cole as a child sponsorship charity for 88 children in India and Kenya with the objective of providing them with education. In the 1980s, the focus of the organisation shifted to tackling the root causes of poverty and not just its symptoms, with the organisation working with different communities to boost agriculture production, improve water supplies, gain access to healthcare and find new sources of income. In the 1990s, the organisation launched campaigns in education and food rights and for the past decade, the organisation has been involved in the fight against poverty and has helped over 13 million people in 42 countries worldwide (Action Aid International, 2012).

4.1.1.2 Goals and Strategy

Action Aid International aims to achieve the following four goals in its fight for the eradication of poverty (Action Aid International, 2012):

- Goal One: poor and excluded people and communities will exercise power to secure their rights

- Goal Three: citizens and civil society across the world will fight for rights and justice

- Goal Four: states and their institutions will be accountable and democratic and will promote, protect and fulfil human rights for all.

To achieve the above goals, Action Aid's worldwide work is driven by programmes and policies that follow the following five strategic objectives (Action Aid

- Promoting sustainable agriculture and control natural resources for people living in poverty.

- Advancing the political influence of people living in poverty to hold governments and corporates accountable.

- Building the resilience of people living in poverty to conflicts and disasters

and respond to disasters with people-centred, rights-based alternatives. - Ensuring that women and girls can break the cycle of poverty and

4.1.1.3 Sector of Activity

Action Aid's worldwide work focuses on the following sectors: Women Rights, Education, Poverty Alleviation, Food and Conflict Resolution.

4.1.1.4 Project Selection and Management

Action Aid's project selection and management process follows its Accountability, Learning and Planning System known as ALPS. The programme cycle of all Action Aid projects consist of four different stages:

- Appraisal and Context analysis: new programmes should be driven by Action Aid's strategy, they should contribute to advancing Action Aid's theory of change

- Strategy: new programmes should be cost effective and should be aligned with Action Aid general strategy

- Implementation: programmes go through a value for money monitoring throughout their implementation. Actions are compared to their outputs, objectives to their outcomes and goals to their impact.

- Evaluation: the evaluation stage analyses the agreed terms of reference of each programme and compares it to the outcomes. The evaluation is under the supervision of the programme evaluation team.

4.1.2 OXFAM UK

4.1.2.1 Background

In 1942, the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief was set up in the middle of World War II to ensure the supply of vital relief to civilians in Europe especially in Greece and Belgium. In 1948, the first Oxfam shop was opened in Oxford as the UK's first permanent charity shop. In the 1950s, Oxfam's work expanded to reach struggling communities in Africa and South America and in 1965, the name Oxfam was officially adopted as the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief new name. In the 70s, Oxfam started its work in Asia. In the 90s, Oxfam International was established and for the past decade, the organisation's work has focussed on tackling the root causes of poverty with its work ranging from life's basics such as water, education and health to more complex issues such as climate change and human rights (Oxfam UK, 2013).

4.1.2.2 Goals and Strategy

Oxfam's work is guided by the following six strategic goals to help reduce poverty (Oxfam UK, 2013):

- Goal One: The right to be heard - people claiming their right to a better life

The above strategic goals are supported by six operational goals that shape the way

- Goal Four: Investing in people - Goal Five: Cost effectiveness - Goal Six: Income strategy

4.1.2.3 Sector of Activity

Oxfam's worldwide work focuses on the following sectors: Food, Water, Health and Education, Women Rights and Climate Change

4.1.2.4 Project Selection and Management

Oxfam's projects follow its Global Performance Framework (GPF) which helps measuring the effectiveness of projects against six thematic areas: Humanitarian response, adaptation and risk reduction, livelihood enhancement, women's empowerment, citizen voice and policy influencing. Oxfam carries out monitoring and evaluation exercises on programmes both on country and global level in the following ways (OXFAM, 2013):

- Bi-annual monitoring reviews during which partners and programme staff reflect on the information gathered throughout the implementation of a programme and decide on the impact that it will have on their future work.

- Annual country reviews which allow country teams and stakeholders to meet and review their roles and strategies within different countries using

- Programme evaluation for programmes whose value is over £1 million using the Oxfam Evaluation Policy through independent assessments which will help improve Oxfam's global work.

Oxfam's programmes are subjected to its Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) approach with enables the organisation to:

- Increase its accountability to its stakeholders, and - Learn intensively from previous interventions

4.1.3 Plan International

4.1.3.1 Background

Plan International was founded over 75 years ago and is one of the world's largest children development organisations. The organisation focusses on ensuring that children are not excluded from decision making and that they receive the education and protection they have a right to. Plan International is active in 50 developing countries to promote children rights and alienate poverty and as of 2013, the organisation has worked with over 78 million children in 90, 229 communities worldwide. Plan International's work to promote children's right is based around the following 8 core areas (Plan International, 2013): education, water and sanitation, health, protection, economic security, emergencies, child participation and sexual and reproductive health.

4.1.3.2 Goals and Strategy

- Tackling exclusion by improving the lives of children who are marginalised for reasons such as language, ethnicity, disability and gender

- Improving programme quality by helping them adhere to global policies and standards

- Expanding successful programmes by adapting and duplicating them wherever they can benefit children

4.1.3.3 Sector of Activity

Plan International's work worldwide focuses on the following sectors: Education, Health, Water and Sanitation, Health and Children Protection.

4.1.3.4 Project Selection and Management

Plan's programmes are built around their Children Centred Community Development (CCCD) initiative and their Programme Accountability and Learning System (PALS). The Programme Accountability and Learning System cycle consist of the following four stages (Plan International, 2009):

- Participatory Situation Analysis from a Child's rights perspective: this stages consist of a general analysis of children's right with a focus on what

is being done and what is not currently being done in regards to those rights with the aim of finding areas where Plan's work can fit.

- Strategic and Programme Planning: during this stage two types of plans are developed; a Country Strategic Plan (CSP) which describes the way Plan will respond to a situation and a Programme Unit (PU) Long-Term Plan which describes how each programme unit will implement programmes. The Country Strategic Plan helps in the identification of a country's goals and the different levels of strategic responses needed in order to achieve them while the Programme Unit Long-Term Plan sets specific objectives for the programmes that will be individually implemented.

- Programme Implementation through Projects: different projects funded through sponsorships and grants enable Plan to manage the implementation of initiatives that are implemented continuously over the life span of a programme.

- Programme Monitoring, Evaluation and Research: the framework used for monitoring, evaluation and research is part of the Country Strategic Plan and is used to track and capture changes within the programme environment. This stage enables Plan to assess program progress, strengthen programme accountability and improve learning.

4.1.4 Christian Aid UK

4.1.4.1 Background

Like many of the Relief Organisations, Christian Aid was founded in the aftermath of the Second World War with the purpose of alleviating people's suffering regardless of their religious faith in Europe. In the 1950s, the organisation's work expanded beyond Europe to support development work in Africa and Asia. In 1957, the first Christian Aid Week was organised with the aim of making the general public aware of the continuing problems in the world. In 1964, the organisation officially adopted the name Christian Aid and begun to look more deeply into the root causes of poverty and not just its symptoms. By the end of the 70s, the organisation was working in 40 countries and funding more than 100 long-term development projects worldwide. In the 90s, Christian Aid became one of the first aid agencies to highlight

global economic issues and today works with more than 650 partners in around 50 countries worldwide (Christian Aid, 2012).

4.1.4.2 Goals and Strategy

Three main goals have been identified by Christian Aid for the empowerment of people around the world (Christian Aid, 2012):

- Resilient and Thriving societies: by giving men, women, and children the right to thrive, live decently and safely, to grow their resources and capabilities

- Equity and sustainability: by supporting local, regional and global solutions that will help communities reach their full potential through equal access to markets, infrastructure, knowledge, skills, technology and investment.

- Just power relations: by fighting for a fairer allocation of resources and encouraging the participation of women in decision-making

4.1.4.3 Sector of Activity

Christian Aid's worldwide work focuses on the following sectors: HIV/Aids, Gender Equality, Human Rights, Climate change and Conflict Resolution

4.1.4.4 Project Selection and Management

Christian Aid programme management systems and processes put emphasis on assessing, monitoring and reviewing performance, results and value for money throughout the lifecycle of projects. Any concerns raised during the implementation of a project trigger an automatic review which can lead to the suspension of the project until the concern is resolved. Christian Aid's projects follow a well-defined Funding and Reporting Agreement which highlights the expected results of a project along with its budget. Programme staffs assess and monitor project activities to ensure that they represent good value for money. Project proposals and reports are assed by programme staff with a focus on effectiveness and equity together with a member of the finance team. The main focus point is value for money. Project proposals and reports are uploaded to PROMISE which is Christian Aid's Programme Information and Management System (Christian Aid, 2012). The project selection and management process of Christian Aid uses cost-benefit ratios, scoring models and participatory methods.

4.1.5 Water Aid UK

4.1.5.1 Background

In 1981, the Thirsty Third World Conference was organised in the United Kingdom to respond to the United Nation's Decade of Drinking Water and Sanitation Campaign with projects in Zambia and Sri Lanka being the first ones to receive support from Water Aid. In the 1990s, the organisation begun developing country strategies and hygiene education policies were put in place to ensure that people gain maximum health benefits from the different water and sanitation projects in Nigeria, Mozambique, Zambia, Madagascar and Malawi. By the early 2000s, Water Aid begun its work in West Africa and in 2002, Access to Water was declared a Human Right and also added to the list of Millennium Development Goals. Over the past ten years, Water Aid has reached 19.2 million people with its safe water campaigns and 15.1 million people with its sanitation campaigns (Water Aid, 2009).

4.1.5.2 Goals and Strategy

Water Aid has identified the following four global goals to help 25 million people worldwide gain access to safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation (Water Aid, 2012):

- To promote and secure poor people's rights and access to safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation.

- To support governments and service providers in developing their capacity to deliver safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation.

- To advocate for the essential role of safe water, improved hygiene and sanitation in human development.

- To further develop as an effective global organisation recognised as a leader in our field and for living our values.

4.1.5.3 Sector of Activity

Water Aid's work worldwide focuses on the following sectors: Children Protection, Health, Water and Sanitation, Women and Social exclusion.

4.1.5.4 Project Selection and Management

Water Aid's aim is to make the projects and programmes launched under the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene campaign sustainable by ensuring that they are designed in a way that allows them to answer the following questions:

- Demand: Does the project or programme respond to a need or demand and how is the demand demonstrated?

- Design and Implementation: how will quality be assured? How will user's participation be addressed and how will the required technology be identified?

- External Support: how and by whom will the external support to community-based management be provided? How will the organisational effectiveness be measured and who will pay for the external support?

- Environmental Factors: what impact could factors outside the control of the project or programme such as water resource availability, land use, agriculture have on the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene infrastructure?

To ensure the sustainability of the projects and programmes under WASH, they have to be monitored. Records on functionality and utilisation of water and sanitation services are therefore maintained and surveys are conducted yearly to capture the status of the services implemented and the impact they have had on the behaviours of members of given communities.

4.2 Funding of International Development Organisations

The United Kingdom's Department for International Development provide funding to the above five organisation through Programme Partnership Agreements that differs from one organisation to the other according to their needs. These Programme Partnership Agreements are long-term agreements between the Government and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) operating globally that achieve real results in the fight for the alleviation of poverty, provide good value for money and support the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals (Department for International Development, 2014). The following table illustrates DFID's funding through the signed Programme Partnership Agreements with the selected organisations:

Other sources of funding for the above organisations include private donations and fund raising campaigns.

4.3 Analysis

This section of the dissertation gives an in-depth analysis of the strategic plans of the five selected organisations. It picks up from the findings section and compares the different frameworks used by these organisations.

4.3.1 Strategy

The review of the five organisations shows that most International Development Organisation have a global strategies that are supported by individual country strategies. The global strategies are the map or the blueprint that will guide the selection of the programmes launched in different regions worldwide whereas the country strategies are more specific to the needs and the demand in a given country.

Action Aid's global strategy focuses on the fight for the eradication of poverty through the promotion of agriculture, the control of natural resources, the improvement of the quality of education and the empowerment of women whereas Oxfam's strategy focuses more on gender equality/justice, the promotion of health and the improvement of the quality of food.

Plan International's work puts emphasis on children's rights through the promotion of education, health and the improvement of their quality of life in impoverished countries.

Christian Aid's strategy focuses on the improvement of the lives of men, women and children from HIV awareness to supporting human rights and gender equality whereas Water Aid's strategy focuses on hygiene and sanitation in poor countries.

These strategies are all related and linked to the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals which aim to:

The Global Strategy of an International Development Organisation is very unlikely to change and usually has a lifespan of five to ten years whereas country strategies change according to the needs of the country which are assessed through surveys and the demand in the region.

4.3.2 Project Selection and Management

The International Development Organisations reviewed all have their own way of selecting and managing projects and programmes with their own monitoring and evaluation systems put in place to ensure that the projects selected are in line with their strategies.

Action Aid's Accountability Learning and Planning System (ALPS) is based on the organisation's strategy and focuses on selecting projects and programmes that are cost effective. The Accountability, Learning and Planning System helps Action Aid's programme staff:

The Accountability Learning and Planning System is used for Action Aid's long-term, short-term and medium-term programmes.

Oxfam's Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEAL) system enables the organisation to track progress, make adjustments, and discover unplanned activities or actions that can have an impact on programmes and projects launched. The Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning system is made up of:

Plan International's Programme Accountability and Learning System (PALS) support the organisation in achieving its vision to help children realise their full potential in society. The Programme Accountability and Learning System consist of three levels:

The above three levels are an integral part of Plan International's Programme Accountability and Learning System (PALS)'s cycle described in the findings section.

Christian Aid's Programme Information and Management System (PROMISE) is built around the organisation's understanding of value for money for its programmes and projects which aim to achieve the best results with the money and resources available. Results are measured in terms of the number of people benefiting from a programme or project (scale), the sustainability of the change brought (depth) and the impact the programme or project has had on the people who are excluded and marginalised (inclusion). The Programme Information and Management System also helps maintaining a clear and consistent link between the results achieved through a programme or projects and the money invested for it which has led to the incorporation of value for money management in Christian's

Aid's programme cycle at both the organisational and country levels. Programmes and projects are scored under PROMISE according to:

- The changes within the scope that are beyond what was expected given the resources invested

Water Aid's approach to project selection and management focuses on sustainability of the change brought be its different programmes and projects. To ensure sustainability, the organisation has identified some requirements that have to be met before a programme is launched:

- There should be adequate revenue to cover the recurrent costs of the systems to be implemented

- A functioning management and maintenance system comprising tools, equipment, supply chain, etc. should exist

- An effective support for community-level structures and institutions should exist where required

- Attention have to be given to natural resources and environmental aspects of the system to be implemented

To ensure sustainability, critical needs and issues are analysed and addressed at country-level leading to the design and development of sustainable programmes. Monitoring and learning remain the first priority of Water Aid through the generation and collection of data that help improve the sustainability of the programmes launched.

The Logical Framework Approach, a planning and appraisal tool, is also used because it is a pre-requisite to receive funding from the Department of International Development and also from other bilateral and multi-lateral partners. The Department of International Development's Logical Framework has been specifically designed to make it easy for the organisations to propose:

4.3.3 Selection Criteria

Unlike organisations in other sectors which use different financial models when selecting projects for their portfolios, the analysis found that International Development Organisations use a scoring and ranking models when selecting projects. The projects are scored then ranked according to their alignment with the organisation's strategic objectives and their cost-effectiveness. Other factors considered when selecting projects are the availability of resources within the organisation and the managerial capability of the organisation requesting funding when it comes to ad-hoc projects and partnerships. Information regarding the selection criteria used was not clear even though all the five organisations mention the presence of Programme Teams which are in charge of selecting programmes and projects.

Organisation	Priority Areas	Programme /Project Management Framework	Sources of Funding	Regions
Action Aid	Women Rights, Education, Poverty	Accountability, Learning and	Department of	Africa, Asia, Latin America and
	Alleviation, Food, Conflict Resolution	Planning System (ALPS)	International Development, European	Europe
			Union, World
			Bank, UNICEF, World Food
			Programme and United
			Nations

			Development Programme.
OXFAM	Food, Water, Health and Education, Women Rights, Climate Change	Global Performance Framework (GPF)	Department of International Development	Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eastern Europe
Plan International	Education, Health, Water and Sanitation, Health, Children Protection	Performance Accountability and Learning System (PALS)	Department of International Development, European Union, World Bank, World Food Programme	Africa, Latin America and Asia
Christian Aid	HIV/Aids, Gender Equality, Human Rights, Climate change, Conflict Resolution	Programme Information and Management System (PROMISE)	Department of International Development, European Union	Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East
Water Aid	Children Protection, Health. Water and Sanitation, Women, Social exclusion	Water, Sanitation and Hygiene(WASH) Sustainability Framework	Department of International Development	Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe

Each of the International Development Organisations studied has developed its own project selection and management framework which incorporates a monitoring and evaluation system and these frameworks have proven to be highly effective in most cases. However, as it was explained in earlier chapters, the aim of this dissertation is not to propose a framework that will force organisations to do away with the ones they currently use but instead to propose an alternative framework based on some of the principles of project portfolio management that can be used for programme and project selection. This recommendations section therefore proposes certain general changes to the current practices in International Development Organisations in the form of multilevel framework resulting from the discussions in the literature review and what has been observed in the Analysis section. The aim of this framework is to help International Development Organisations select sustainable projects that will offer greater value for money and support their strategies.

5.1 Programme Selection Committee

As it was observed, the frameworks used by the five organisations reviewed all include a programme team which is in charge of the implementation of the different programmes and projects. The programme team is also responsible for the evaluation of programmes and projects after their completion. However, the framework being proposed advocates the establishment of both a Programme Selection Committee and a Programme Team. The programme selection committee will include the organisation's country manager, the programme officer and a senior member of the finance team. The roles of this programme selection committee are:

- To assess the country's needs and the local demand which will lead to the development of the country's strategy

- To review programmes and projects proposals to ensure that they are in line with the country's strategy and that they fit one of the strategic buckets identified

- To provide the necessary information to the programme team regarding the selected programmes and projects

- To document best practices that will be used for future training of the members of the programme team

The programme team will consist of staff with project management experience and will be responsible for:

- Preparing progress reports on the status of the programmes and projects being implemented

Both the members of the project selection committee and the programme team will be involved in the evaluation of programmes and projects after their completion. Having these two separate teams will reduced biased decision making, improve the quality of the programmes and projects and speed up the programme and projects selection process. The Programme Selection Comminttee's role of assessing the needs of a country also helps in understanding the different cultural differences which as it was suggested by Rosenberg and Posner (19979) and Turner (1994) help facilitate the implementation of development projects. These two teams will also ensure that the programmes and projects implemented fulfil the organisation's strategy through this selection framework because their members have a clear understanding of the strategic orientation of the organisation as pointed out in studies conducted by Englund and Graham (1999), and Ghasemzadeh and Archer (2000) and LaBrosse(2010).

5.2 Selection and Management Tools

Considering their humanitarian nature and other factors such as the operating environment and the number of stakeholder, International Development Organisations differ from other project-based organisations. The main tools used by for profit organisations when selecting programmes and projects are financial models such as the Net Present Value (NPV), the Internal Rate of Return (IRR) and the Payback Period (PB) with a focus on strategic alignment of the programmes and projects. The documentation gathered from the five selected organisations was not quit clear on the tool or tools used for the selection of programmes and projects but did make references to balance scorecards and weighted scoring models. The tool proposed for the selection and prioritization of programmes and projects under this framework is a Weighted Scoring Model consisting of six main criteria:

The strategic alignment of programmes and projects will be ensured by the members of the Programme selection Committee because they are the ones who define the organisation's country strategy. The members of the programme selection committee understand the strategic orientation of the organisation therefore it will be easier for them to decide whether or not a programme or project is in line with it.

Cost-effectiveness has been pointed out has the most important criteria when selecting programmes and projects and is also a pre-requisite when organisations request funding from donors such as the United Kingdom's Department of International Development (DFID, 2011). Deciding whether or not a programme or project will use resources, both financial and human, optimally to achieve its stated objectives is one of the roles of the members of the programme selection committee.

Risk appraisal analyses the programme/project activities highlighted in the proposals and identifies activities that can have impact (negative) on the programme or project if not managed accordingly. If a project's risk assessment is high, the members of the programme selection will decide whether or not it should be rejected or not. Assessing the risks has been identified as an important parameter when making decisions that will have an impact on the strategic orientation of an organisations (Morgan and Strong, 2003; Dess and Lumpkin, 2005)

Benefits in the context of this framework will be the measurable improvements that will result from the implementation of a programme or project while outputs will be the tangible or intangible specialist products of a programme or project.

Outcomes will be the expected change or changes that will be brought about by the implementation of a programme or project. The programme selection committee will review proposals and give them overall score that reflects the proposal's orientation when compared to the objectives that programmes and projects are meant to achieve as highlighted in the country's strategy.

Sustainability will refer to the ability of a programme or project to preserve its benefits throughout its lifespan and beyond. Well defined programmes and projects with clear objectives, outputs and benefits are usually more sustainable and easier to implement therefore it is the responsibility of the programme selection committee to ensure that only programmes and projects that will bring sustainable changes are selected and implemented. Sustainable programmes and projects will meet the

needs and the demand in the country therefore ensuring beneficiary satisfaction which was identified by Diallo and Thuillier (2004) as a critical success factor for development projects.

Assessing the managerial capability of the people involved in the implementation of a programme or project is crucial because the impact beyond completion will depend on their ability to maintain and sustain the changes brought by the say programme or project. Ashan and Gunawan (2010) identified the lack of managerial capabilities has one of the reasons why projects fail which was later on confirmed in another study by Ika (2012).

	Weight	Project 1	Project 2	Project 3
Strategic Alignment	20%
Cost-effectiveness	20%
Risks	10%
Benefits, Outputs and Outcomes	15%
Impact and Sustainability	15%
Managerial Capability	10%
Total

Throughout the implementation of programmes and projects, the following tools will used to make their management easier:

The work breakdown structure will be used to break down programme and project activities into manageable work packages therefore making the planning process easier. The RAID Log will help track any changes or activities that can have an impact on the programme or project. These changes can either be risks, issues,

assumptions or dependencies. Risks in this case will be defined as events whose occurrence will have a negative impact on the programme or project if not properly mitigated while issues will be event that are occurring and require attention. Assumptions will be defined as actions or events that are assumed to be in place and contribute to the successful implementation of a programme or project while dependencies will be any event or work package that depends on the programme or project and vice versa.

5.3 Programme and Project Selection Framework

Based on the discussion in the literature review and the findings on the current practices in the five selected International Development Organisations, the following Programme/Project Portfolio Management Framework is being proposed:

Needs' Assessment: This first stage is concerned with the assessment of a country's needs which will be used when developing the country's strategy.

Country Strategy: this stage is concerned with the development of the country's strategy based on the needs identified during the needs' assessment phase and the demand in the country.

Project Identification: this stage will consist of a pre-screening and a screening process. Programme and project proposals will be reviewed to ensure that they are in line with the country's strategy (pre-screening) before they are matched to one of the strategic buckets identified when developing the country's strategy (screening).

Proposals that are not aligned with the country's strategy will be rejected and those that are aligned to the strategy and fit one of the strategic buckets will be carried forward to the next phase.

Selection and Prioritization: during this stage, programmes and projects will be scored and ranked using the weighted Scoring Model developed for the framework. Programmes and projects with the highest scores will then be carried forward to the next phase which is the implementation.

The Programme Selection Committee will be responsible for the above four phases.

Management and Monitoring: this phase is concerned with the implementation of the programmes and projects under the supervision of the Programme Team. The RAID Log of each individual programme or project will be updated throughout its implementation and status reports will also be prepared periodically. It is during this phase that programme and project activities will be broken down into manageable work packages to facilitate planning. Programmes and projects will go through their normal life cycle until they are completed.

Evaluation: during this phase, the programmes and projects outputs and outcomes will be reviewed and evaluated in contrast to what was initially planned and lessons learnt report will be produced. This evaluation phase will also be used to capture

stakeholders' satisfaction. The evaluation phase will be under the supervision of both the Programme Selection Committee and Programme Team.

This research has shown that Project Portfolio Management links an organisation's strategic goals and objectives to its project selection process through the use of tools and techniques that ensure that the selected projects or group of projects are aligned with the organisation's strategy. To align an organisation's strategy to its programme or project selection process, project portfolio management advocates the establishment of a management team that will be responsible for the identification, screening, selection and ranking of programmes and projects that will be implemented. By doing so, organisations can be assured that only the right mix of programmes and projects are selected.

6.2 What is the nature of International Development Organisations as opposed to traditional Organisations

This research has shown that International Development Organisations aim to improve the well-being of populations directly or indirectly through programmes and projects. They therefore must adopt a programme/project selection framework that not only support their strategies but also put cost-effectiveness at its forefront. The findings revealed that there is no universal framework that is used by all International Development Organisations but that they all develop a framework that helps them implement their strategies, suits their needs and make it easier for them to track changes occurring throughout the implementation of programmes and projects while at the same time making it possible to learn important lessons that will help improve their organisational processes. As opposed to traditional organisations, development organisations rely on non-financial models when ranking and prioritizing projects. The use of non-financial models also results from the humanitarian nature of these organisations.

6.3 What is the proposed framework for the selection and management of International Development Programmes and Projects

The framework proposed in this dissertation follows Souder (1973)'s criteria for project selection models in that it takes into account an organisation's strategic objectives and its resources, it deals with uncertainties by proposing the use of tools that help identify events that can have a negative impact on the implementation of

selected programmes and projects (RAID Log), it is flexible in that it can be used by any development organisation, it is easy to understand and use. The framework incorporates the principles of project portfolio management by proposing the establishment of two management teams that will ensure that only programmes and projects that are in line with an organisation's strategy are selected and

implemented. The framework also incorporates some of the key success factors proposed by Diallo and Thuillier (2004) mainly creating learning opportunities and stakeholders' satisfaction therefore making it a good alternative framework for the selection of development programmes and projects.

Ahsan, K., & Gunawan, I. (2010). Analysis of cost and schedule performance of international development projects. International Journal of Project Management, 28(1), 68-78.

Archer, N.P. and Ghasemzadeh, F. (1999). An Integrated Framework for Project Portfolio Selection. International Journal of Project Management, 17 (4), 207-216.

Association of Project Management. (2006). APM Body of Knowledge, 5th ed. High Wycombe, UK: Author

Bond, R., & Hulme, D. (1999). Process approaches to development: Theory and Sri Lankan practice. World Development, 27(8), 1339-1358.

Chaffee, Ellen Earle. (1985). Three Models of Strategy. The Academy of Management Review. 10 (1), 89-98.

Cooke-Davies, T. (2002). The «Real» Success Factors on Projects. International Journal of Project Management, 20 (3), 185-190.

Cooper, R. G. (2005). Portfolio Management for Product Innovation. In Levine, H. A. (eds.) (2005) Project Portfolio Management: A Practical Guide to Selecting Projects, Managing Portfolios and Maximizing Benefit, pp.318-354. USA: Pfeiffer Wiley.

Cooper, R. G., Edgett, S. J., & Kleinschmidt, E. J. (1998). Best Practices for Managing R & D Portfolios,Research Technology Management 41, 4: 20-33.

Cooper, R. G., Edgett, S. J., & Kleinschmidt, E. J. (2001). Portfolio Management in New Product Development: Results of an Industry Practices Study. R & D Management, 31 (4), 361-381.

Crawford, P. and Bryce, P. (2003), Project monitoring and evaluation: a method for enhancing the efficiency and effectiveness of aid project implementation, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 21 No. 1, pp. 363-73.

Dess, G.G., Lumpkin, G.T., 2005. The role of entrepreneurial orientation in stimulating effective corporate entrepreneurship. The Academy of Management Executive 19 (1), 147-156.

Diallo, A. and Thuillier, D. (2004), The success dimensions of international development projects: the perceptions of African project coordinators, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 22 No. 1, pp. 19-31.

Diallo, A. and Thuillier, D. (2005), The success of international development projects, trust and communication: an African perspective, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 23 No. 1, pp. 237-52.

Diallo, A., & Thuillier, D. (2004). The success dimensions of international development projects: The perceptions of African project coordinators. International Journal of Project Management, 22(1), 19-31.

Diallo, A., & Thuillier, D. (2005). The success of international development projects, trust and communication: An African perspective. International Journal of Project Management, 23(3), 237-252.

Dye, L. D. & Pennypacker, J. S. (2000). Project Portfolio Management and Managing Multiple Projects: Two Sides of the Same Coin?' Proceedings of the Project Management Institute Annual Seminars & Symposium, September 7-16, 2000. Houston, Texas, USA.

Dye, L.D. and Pennypacker, J.S. (eds.). (1999). Project Portfolio Management: Selecting and prioritizing projects for competitive advantage. West Chester, PA: Center for Business Practices.

Englund, R. L. & Graham, R. J. (1999). From Experience: Linking Projects to Strategy. Journal of Production and Innovation Management, 16 (1), 52-64.

Gardiner, P. D. (2005). Project Management: A Strategic Planning Approach. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.

Ghasemzadeh, F. and Archer, N.P. (2000). Project portfolio selection through decision support. Decision Support Systems. 29 (1), 73-88.

Hermano, V., López-Paredes. A., Martín-Cruz, N. and Pajares, J.. (2013). How to manage international development (ID) projects successfully. Is the PMD Pro1 Guide going to the right direction? International Journal of Project Management. 31 (1), p22-30.

Ika, L. A., & Hodgson, D. (2010). Towards a critical perspective in international development project management. Paper presented at Making Projects Critical 5, Bristol Business School, Bristol, England.

Ika, L. A., Diallo, A., & Thuillier, D. (2010). Project management in the international development industry: the project coordinator's perspective. International Journal of Managing Projects in Business, 3(1), 61-93.

Ika, Lavagnon A. (2012). Project Management for Development in Africa: Why Projects Are Failing and What Can Be Done About It.Project Management Journal. 43 (4), 27-41.

Jankowicz, A.D (2005). Business Research Projects. 4th ed. London: Thomson Learning. p111.

Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2006). Exploring Corporate Strategy. 7th ed. Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

Khang, Do Ba and Moe, Tun Lin. (2008). Success Criteria and Factors for International Development Projects: A Life-Cycle-Based Framework. Project Management Journal. 39 (1), 72-84.

LaBrosse, Michelle. (2010). Project-Portfolio Management. Employment Relations Today. 37 (2), 75-79.

Landoni, Paolo and Corti, Benedetta. (2011). The Management of International Development Projects: Moving Toward a Standard Approach or Differentiation?. Project Management Journal. 42 (3), 45-61.

Lee, Nick and Lings, Ian (2008). Doing Business Research: A Guide to theory and practice. London: SAGE Publications. p46-75.

Levine, H. A. (2005). Project Portfolio Management: A Practical Guide to Selecting Projects, Managing Portfolios and Maximizing Benefit. USA: Pfeiffer Wiley.

Meredith & Mantel-Jr, (2010). Project Management: A Managerial Approach, 7th edition. New York, USA: John Wiley & Sons.

Mintzberg, H., Ahlstrand, B. & Lampel, J. (1998). Strategy Safari: A Guided Tour through the Wilds of Strategic Management. New York, USA: Free Press.

Morgan, E. P. (1983). The project orthodoxy in development: Re-evaluating the cutting edge. Public Administration and Development, 3(4), 329-339.

Morgan, R.E., Strong, C.A., 2003. Business performance and dimensions of strategic orientation. Journal of Business Research 56 (3), 163-176.

Müller, R., Martinsuo,M., and Blomquist, T. (2008). Project portfolio control and portfolio management performance in different contexts. Project Management Journal, 39 (3), pp. 28-42

NORAD (1995). Guide to Planning and Evaluation NGO Projects, Number 2: Core Elements in Planning Development Assistance, Oslo: NORAD.

NORAD (1999). The Logical Framework Approach (LFA): Handbook for Objectives-Oriented Project Planning.

PMD Pro (2013). A Guide to the PMD Pro Project Management for Development Professionals. London: PM4NGOs.

Ramenyi, D., Williams, B., Money, A. and Swartz, E. (1998) Doing Research in Business and Management: An Introduction to Process and Method, London, Sage.

Rondinelli, D. A. (1976). Why development projects fail: Problems of project management in developing countries. Project Management Quarterly, 7(7), 10-15.

Rosenberg, L.J., Posner, L.D., 1979. The Logical Framework: A Manager's Guide to a Scientific Approach to Design and Evaluation. Practical Concepts, Washington,DC.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2007). Research Methods for Business Students. 4th ed. Harlow: Pearson Education Limited. p100-128.

Shenhar, A.J., Dvir, D., Levy, O., Maltz, A.C., (2001). Project success: a multidimensional strategic concept. Long Range Planning 34 (6), 699-725.

Sommer, R. J. (1999). Portfolio Management for Projects: A New Paradigm. In Dye, L.D. and Pennypacker, J.S. (eds.) (1999) Project Portfolio Management: Selecting and Prioritizing Projects for Competitive Advantage, pp. 55-60. West Chester, PA: Center for Business Practices.

Souder, E. William. (2000). Utility and Perceived Acceptability of R&D Project Selection Models. Management Science. 19 (12), 1384-1394.

Srivannaboon, S. & Milosevic, D. Z. (2006). A Two-Way Influence between Business Strategy and Project Management, International Journal of Project Management, 24(6), 493-505.

Themistocleous, G. and Wearne, S.H. (2000), Project management topic coverage in journals, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 8 No. 1, pp. 7-11.

Turner, J.R. (1994), Editorial: international project management association global qualification, certification and accreditation, International Journal of Project Management, Vol. 13 No. 3, pp. 109-18.

Walker, O.C,J., and Ruekert, R. W. (1987) Marketing's role in the implementation of business strategies: a critical review and conceptual framework. Journal of

Yelin, K. C. (2005). Linking Strategy and Project Portfolio Management. In Levine, H. A. (eds.) (2005) Project Portfolio Management: A practical guide to selecting

projects, managing portfolios and maximizing benefit, pp. 137-145. USA: Pfeiffer Wiley.

Youker, R. (1999). Managing international development projects: Lessons learned. Project Management Journal, 30(2), 6-7.

Youker, R. (2003). The nature of international development projects. Paper presented at PMI Conference, Baltimore, MD.

7.1 Referred Reports

ActionAid Strategy (2012 - 2017), ?People's Action to End Poverty?. [Accessed on:

ChristianAid (2012), ?Partnership for Change: The Power to End Poverty?. [Accessed on: 5^th August 2014] Available at:

OXFAM Annual Progress Report (2013), ?My Right, My Voice?. [Accessed on: 8^th of August 2014]

OXFAM Strategic Plan (2013 - 2017), ?The Power of People Against Poverty?. [Accessed on: 11^th August 2014] Available at:

7.2 Reports Not Used

Looking back at what I have experienced when writing my dissertation, I have realised that it was very enjoyable with many eye opening moments. Having worked in the Development Sector for two years prior to coming to England for my masters, I already knew that my research topic would be centred on International Development Organisations in Africa and what can be done to improve their project selection processes. My initial idea was to focus on a single case study, the organisation I had been working for in Kenya for two years but this quickly changed after conducting my literature review. I started my research by conducting a literature review on project portfolio management and international development projects in general. The literature review on project portfolio management allowed me to understand what portfolio management was about much more than when it was discussed in the classroom and also introduced me to the three major frameworks associated with project portfolio management and their different processes. The review of literature on international development organisations introduced me to two frameworks I had never heard about before, the Logical Framework Approach (LFA) and the Project Management for Development Professionals (PMD Pro) with the LFA being the blueprint used by development organisations when they design their own programme selection frameworks. Designing my literature review in this manner would later turn out to be beneficial for the remaining sections of my dissertation. My initial plan was to use a single case study but following the advice of my supervisor, I decided to focus on international development organisations in the United Kingdom with the aim of getting information about how they select their programmes and projects then use this information to develop a framework that could be used by development organisations in Africa. However, due to conflicting schedules and the responses I got after contacting the fifteen organisations whose managers I wanted to interview, my supervisor and I agreed that the collection of information would be done in the form of a documentary analysis. I was sceptical at first because I did not believe that I would get enough information from the annual reports and strategic plans of these organisations but to my big surprise, they were really explicit about their project selection processes. Out of the fifteen organisations I had contacted, I decided to focus on five of them which gave a good representation of the sectors in which most development organisations are involved in. cutting down the number of organisations to study, simplified the analysis phase of my dissertation because even though the

information I needed could be found in the different reports and strategic plans, it took a lot of time to collect it and make sense out of it. Going through those different documents helped me find links between what I presented in the literature review on international development organisations and the content of the reports and strategic plans I had reviewed for the analysis section of my dissertation. The Logical Framework approach, the success factors for development projects and the lack of a project management tools specifically designed for development projects were the topics that were mostly discussed. These links allowed me to develop a framework built around my experience in the development sector, the literature on project portfolio management and the findings of my analysis.

The biggest challenge I faced throughout the process of writing this dissertation was time management especially during the term time. It wasn't easy for me to start working on my dissertation as it was outlined in the Gantt chart I had submitted with my proposal, juggling between assignment deadlines, preparing for exams, getting my Ethics Form approved and planning interviews was not easy. One of the things I would differently would be to contact the organisations I wanted to interview In January therefore giving them enough time to schedule the interviews because even though the information I got from the reports was relevant, interviewing project managers would have added more to this research in terms of scope.

Appendix 1 APPLICATION FOR ETHICAL APPROVAL OF A STUDY INVOLVING HUMAN PARTICIPANTS

Relevant ECDA: Science & Technology Health & Human Sciences		OFFICE USE ONLY Protocol Number:

Office Use only Date Received by Clerk:
Expedited Review
Approved by Reviewer 1 (sign & date)	Approved by Reviewer 2 (sign & date)
Further Action: (tick appropriate box and provide details)
Request Further Information	Details:
Refer for Substantive Review
Refer for Full review
Reject
Substantive Review
Approved by Reviewer 1 (sign & date)	Approved by Reviewer 2 (sign & date)
Approved by Reviewer 3 (sign & date)	Approved by Reviewer 4 (sign & date)
Further Action: (tick appropriate box and provide details)
Request Further Information	Details:
Refer for Full review
Reject
Full Review
Request Further Information	Details:

Reject
CONFIRMATION OF APPROVAL [To be completed by the Chairman or Vice-Chairman of the relevant ECDA, or by the Chairman of the University Ethics Committee - (see GN 2.1.4)] I confirm that this application has been approved by or on behalf of the committee named below. Name/Sign Date Name of committee

If you are a member of staff, please obtain the signature of your line manager to indicate their agreement to this application:

Where the participant is a minor or is otherwise unable, for any reason, to give full consent on their own, references here to participants being given an explanation or information, or being asked to give their consent, are to be understood as referring to the person giving consent on their behalf. (See Q 19 above; also GN Pt. 3, and especially 3.6 & 3.7)

I confirm that the proposed study has been appropriately vetted within the School in respect of its aims and methods as a piece of research; that I have discussed this application for Ethics Committee approval with the applicant and approve its submission; and that I accept responsibility for guiding the applicant so as to ensure compliance with the terms of the protocol and with any applicable ethical code(s).

Applicants are advised to read the Guidance Notes before completing this form. Use of this form is mandatory [see UPR RE01, SS 7.1 to 7.3]. Your School may choose to add additional School specific questions in a separate appendix to the Form EC1. Please clarify with your Supervisor whether your School has chosen to append any extra questions.

Approval must be sought and granted before any investigation involving human participants begins [UPR RE01, S 4.4(iii)].

PLEASE NOTE: Where alternative answers are offered, put a cross in the appropriate box.

Where a «write in» answer is requested, begin in the space provided below the question and continue as necessary. All questions must be answered. Please answer in BLACK.

Q1. Please give the title (or provisional title) of the proposed study. (NB - you will be asked for further details later)

Q2. Please answer either Q2.1 or Q2.2 by providing the information requested. Q2.1 should be answered by individual applicants, both staff and students, who require protocol approval for work which they themselves intend to carry out. Q2.2 should be answered by academic staff requiring approval for standard protocols governing classroom practical work (or equivalent work) to be carried out by a specified group of students. (See GN 2.2.1 & 2.2.19)

Please note: Risk Assessment Form EC5 is mandatory for all Class Protocol Applications and must accompany this application.

Number of students conducting the study Programme Tutor (if different from the applicant) E-mail address

Q3. (a) Is it likely that your application will require NHS approval? (See GN 2.2.2)

If your study is likely to require NHS approval or is a Clinical Trial of Investigational Medical Products or Devices, DO NOT complete this form any further and submit it to your relevant ECDA at this stage. All NHS applications must be made on an IRAS form. If your study is a Clinical Trial of Investigational Medical Products or Devices involving one of the above specified categories, you will be contacted by the relevant ECDA with information on the next steps. Please note, you will be issues with a UH Protocol Number but this will not be valid until you have sent your relevant ECDA a copy of your NHS approval.

The aim of my dissertation is to find out how project selection and management principles of Project Portfolio Management can be applied in International Development

Organisation. My study's objective is to compare theory with practice by analysing which techniques are commonly used in the portfolio selection process in International Development Organisations, the impact that the strategic objectives of these organisations have on their selection process and the other factors that have an influence on the selection process. The findings will be compared and contrasted to the project portfolio management theory leading to the development of a framework that can be used by International Development Organisations. The human participants involved in this study

Q4. Please give a short synopsis of your proposed study; stating its aims and highlighting, if appropriate, where these aims relate to the use of human participants. (See GN 2.2.3) Please enter details here.

(c) Please confirm whether this study is considered to be a Clinical Trial of Investigational Medical Products (CTIMP) or Clinical Trial of Investigational Medical Devices. (See GN 2.2.2)

will be the project managers involved in the selection of projects in their respective organisations.

The study will be divided in two parts: the first part will be a review of literature on Project Portfolio selection and management and the second will be a study of the techniques used and other factors that have a direct influence on project selection in UK based International development organisations. The human participants' views will be captured through written and oral interviews (Skype, telephone) and the findings will be summarized and used to develop a project selection framework for International Development Organisations.

If YES, please state the relationship between anyone else who is present other than the applicant and/or participants? (e.g. health professional, parent/guardian)

(b) Will the proposed study be conducted in confidence? If NOT, what steps will be taken to ensure confidentiality of the participants' information. (See GN 2.2.8)

Note: You are advised to read GN 2.2.10, 2.2.11, 2.2.12 & 2.2.13 carefully before you answer the following questions.

(b) Please describe in appropriate detail what you would do should the adverse effects or events which you believe could arise from your study, and which you have mentioned in your replies to the previous questions, occur.

Q12. Will or could the study cause discomfort or distress of a mental or emotional character to participants and/or investigator(s)? (See NG 2.2.11)

I intend to send a questionnaire to different project/programme managers in UK based

Initial contact will be made via email to present the research topic and inquire about the willingness of the project/programme managers to take part in the study. Since I have worked for the Centre for the Development of Entreprise (CDE), I already have credibility and contacts in the International Development community. The second part will be giving an explanation of how their views on the practices they used to select projects will be gathered through the written interview and if possible a telephone or Skype interview. Information on the confidentiality of the study will also be given to the participants.

Q17. By completing this form, you are indicating that you are reasonably sure that you will be successful in obtaining the number of participants which you hope/intend to recruit. Please outline here how you intend to recruit them. (See GN 2.2.14)

My target is10 to 12 participants but I will attempt to contact about twice this number.

If NO, please explain why it is considered unnecessary or impossible or otherwise inappropriate to seek informed consent.

If YES, please attach a copy of the Consent Form to be used (See Form EC3 & EC4 for reference and GN 3.2), or describe here how consent is to be obtained and recorded. The information you give must be sufficient to enable the Committee to understand exactly what it is that prospective participants are being asked to agree to.

The data will be stored on my password protected laptop during the project until the dissertation has been marked, moderated and the final assessment verified by the University.

Name, occupation, contact details and employer's name. The information will be stored in my password protected laptop and encrypted on my personal storage devices.

If YES, please give here an indication of the kind of further use that is intended (or which may be possible).

If a satisfactory CRB Disclosure is required, a copy of this must be attached to Appendix 2 in order for reviewers to be able to consider your application.

Q22. If your study involves work with children and/or vulnerable adults you will require a satisfactory Enhanced Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure. (See GN 2.2.17) Please indicate as appropriate:

If NO, will the data be kept for a set period and then destroyed under secure conditions?

Q23. (a) Are you receiving any financial or other reward connected with this study? (See UPR RE01, 2.3)

(b) Are participants going to receive any financial or other reward connected with the study?

(c) Will anybody else (including any other members of the investigative team) receive any financial or other reward connected with this study?

This section is to be completed if your answer to Q10 affirms the USE OF INVASIVE PROCEDURES in your study.

Note: You are advised to read GN 2.2.10, 2.2.11, 2.2.12, 2.2.13 & 2.2.18 carefully before you answer the following questions.

The aim of my dissertation is to find out how the Project Selection and Management principles of Project Portfolio Management can be applied in International Development Organisation. I am interested in the selection of projects and their management in International Development Organisations because of the two years I spent working in a Private Sector Development Organization in East Africa. Project Selection was one our biggest challenge because of the strategic objective of the organisation which was to develop the private sector in East Africa by making local private companies more competitive regionally and also making it possible for them to access new markets. The only way through which we could make it possible for these companies to benefit from our support (both technical and financial) was through the implementation of projects. The projects were proposed by the local companies and our job was to select the right projects for our portfolios. Using a Balanced Scorecard method, we were able to rank and prioritise projects and decide how our budget will be spread amongst them. This method however, did not guarantee that the projects would be completed within the agreed cost, scope and time and that the projects deliverables were still in line with our strategic objectives. This led me to conclude that something must have been wrong with our selection process and the way we monitored the progress of our projects once they were given the green light. Different studies demonstrate that many organizations have been trying to implement projects that support or are closely tied to their goals and strategy (Meredith & Mantel, 2010; Gardiner, 2005) and it has also been proven that projects under implementation in most cases have little or no apparent link to the Organisation's strategy and goals (Englund & Graham, 1999). These observations make my research relevant in that I am trying to come up with a way of implementing the principles of project selection and management embedded in Project Portfolio Management in International Development Organizations to ensure that the right projects are selected and that they are managed the right way.

Project Portfolio Management is the management of project pipeline so as to make project contribute to the overall organisation success by bridging the gap between

operations management and project management (Levine, 2005). LaBrosse (2010) argues that Project Portfolio Management is a way for organizations to analyse and manage in a coordinated way a group projects to reap benefits not available if they were managed individually with the goal of finding the best mix and timing of current projects to achieve the organization's overall goals. My intention is to focus on two main aspects of Portfolio Management: the selection of projects and the monitoring and control of projects. I will aim to find out what is being proposed by different authors and practitioners in the Project Portfolio Management field about the selection of projects and the alignment of the project selection process with strategic objectives and how it can be used to control the progress of projects while at the same time making sure that criteria tested during the selection process are still viable throughout the implementation phase. My research will look at how the principles of Project Portfolio Management can be applied by International Development Organizations to ensure that the right projects are selected and to facilitate proper project progress monitoring and control.

- to understand how project portfolio selections can applied within an organisation

Using an interpretive philosophical perspective, I will review the literature on Project Portfolio Management to understand how it can be applied in an organization and the benefits it presents. I will also review the literature on International development projects to understand their nature, what makes them different from other types of projects and their critical success factors. Fifteen UK-based Development organisations will be contacted for this research with the aim of understanding how the way they select programmes and projects for their portfolios. The data will be collected in the form of written questionnaires that will be sent to the project managers and members of the project selection committees of the selected

organisations. Using multiple case studies will help me compare and contrast the project selection process of these organisations and also spot any differences between project selection theory and practice if they exist.

The first milestone of my Dissertation is the submission of the Draft Proposal and the First Information Form on the 3^rd of February 2014. Following the submission of the Draft and FIF, the final research design will be submitted on the 28^th of February 2014. I have allocated myself 21 days to conduct a thorough review of literature on Project Portfolio Management from the 3^rd of March to the 31^st of March 2014 to come up with a Draft literature review. Twenty days have also been allocated for the analysis of secondary data on Project Selection in International Development Organisations and to get a feedback on the written interview that will be sent to the selected International Development Organisations from 1^st of April to the 30^th of April 2014. The dissertation draft preparation will take forty four days giving me enough time to put together the information collected under the supervision of my assigned research supervisor from the 1^st of May to the 1^st of July 2014. The submission of the first dissertation draft will be done during the month of August 2014 leading to the submission of the Final Dissertation on the 23^rd of September.

Activities	Januar y	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September
Preparation of FIF
Submission of FIF and Research Proposal
Submission of Draft Research Design
Review of Literature & Preparation of Draft
Analysis of Primary Data
Dissertation Draft Preparation
Submission of Final Dissertation Draft
Review of work
Submission of Dissertation

Literature on International Development Organisations is limited with many authors on focussing on the skills and attribute of project managers in the development sector and not the programme selection process which might lead to having the same authors cited repeatedly throughout the dissertation. Not getting enough responses from the organisations selected might have an impact on the whole research because the aim of the research is to compare and contrast the project selection processes of these organisations then propose a framework that they can apply when selecting programmes and projects.

Englund, R. L. & Graham, R. J. (1999). From Experience: Linking Projects to Strategy.. Journal of Production and Innovation Management. 16 (1), 52-64. Gardiner, P. D. (2005). Project Management: A Strategic Planning Approach. UK: Palgrave Macmillan. p81

LaBrosse, Michelle. (2010). Project-portfolio management. Employment relations today 37.2 : p75-79.

Meredith, Jack R. and Mantel, Samuel J. (2010). Project Management: A Managerial Approach. 7th ed. Asia: John Wiley & Sons. p37-106.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. and Thornhill, A. (2012) Research methods for business students 6^th edn. Pearson

Activities	Januar y	February	March	April	May	June	July	August	September
Preparation of FIF
Submission of FIF and Research Proposal
Submission of Draft Research Design
Completion of Chapter 1
Review of Literature & Preparation of Draft
Drafting the Methodology
Drafting the Finding and Analysis Section
Submission of Final Dissertation Draft

The actual timeline I followed differs from the one I had planned when submitting my proposal because of two main reasons:

These changes in schedule had an impact on the Literature Review, Methodology and the Findings and Analysis section of the dissertation in terms of completion time and draft preparation. The change of scope was initiated in the month of April when the project managers contacted for the interviews, due to conflicting schedules, redirected me to the different Annual Reports and Strategic Plans. The impact of this change is that I now had to find these documents and read them to find out if they contained the information I required. The month of May was split between preparing for Semester B's final exams and working on the Literature Review for which I produced a draft on the 23^rd of May. In the month of June, I started to work on the Methodology section and I also started to extract the information I needed from the different reports in order to compare the sampled organisations. The draft was completed on the 22^nd of June and was refined throughout the month of July. I started to work on my Findings in that same month and by mid-August, I had already produced a draft of the Findings and Analysis Section which was later on refined in early September.