To maximize the benefits of projects

The implementation of a project has been carried out based on careful research followed by a series of discussions with stakeholders. However, one may encounter problems that one has never expected, or in reverse achieve unexpected results.

The person in charge of the project has a duty to notice these small signs and work to maximize the effects of the project in order to improve the project site.

“Monitoring” is important for this purpose. Monitoring or observing literally means to supervise a project objectively when it is being carried out. By improving or modifying the activities appropriately based on the results from monitoring the project, better results could be achieved.

On 5 July 2017, JEN held a training course based on the Project Cycle Management (PCM) method in Fukuoka. This training was held following a “Planning” course that was conducted this April. The 15 people who participated in this training were people working for JEN’s partner organizations and relevant persons focusing on single-parent household support and community building by students and young women in Tohoku.

[Listening to the comments from another group on the common problems]



Instructor Miyoshi Takahiro (representative of PMC Tokyo) emphasized that the indicator that measures success or failure of the project must be specific. Also, he remarked that it is essential that the method should not place excessive burden to the project itself or its participants.

[Mr. Miyoshi giving advice to each partner organization]



Moreover, it is important to ensure that the project is logically planned; otherwise the monitoring indicator chosen will be irrelevant.

Participants from JEN’s partner organizations are already carrying out project planning properly, working on monitoring and gaining positive results in their projects, but they were able to refine their processes through this training course by putting their experience to the framework of PCM.

The participants commented,

“I think monitoring is important because there are many stakeholders in the project.”
“I could organize my thoughts better than before. I want to use this immediately for the improvement of my project.”

JEN will continue to work with our partner organizations to support projects that have greater impacts.