Strategy Analysis – Logical Framework

Abstract

Project development and management often smacks of a narrow project perspective in which overriding evaluation is of lesser interest. These matters are discussed in Chapter 2. In contrast, the whole perspective has long been in focus in the planning and implementation of international development projects funded by industrialized countries. This probably is because decision makers feel that the uncertainty associated with development projects is considerable, particularly so for contextual uncertainty. Hence, an overview over the principal uncertainty components is essential as early as possible in planning. Consequently the United Nations, the OECD and the European Commission recommend that the so-called Logical Framework method be used in project concept appraisals (Samset 1999). Gradually many other actors in industrialized countries have adopted it. For example, Canadian authorities have adopted the method as a standard in public investment projects. It is used to develop and evaluate alternative project strategies and to analyze the uncertainty associated with projects.

The strategy analysis described in this chapter applies a simple analytical framework to give an overall presentation of project strategy and the key uncertainty factors that might influence its realization. Strategy analysis aims in part to elicit an overriding perspective for a project and in part to test the realism of the concept using intuitive probability assessment.