unveiling the difference between Plan and Project

Difference between plan and project:

unveiling the difference between Plan and Project

A plan is a detail of any task, i.e. it decides how to do something in the future. However, project is its short form i.e. it is designed keeping in mind the time, cost and quality to achieve the specified goal. A project is a limited activity while the scope of the plan is vast.

 

After the goals are achieved or the circumstances change, the plan can be revised i.e. it is found to be sufficiently refined, but this is not the case in the project, the project is for short-term goals and Time, cost, quality are all fixed in it, even potential risks are taken into consideration and steps are taken to avoid them.

 

1:- Procedure for planning the plan:

 

i-Broad Objectives and Targets Setting:

 

 The first stage of planning is broad objectives and targets, social and economic targets that are set indicate the in which direction the economy is being planned to turn around. The objectives of a plan may include increase in per capita income, full employment, increase in national income etc. The plan identifies broad goals and objectives and clarifies common physical goals for various sectors of the economy.

   




ii-Survey of Current Economic Conditions:

 

The next step is to assess the current situation in the context of the plan. This survey shows that

which sectors need more attention for the overall growth of the economy?

 

iii-Strategy:

 

With the help of setting the objectives and surveying the current situation, a strategy is formulated by which determined goals can be achieved easily and successfully strategy refers to the specific method or methods of achieving the goals. It also points out some important points that if they are not given full attention it turns out to be a failure.

 

iv-Determination of Plan Size:

 

Once the strategy has been formulated in the context of the defined broad objectives, the next step comes to define the plan to determine how much capital will be spent to implement the defined plan. For this purpose planners use the rate of capital and output, the rate of increase in national income determines the capital required for.

 

v-Financing of Plan- Public and Private sector:

 

After determining the total volume of the plan, the next step is to find a way to acquire capital to implement the plan with the help of private and public sources. The division in the total private and public capital suggest that how much attention will be given to a sector to implement the plan?

 

vi- Sectoral Programs:

 

Setting broad physical targets for major sectors of the economy provides guidance on detailed programs for each sector. Thus a detailed program is drawn up according to the priorities of the plan. For the plan to be viable, it is important to keep a balance between its various parts. There should be complete harmony and  between them. Moreover, there should be balance between the available resources and the outcomes.

 

vii-Mobilization of Resources:

 

The success of any plan depends on the efficient utilization of resources whether these resources are material or human. They should be motivated to achieve the goals of the project.

   




viii- Plan Execution:

 

Finally comes the plan implementation phase, the resources and means are utilized under the defined strategy to achieve the defined goals. Thus, such activities are carried out which are pointed out in the plan. At government level this work is done by different departments or agencies.

 

2:- Process of Project Planning:

unveiling the difference between Plan and Project

The basic and most important objective of development planning is to ensure judicious use of available resources to raise the standard of living of the common man. This goal can be achieved only when the project is prepared with utmost care. This prevents wastage of resources and completes the project on schedule. Therefore, there is a need to be very careful while preparing the project and the viability of the project should be evaluated from various aspects i.e. financial, economic, social, technical, commercial and administrative aspects. It should be noted that there is no major obstacle that will cause the project to fail.

 

The project developer should consider the following points:

 

* Are alternative measures suggested in case of various difficulties?

 

* Is it not a waste of resources?

 

* Is it economically, technically, commercially, and organizationally sound?

 

* Is there room for change according to the circumstances at the time of implementation of the project?

 

PROJECT PLANNING PROCESS:

unveiling the difference between Plan and Project

Below are some of the project features that are essential for the success of the project.

 

i:- Introduction:

 

While planning the project, first of all there should be an introductory note about the project which at first sight will show the importance, nature and scope of the project and what role it can play in the educational sector of the development plan. It is possible that some projects similar to this have been started in the past, so while presenting a new project, the shortcomings of the old project and the precautions taken in the new project to solve them should be clarified.

 

ii:- Background:

 

To clarify the background of the project, it is necessary to briefly refer to the government policies and plans related to the education sector. It also makes it clear that the project can prove suitable for achieving the goals in the above sector. It is sometimes the case that a pilot project is created before starting a project, so it is necessary to give a detail about it.

 

iii:- The Project Area:

 

The area in which the project is to be implemented must be thoroughly reviewed and its suitability should also be assessed. Technical and other types of data can be collected by conducting surveys for this purpose.

 

The following points should also be taken into consideration for selecting the project area.

 

 




(1) Physical resources:

 

Physical resources are of the greatest importance from the land use point of view. In this regard, geographical research of the area should be done. For example, if the project is related to agriculture, soil fertility and water supply should be evaluated separately.

 

(2) Population and Employment:

 

Population assessment is important because it shows the type and number of people who will benefit from the project. In this review there should be a  focus on age and population density. Also, population distribution and migration trends in rural and urban areas are also analysed.

 

(3) Area infrastructure:

unveiling the difference between Plan and Project

The provision of transport and communication facilities is indispensable according to the nature of the project, so it is necessary to review the infrastructure of the area to facilitate the implementation of the project.

 

(4) Institutions:

 

Aid institutions play an important role in the successful completion of the project, hence the evaluation of  these agencies is also very important.

 

iv:- Objective and Phasing of the Project:

 

Project objectives should be defined in specific terms. While the practical work required to implement it should also be clearly defined with detailed steps and duration. In this way the various activities of the project are carried out in a logical order.

 

 



 v:- Choice of Location, Production, Process and Size:

 

Factors such as location, production process and volume need to be thoroughly evaluated at the project formulation stage. No matter how high quality a project is built, if its location is not suitable, it cannot be successful. Therefore, choosing the most suitable location for the project is very important. The choice of production process is mostly made on technical grounds. However, natural conditions and other factors also have a significant impact on the productivity process, while project sizing is based on future needs.

 

vi:- Project's Major work and other components:

 

In order to give a clear shape to the project, it is necessary to identify the important issues and components involved in it with utmost accuracy.

 

These issues and activities can be classified as follows.

 

(1) Major Works are based on preliminary surveys and investigations. All the big tasks should be fully defined.

 

(2) Ancillary Works and Buildings include staff houses, construction of tanks for supply of clean water etc. as these works are associated with certain major projects that's why they are called side issues.

 

 (3) Third is supply of goods. A project requires equipment such as machinery, vehicles and other equipment etc. therefore there is a need to point out all necessary equipment in advance.

 

 vii -Phasing of Works and Activities:

 

The duration of the project extends over a long period of time. Therefore, it is more beneficial to divide the project into different phases. Usually these stages are structured in terms of financial years, in large projects that require borrowing, it becomes more important to set stages for the execution of various activities so that the loans can be paid on time.  In order to successfully complete the project, it is necessary to have foresight to understand the problems that arise in advance.

With this the project can be made closer to reality at formative phase.

 

viii:- Project Costs:

 

Project costs or expenses can be defined as follows.

 

(1) Capital Costs:

 

It refers to the costs incurred on all physical assets. Among them, the main issues, ancillary issues, equipment and other related expenses are all included.

 

(2) Recurrent Costs:

 

Expenditures on goods and services that are required to continue the project are called Recurrent Costs, including salaries and allowances of project staff. It also includes items required to run the business like cost of fuel and electricity, etc.

 

(3) Local and Foreign Currency Costs:

 

In some cases, the total cost of a project is Capital Costs or Recurring Costs in the form of foreign currency. To bring transparency in the project, it is necessary to separate the payments made in domestic and foreign currency be clarified separately.

 

(4) Phasing of Costs:

 

The total cost of capital and recurring costs can be paid on a phased annual basis. All of this phasing depends on the schedule of major construction work and the annual progress rate of the project. Cost-wise phasing project preparation is the most important aspect as it indicates the annual financial needs.

 

ix- Financing of the Project:

   




Various sources can be used for project financing,

 

1:- Government sources

 

i:- Grant.

 

ii:- Debt.

 

iii: - Capitalization.

 

iv:- Direct government expenditure.

 

v:- Private investment.

 

vi:- Non-government loans.

 

vii:- Local Government Services.

 

viii - Other sources.

 

x:- Organization and Management:

 

For this purpose, the deployment of expert, experienced and non-experienced persons is carried out by analyzing the requirements regarding the implementation of the project and its sub-issues, therefore regarding the availability of manpower along with the project is also becomes necessary to be reviewed. With this the successful execution of the project with regard to the selection of manpower is identified.

 

 

Post a Comment

0 Comments