ACTIVITY SCHEDULE
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After the logframe matrix has been completed, further planning can take place to add
operational detail to the plan. An activity schedule is a method of presenting the activities
of a project that identifies their logical sequence and any dependencies that exist between
activities. It is also used as a means of identifying who will be responsible for implementing
an activity. The most commonly used presentation tool is the Gantt chart, but Critical Path
Analysis is also sometimes used.
Once the logframe itself is complete, it is then possible to copy the activities from the left
hand column into an activity-scheduling format. This is most easily done if the matrix has
been prepared on a computer spreadsheet.
The steps involved in activity schedule preparation are:
1. List the main activities and assign to results
2. Break the main activities down into sub-activities and manageable tasks
3. Clarify the sequence and dependencies of the activities and tasks
4. Estimate the start-up, duration and completion of each activity and task
5. Identify process indicators or milestones by which you can measure project
performance
6. Define the expertise required to undertake the activities and tasks
7. Allocate tasks among the project team
1. List Main Activities and assign to results
The main activities are a summary of what the project must do in order to achieve project
objectives. While preparing the list, planners should always be aware of the following:
• available human, physical and financial resources
• how each activity will lead towards achievement of project outcomes, and the
assumptions which underpin this
• the risks and uncertainties that could affect implementation of activities
• the time-frame of the project
2. Break the main activities down into sub-activities and manageable tasks
The purpose of breaking activities down into sub-activities or tasks is to make them
sufficiently simple to be organised and managed easily. The technique is to break an
activity down into its component sub-activities, and then to take each sub-activity and
break it down into its component tasks. Each task can then be assigned to an individual,
and becomes their short-term goal. An example is shown in the figure below:
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Handout developed using Objective-oriented project design & management handbook prepared by ITAD within the
framework of the Tempus programme and Project Cycle Management Guidelines, European Commission.
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