When you design a project, the starting point is the Logical Framework window. Once you have identified your project's logic, how the working environment may influence your project (risks, assumptions, dependencies) and how you will keep track of your project, you can start detailing your planning and budget.
The Logical Framework window, the Planning window and the Budget window have a similar set-up: the main window contains the logframe, planning or budget. If you press <Ctrl><D> (or use the Show Details button in the Lay-out toolbar) you will get the Details pane in the bottom part of the window.
If you want to create an IATI organisation file (by setting the view mode to IATI organisation), you will see an additional Expenses window. This works entirely the same as the Budget window.
The main window contains the grid of the logframe, planning or budget. In this grid you can:
In this section you will learn how to work with the logframe, planning and budget and how to modify their appearance. For more control over colours and typefaces of titles etc. see the topic about the Logframer settings.
To design the logical framework of your project, select the Logframe tab.
The Logical Framework window allows you to design the logframe of course, but using the Details pane you can also add additional information. This in turn will allow you to design specific tools:
Main window |
Details pane |
Tools |
Goals |
Project information (1) |
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List of partners (1) |
List of partner organisations for project documentation |
Purposes |
Target groups (1) |
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Outputs |
Key Moments (2) |
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Processes, activities & sub-activities |
Preparation and follow-up periods (2) |
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Repeating activities (2) |
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Indicators and sub-indicators |
17 different types of indicators |
Monitoring tool in Excel |
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Targets and scores |
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Statements and responses |
Questionnaires / indicator lists |
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Value ranges |
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Verification sources |
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Included in Performance Measurement Framework |
Risks, assumptions and dependencies |
Detailed information according to RAID typology |
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Resources |
References to specific budget items and % used for that particular resource |
(1) You can also do this in the Project Information window
(2) You can also do this in the Planning window. In the Details pane of the logframe you can modify dates, durations and so on, but in the Planning window you have drag-and-drop functionality
The logical framework allows you to design the structure of your project, containing the following logframe items:
Logframe items are linked to each other in two ways:
When you move items around, Logframer will make sure the vertical and horizontal logic remains intact. This means for instance that when you drag output 2 before output 1, that in the bottom section the activities of output 2 will also be placed before the activities of output 1.
When you move an indicator that has several verification sources and you only select the indicator itself, the verification sources will remain in place and you will see a place-holder text.
To add an item, simply click in an empty box and start to type. At the bottom of each section in each column you will always find an empty text box. If these empty boxes are not visible, select the Lay-out toolbar and click on the Show empty cells button in the View section.
You can edit the text like you would in any word processor using the Text toolbar. You can change the typeface or size, make text bold, underlined, etc. and align the text to the left, right or centre.
If you want to change the appearance of all text in the logframe, or all the text in the Indicators column for instance, use the text selection options to select multiple cells and then modify the text to your liking.
You can move a single item or a group of items from one section to the other or from one column to the other, or simply change the order that the items are displayed.
To select a single item, click on it with the left mouse button. To select more than one item, press the left mouse button and drag. The red selection rectangle will expand to include other cells, but you can only select cells within a single section.
To move items, press the right mouse button within your selection (red selection rectangle) and drag it to the place where you want to insert the items. A green indicator line will appear and show the current location. When you come close to the top or bottom border of the logframe, it will scroll up or down. Release the right mouse button to insert the items you selected.
Another way to move items is to use the Move Up and Move Down buttons in the Items toolbar. You can also move the item one section up or down (for instance from the activities to the outputs section).
You can cut, copy and paste items in three different ways. First select the items you want to cut or copy (see ‘Moving items around’).
Using the Lay-out toolbar, you can hide columns and sections; hide everything but your project's main purpose(s); switch between viewing the process indicators or the resources; and show or hide the Details pane.
This enables you to make custom versions of the logframe, which you can then print or export to MS Word or MS Excel. It also allows you to hide the columns or sections that you are not working, making it easier to focus.
The Lay-out toolbar has the following ribbon panels and buttons:
You can print the logical framework, export it to MS Word or to MS Excel. When you print or export the logframe, you can customise its appearance:
This way you can easily produce different versions of the logframe for your funding applications, for training purposes, for communication purposes, for project management, etc.
To design the planning of your project, select the Planning tab.
The Planning window allows you to plan the project's key moments, processes and activities. Using the Details pane you can also specify additional information. This in turn will allow you to design specific tools:
Main window |
Details pane |
Tools |
Key moments |
Relation of key moment to other key moments or activities (1) |
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Processes |
Who organises and where (1) |
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Child activities (1) |
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Activities & sub-activities |
Relation of activity to other key moments or activities (1) |
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Duration of activity (1) |
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Who organises and where (1) |
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Preparation and follow-up periods (1) |
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Repeating activities (1) |
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(1) You can also do this in the Logframe window. In the Details pane of the logframe you can modify dates, durations and so on, but in the Planning window you have drag-and-drop functionality.
The planning window allows you to plan the different activities and key moments (milestones) of your project. It contains the following items:
Activities, processes and key moments are grouped per output of your logical framework. Key moments are always ordered by date.
Planning items are linked to each other in two ways:
When you move items around, Logframer will make sure the vertical logic remains intact. This means for instance that when you drag output 2 before output 1, that the key moments and activities of output 2 will also be placed before those of output 1.
For each output, there are two sections in the main planning window. Directly below the output you can enter key moments in the blue section. If this blue section is not visible, go to the Lay-out toolbar and in the Items section click on the Key moments button.
Below the blue key items section in the planning is the activities section (in white). To add an activity, simply start typing in an empty cell. If the white activities section is not visible, go to the Lay-out toolbar and in the Items section click on the Activities button.
You can edit the text of the activities and processes like you would in any word processor using the Text ribbon tab. You can change the typeface or size, make text bold, underlined... and align the text to the left, right or centre.
You can't change the typeface etc. of the key moments.
You can move a key moment to another output. But you can't change the order of the key moments of a certain output because they are ordered according to date.
You can change the order of the activities of an output and drag activities from one output to the other.
To select a single item, click on it with the left mouse button. To select more than one item, press the left mouse button and drag. The red selection rectangle will expand to include other cells, but you can only select cells within a single section.
To move items, press the right mouse button within your selection (red selection rectangle) and drag it to the place where you want to insert the items. A green indicator line will appear and show the current location. When you come close to the top or bottom border of the logframe, it will scroll up or down. Release the right mouse button to insert the items you selected.
Another way to move items is to use the Move Up and Move Down buttons in the Lay-out ribbon tab (only enabled for activities, not for key moments). You can also move the item one section up or down (from one output to the other).
You can cut, copy and paste items in three different ways. First select the items you want to copy paste (see ‘Moving items around’).
You can use the Details pane to specify the date of a key moment or the start date and duration of an activity. However you can also change this by dragging the activity/key moment around in the main window.
Key moments:
Activities:
Using the Lay-out toolbar, you can hide certain columns; hide or show key moments and/or activities; select the level of detail of the Gantt chart; hide or show links between key moments and activities; and show or hide the Details pane.
The Lay-out toolbar has the following ribbon panels and buttons:
To design the planning of your project, select the Budget tab.
If you want to create an IATI organisation file (by setting the view mode to IATI organisation), you will see an additional Expenses window. This works entirely the same as the Budget window.
The Budget window allows you to identify budget headers that group individual budget items (or sub-headers). A budget can be set up as a single-page budget or as a multi-year budget. In the Budget window, the Details pane has a limited role. You can use it if you want to create a budget item that represents a percentage (ratio) of another item (or total).
A budget has:
You don't have to fill out all the cells for a budget item. You can:
Enter |
Total cost is |
Cost/unit only |
Cost/unit |
Quantity and a cost per unit |
Quantity x Cost per unit |
Duration and a cost per unit |
Duration x Cost per unit |
Duration, quantity and cost per unit |
Duration x Quantity x Cost per unit |
A special kind of budget item is the Ratio budget item. With a Ratio item, you can specify that one cost equals to a certain percentage (ratio) of another item or budget header. To create a ratio item:
A ratio item is practical if you have for instance administration costs that are a fixed percentage of the total working costs, or if you want to calculate an amount for contingencies as a percentage of other costs.
To select a single budget item, click on it with the left mouse button. To select more than one item, press the left mouse button and drag. The red selection rectangle will expand to include other cells, but you can only select cells within a single section.
To move items, press the right mouse button within your selection (red selection rectangle) and drag it to the place where you want to insert the items. A green indicator line will appear and show the current location. When you come close to the top or bottom border of the logframe, it will scroll up or down. Release the right mouse button to insert the items you selected.
Another way to move items is to use the Move Up and Move Down buttons in the Lay-out ribbon tab.
You can cut, copy and paste items in three different ways. First select the items you want to copy paste (see ‘Moving items around’).
Using the Lay-out toolbar, you can hide certain columns; view the Exchange rates pane; show or hide the Details pane; switch between simple/multi-year budgets and use one of the pre-defined budget templates.
The Lay-out toolbar has the following ribbon panels and buttons:
You can change the language of the user interface, but what if you use the same project documentation in different countries with different languages?
You can translate the content of the logframe, the planning, the budget and text fields such as the title of your project. If text can be translated, you will see that the Translate button in the Text toolbar or the Items toolbar is enabled.
When you press the Translate button, you will see the following pop-up dialogue:
Here you can add as many translations as you want. Select the language in the first column and then the translated text in the second column.
When you return to your main window you will see the English text (if you use the English interface). If your colleague in Mali uses the French interface, he or she will see the French text.