6
Activities & methodology
How to describe "what we do" and "why this way" without fluff.
4 quiz questions
The difference between activities and methodology
Activities are what you do. Methodology is why you do it that way, what your approach rests on. Many applications confuse these and list events without explaining the choice.
How to describe an activity
•Action verb + specific audience + number + format. "Hold 10 two-hour offline workshops for groups of 15-20 young IDPs in 3 communities".
•Link to output/outcome: "...this leads to Output 2.1: 150 participants completed the program".
•Time placement: "Months 2-5 of the project".
Methodology: why this way
Methodology explains the theory, model, or evidence-based practice your approach rests on. It shows you are not inventing things on the fly but draw on sector experience.
What to include
•Approach or model: action-learning, peer-to-peer, case-method, community-based, participatory action research.
•Why this approach: references to research, prior projects, sector recommendations.
•Adaptation to context: how your approach addresses the specifics of your audience and area.
•Ethical principles: do no harm, informed consent, personal data protection.
Workplan and timeline
A workplan (Gantt chart) is the visual representation of activities over time. Standard for applications above $10k is a monthly or quarterly breakdown.
•Columns: months/quarters of the project.
•Rows: activities grouped by objectives/outputs.
•Shaded cells show implementation periods.
•Highlight milestones (control points): mid-term review, public events, reports.
A workplan that shows "everything during the whole period" signals the author didn't think about sequencing. Real projects have phases: preparation → implementation → monitoring → closure.