 talent; promoting discussion; building communication and negotiation skills; raising awareness; challenging attitudes; influencing behavior…) Impact on the epidemic on a social level (for example, furthering the development of an enabling social environment and climates of acceptance; combating taboos; generating support for young people‘s right to be informed and involved; creating media interest in HIV/AIDS and a favorable context for advocacy….) Capacity building of partner organizations (making available top-quality educational resources and providing training in their use; building skills through collaboration; promoting sustainable cooperation, teamwork and synergies; providing an opportunity for in-depth needs assessment and operational research….) It is essential for replicators to study and discuss in detail the ideas presented in full in the Objectives and outputs section of each chapter in the planning process. The suggestions contained in that section should also guide replicators as they establish their strategy for monitoring and evaluation. We would suggest that the planning team complement the list of potential objectives and outputs set out in those passages of the Guide with other objectives and outputs specific to their own context. They can then determine which of them will be elevated to the level of formal, measurable objectives (subject to systematic monitoring and evaluation), and which will simply be pursued as non-measured, auxiliary goals and spin-offs. 25 Scenarios from the Sahel Introduction 3. Methodologies: Detailed discussion of suggested methodologies This section of each chapter contains detailed information on specific methodological successes and failures of Scenarios from the Sahel. We do our best to point out potential dangers and help replicators to steer clear of pitfalls through prudent planning and preventive action. This section also focuses on positive lessons learned from the Scenarios from the Sahel process and aims to facilitate the replication of specific methodologies that have worked well in the course of this project. We are in a position to share with replicators a great many relevant insights gleaned from watching our Malian, Burkinabè and Senegalese partners in action. In addition to providing information on methodologies that have been employed in the course of Scenarios from the Sahel, this section includes ideas about methodologies that we have not used but that now appear to us (with hindsight) to be options worth considering. Synergy development as a central tenet of Scenarios: The Methodologies section in each chapter has one overriding focus: the identification, mobilization and coordination of a multidisciplinary team of project partners and the perpetuation of their involvement in the project and with one another in the context of other activities. The potential of Scenarios-type projects for the generation of partnerships and synergies across professional and geographic boundaries is another phenomenon that we failed to understand clearly at the outset of Scenarios from the Sahel. By placing special emphasis on it here, we hope to ensure that replicators are able to take full advantage of the project's potential in this area. Again, it has been primarily through feedback from colleagues around the world that we have come to understand that the most significant aspect of 26 Scenarios from the Sahel Introduction the project is its ability to build bridges between people and institutions. Scenarios-type projects can facilitate the establishment of lasting dialogue, the enhancement of mutual understanding, and the forging of concrete links of collaboration that span geographic, disciplinary and generational divides. In this capacity, Scenarios is not a project, but rather a process that enriches other ongoing processes that contribute or could contribute to efforts to stop the spread of HIV and improve the well-being of those touched by the virus. 4. Monitoring/evaluation: The choice of objectives to be pursued and to be monitored and evaluated will vary widely from one project to another. Consequently, we have opted to provide evaluators with as many general tips and ideas as possible, rather than entering into detail on specific monitoring and evaluative strategies or techniques. It is of course essential to develop your evaluation strategy for all project phases in detail at the planning stage. 27 Scenarios from the Sahel Chapter 1: Initial Planning/Preparation CHAPTER 1 INITIAL PLANNING / PREPARATION 2. Brief Overview of this Chapter 3. Potential objectives and outputs of this phase 4. Scenarios planning / preparation methodologies a) The coordinating structure b) Basic conceptualization of the project c) Selection of core project advisors d) Detailed project planning: some useful concepts e) Detailed project planning: team-building in the spotlight f) Costing g) Fundraising: a few ideas 5. Monitoring/Evaluation 28 Scenarios from the Sahel Chapter 1: Initial Planning/Preparation CHAPTER 1 INITIAL PLANNING / PREPARATION 1. Brief overview of this chapter The initial planning and preparation phase of Scenarios from the Sahel was an exhilarating, fascinating experience. Our reflections on the many intersecting components of the project and our dialogues with a wide range of people from highly diverse disciplines deepened and enriched our perspectives on how together we could rise to the abundant challenges posed by the epidemic. We gained a more expansive, more accurate sense of the many powerful human resources available and willing to help stop the spread of the virus and improve the lives of those affected by HIV/AIDS. It all led to the generation of great energy and an atmosphere of optimism about our abilities to make a real difference if we all worked together, pooling our energy, technical prowess and creative talents. It is our conviction that extensive dialogue with people from a wide range of different relevant fields is the starting point and a cornerstone of successful planning. This chapter, like the Replication Guide in general, places particular emphasis on two things. First of all, it highlights the fact that a Scenarios-type project is capable of producing many more, highly varied outputs and achieving a far greater number of objectives than one would imagine at first glance. Secondly, it underscores the potential of Scenarios to foster partnerships and synergies among individuals and their organizations – a process that can and must outpace the progression of the epidemic itself. These potential objectives and outputs are the subject of the second section of the chapter. As replication will surely take on very diverse forms and be carried out on a variety of scales in settings that have little to do with one another, this 29 Scenarios from the Sahel Chapter 1: Initial Planning/Preparation chapter is made up of ideas and general guidelines rather than any kind of detailed planning blueprint or step-by-step recipe. The methodologies section is devoted to a series of tasks most Scenarios-style projects are likely to face: deciding on a coordinating structure; conceptualizing the project (where will it take place? on what scale? what will be the target group for the contest? etc.); selecting a team of core advisors; detailed planning (an opportunity for team building); costing; and fundraising. Particular emphasis has been placed on specific topics (i.e., selecting a coordinating structure and fundraising) in direct response to requests by colleagues who are currently pursuing replication. The final section of this chapter provides some suggestions on the monitoring and evaluation of this stage. The planning stage is the bedrock of the entire project. A project is likely to succeed or fail based on the strengths or shortcomings of this stage. In the preparation of your project, this chapter is intended to complement a close reading of subsequent chapters. It is no substitute for it. 2. Potential objectives and outputs of this phase Obvious priorities for the planning stage include ensuring that clear objectives have been set, that an effective monitoring and evaluation strategy is in place, that each project phase has been thoroughly planned and budgeted, and finally that funding is secured. Yet it is possible to formulate and pursue a number of additional objectives for this stage. The following are just a few examples. Remember that mention of objectives such as these in your fundraising document could help a prospective funder to get a clear sense of the sheer breadth of what can be achieved through the project. 30 Scenarios from the Sahel Chapter 1: Initial Planning/Preparation Objective: Enhance the project partners' abilities to plan projects effectively. Project partners can learn a great deal from one another about relevant methodologies in the course of a detailed planning process carried out in collaborative fashion. Because planning is a multi-dimensional activity, everyone has something to contribute and this helps build a sense of ownership in the project. Objective: Improve project partners' understanding of the epidemic and its consequences in the project zone. The entire team, however experienced in HIV/AIDS prevention, has something to learn about the epidemic and its consequences from the project. Scenarios from the Sahel, has been an ongoing education in this regard. For the most part, it has been education through dialogue, and our teachers have been young people from diverse backgrounds, the members of the project team with the perspectives they bring from their various disciplines, partners who are living with HIV/AIDS, and others. The hours spent in dialogue with prospective partners during team- building activities and with partners in the course of conceptualization and detailed planning mean that the preparatory stages offer a particularly steep learning curve. The project can be an excellent pretext for informing key opinion leaders (artists, journalists, religious and political leaders…) about HIV/AIDS. The planning and preparation stage offers the opportunity to engage many such individuals in dialogue about the project, and that sets the stage for a discussion about the epidemic. We have found that opinion leaders tend to be receptive to the idea of actively supporting the AIDS-prevention community, but most are not at all well-informed about the epidemic. Given their busy schedules, when and by whom are they going to become informed? You and your team might just be the answer. 31 Scenarios from the Sahel Chapter 1: Initial Planning/Preparation In the process of seeking out dialogue with prospective partners, you will also be building up a coalition of support around the project. The more diverse your dialogue partners, the more comprehensive that coalition will be. In the case of projects on potentially controversial subjects like HIV/AIDS, it is particularly important to invest time in