Setting up your project

Want to know more about how to get your project off the ground? Follow Monomita Nag-Chowdhury’s rough guide to helping make your project a success

Plan ahead

Thinking ahead is perhaps the most vital component in making a success of any community project. When you’re fired up by a burning desire to make a difference, it can be tempting to get started without first doing the groundwork. Without a plan, every obstacle you come across is likely to be unexpected and this can affect your drive and even your end result. That’s why taking time out to thoroughly plan your project is so important.

Begin by identifying what needs are not being met within your community. Be sure there is a real demand for the project you are proposing. If it addresses a social problem, or a shortcoming in your community, the value of your proposed project will be clear to all. Also, be innovative in your outlook, which means proposing a project that’s fresh and forward-thinking. In refining the idea, talk to your peers and other Active Citizens. Talk to the facilitators and to potential partners. By establishing your aims and objectives before you start, you can be assured that your project stands the best chance of success.

Adopt a postive outlook

Like most things in life, our attitude towards any venture often determines the outcome. As Active Citizens, we must recognise the importance of a positive outlook. In other words, if you don’t believe in what you’re doing then why should anyone else? Maintaining a constructive attitude is therefore crucial, especially when faced with obstacles that threaten the success of your project. However, it’s also important to be realistic and as practical as you can be when it comes to your objectives, outputs and outcome projections. In terms of funding, you stand a much greater chance of success if you’re entirely realistic about your expectations, and can demonstrate the full potential of a project at the planning stage.

Stay focused

Once you’ve established the key themes and objectives for your project, you need to commit to them. It’s easy to become distracted by new ideas that deviate from your original plan and risk you losing sight of your goals. Also, partners and funders often have ideas of their own about the way things should be run. So you need to establish at an early stage whether your project fits their criteria. Now is the time to establish a dialogue with everyone involved, and to clarify the aims of your project. You need to remain true to your cause if you’re to turn your dream into a reality.

Seek help, seek advice, seek partners

By joining the Active Citizens programme, you’re joining a network of like-minded people. Your facilitators are well connected, not just with key influencers and partners within the community, but also across the regions. By talking through the proposal for your project, you’ll quickly find yourself in touch with people who can offer support, skills, knowledge and guidance. Having made the effort to establish these relationships at an early stage, you’ll earn yourself peace of mind as you put your proposal into practice.

Build a budget

Establishing costs for your project is essential. It’s the only way to be realistic about your aims and objectives. A budget is also vital in your bid to secure backing. You may find an individual prepared to put up the money, or you could create a collective of funding sources that share your dream and can unite behind your project. Whatever the case, and however good your fundraising and enterprising skills may be, you’ll still have to provide a thorough set of figures.

Once you have a clear idea of what your project will cost, it’s worth factoring in around 5-12% to cover anything unforeseen. This is a reasonable percentage, depending on the budget, and could make the difference between failure and success. If in any doubt, talk to your partners or facilitators. When you’re part of the Active Citizens programme, help is always out there, at any time. You only have to ask.

Establish a timeline

Once your goals are clear, you need to work out how long it’ll take to achieve them. To do this, consider everything involved, from your budget to your fundraising strategies, as well as any development, recruitment or marketing needs. It’s also worth building a little extra time into the plan. You may not use it, but at least it gives you flexibility and helps avoid delays. With a comprehensive strategy in place, you’ll have a clear picture of the challenge ahead.

Related Articles
Active Citizens Explained
Make Your Project Happen
Regional Spotlights
The Vision

Further Reading
Read another useful step-by-step guide to project planning from Project Smart