Project Design & Management

• Time needed: 1-2 hours, minimum, plus homework
• Review handout (below) with students, having them read the definitions aloud
• Give real-life examples of a simple project you have done in your community
• Have students work in groups of 3-4 students to design and write their own project proposal, using the handout below

Project Design & Management

Community Needs are shared needs among the community. Your community can be your school, your town, your family, your club, etc. Consider community resources (what the community already has) when designing your project.

A vision is a shared dream that community members want their future to look like with regard to a particular issue.

Ø  Example: People with disabilities have meaningful participation in society.

Goals state intermediate or longer-term outcomes that need to occur to achieve the project’s purpose. Since your project is smaller scale, your project should only have one or two goals. When writing the goals:

·         Restate your vision and approach in terms of what is to be accomplished

·         Define the long-term results or changes that your project will bring about

·         Be realistic and include an overall time frame

Ø  Example: The general community of Ambo will have improved awareness about disabilities.

Objectives are similar to goals, but are much more specific and focus on the short-term results you need to meet the longer-term goal(s) of the project. For each project goal, you should have at least 2 or more objectives. Project objectives:

·         Are short-term results you need to meet the longer-term goal(s) of the project

·         Are S.M.A.R.T.: Specific, Measureable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound

·         Answer these questions:

o   Who is the target group or individuals expected to change?

o   What action or change is expected?

o   When will the desired action or change be accomplished?

o   How much change is expected?

Ø  Example: 3 murals will be painted in Ambo in January 2014 about disability awareness, which will reach a general community of 200 people.

Tasks are very specific activities that must be completed to achieve the project objectives. A person or specific group of people should be identified as being responsible for the task.

Ø  Example:

o   Buy paint and paintbrushes (Jen)

o   Clean surface to be painted (Iyasu)

A timeline arranges the tasks in order and defines how long the project will take.

Ø  Example:

o   Find space for mural painting – Iyasu – Day 1

o   Design painting – Jen – Day 2

o   Get approval from director – Iyasu & Jen – Day 3

o   Buy paint and paintbrushes – Jen – Day 4 morning

o   Clean surface to be painted – Iyasu – Day 4 afternoon

o   Paint background – Field workers at NGO – Day 5, all day

A budget should include all costs associated with your project, including VAT. This may include:

·         Labor (voluntary or paid)

·         Materials/Supplies – things that will be used up during the project and cannot be reused

·         Equipment – tools or other things that can be used again after the project is complete

·         Transportation

Ø  Example:

o   Material: Paint: 250 birr per gallon x 5 gallons = 1,250 birr

o   Labor: 4 workers x 2 days x 100 birr per day = 800 birr

o   Equipment: Paintbrushes: 4 x 35 birr = 140 birr