Starting a Community Project A guide to kick start your community project
Table of Contents 1. Getting Started Page 3 2. Overview Page 4 3. Understanding the Community Page 5 4. Building the Project Page 6 5. Project Implementation Page 7 6. Evaluation and Reflections Page 8 7. Sustaining the Project Page 9 8. Additional Resources Page 10 2
Getting Started Make a Difference in the Community You have a community project idea, you want to do something, but you do not know how to get started or where to go for help. Putting ideas into action always comes with its challenges. By breaking the items down into sub points, starting a project can be a breeze. This guide will help you conceptualise your ideas better, and provides a step by step approach to implementing your community project. Keep in mind that this guide only serves to provide you suggested steps, and may vary according to the nature of your intended project. Ready to start your own project? 3
Here is how you can get started Understanding the Community WHY, WHO, WHAT, HOW Building the Project Goals & Objectives Build Team Plan for Success Project Implementation Pre Event Project Day Post Event Evaluation and Reflection Success Stories Feedback Reflection Sustaining the Project Look at opportunities How to do better Long Term 4
Understanding the Community Do ask yourself, the following questions before embarking on any project or initiative: WHY do I want to do this? Know your purpose and reasons for embarking on a community project WHO do I want to work with? Define the community you wish to work with. Do you want to: Serve your neighbourhood Partner a School Work with an organisation Further a particular cause WHAT do I / can I do for the community? Are there gaps in the community that you can fulfil? Understand the community, who is part of it, what resources are available, what can be further developed. Are there opportunities for you to contribute? HOW do I want to do it? Research about the options and ways you might be able to contribute Look at what other community groups are doing Look for potential partners to work with The idea for your community project can come from other initiatives that are already found out there. How about adapting another good idea and bringing it to your own community? 5
Building the Project The planning stage of any project is most crucial. Upon identifying Who / What / Why and How you want to embark on the project, next look at what you want to achieve, who do you need and what resources you might require. 3 Steps 1. Set Clear Goals and Objectives Be SMART; make goals and objectives Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Time-bound. 2. Build your Team Recruit and engage individuals as a form of support, to provide ideas and resources towards your project success. Tap on the strengths and abilities of your team mates Engage the entire team in the planning process, this could be a good opportunity to bond with your team members 3. Plan for Success A well thought-through plan is vital towards the project success. Look at the ideas generated and their feasibility, the details to prepare, and facilitate the entire process towards project implementation 6 Refer to Page 11 (Additional Resources) for more information
Project Implementation After planning the project scope, it is time to act! Engage your volunteers regularly towards the day of the event. This keeps the level of interest up amongst volunteers Pre Event Make sure team members are briefed about their roles. Confirm attendance, and do ensure all items are prepared and brought down. You could create a check list to ensure you have prepared everything you need Remember: Document your activity; take pictures or videos! Project Period The day has arrived, and your team is excited! Keep everyone in the loop of what to expect prior to the activity. Manage the volunteers well by distributing workload evenly. Thank all volunteers after the activity. 7 Refer to Page 17 (Additional Resources) for more information
Evaluation and Reflection Your work is not complete even when your project has ended. After the project, it is important to meet up with volunteers as well as the community you served to evaluate and reflect on what was done well, what could be improved and recognise efforts of volunteers. Ways to follow up after the project: Sharing of stories amongst volunteers Reflect on how volunteers feel about their contributions Receive feedback, both good and constructive, on how the project could be improved Make the session casual, have everyone share their best / worst moments during the entire period Questions to ask: What went well? What could have been done better? How could it have been improved? Are the goals achieved? What is next? Discuss the possibility of sustaining the project 8
Sustaining the Project After your first activity, how are you able to make use of the feedback collected to ensure that there could be a possibility to continue what you did, only better! Actions to take to share your project success: Post your completed project through SG Cares and your website Discuss with partners and volunteers on what could be done further Could your project idea be shared and replicated at other organisations / communities? Be open to discussions. You could look out for possibilities of a follow up activity on a more regular basis with the community you engaged Have a bias toward action Let s see something happen now. You can break that big plan into small steps and take the first step right away. Indira Ghandi, former Prime Minister of India 9
If you require a little more guidance in starting your project, we have prepared additional materials to guide you along the way 10
Building the Project 1. Set Clear Goals and Objectives Be clear when setting your goals and objectives. They help guide in decision making, and ensure that the team moves towards the same direction. There is a distinct difference between a Goal and an Objective. Goals are general and can be seen as intentions to achieve. Objectives set out to achieve the goals set, making them more specific and measurable. Setting clear and concrete goals help pave the way towards what you wish to achieve at the end of the project Be SMART in setting your objectives: Specific Measurable Achievable Relevant Time-bound 11
2. Build the Team Never work alone, engaging like minded individuals can be a form of support, providing ideas, and different perspectives or resources towards the success of the project. Define scope of work of volunteers: ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES In every project, volunteers play different roles toward the project success. Example of some roles include: Team Leader: Publicity: Treasurer: One who manages the entire team, will play the facilitator role To manage all advertising and publicising of your project Manage all finance and your project accounts Volunteer coordinator: Logistics: Welfare: If your project requires a large number of volunteers on the day of event, you will need a person in charge to coordinate all volunteers and their attendance Your project might require certain items to be purchased, prepared or borrowed, the logistics team will need to account for all the items prepared for the project It is important to ensure the morale of the team is kept high, especially in times of setbacks and challenges faced by team, the welfare team could ensure the team remains positive through teambuilding games, or providing water and snacks during preparation meeting and on the actual day. 12
EXPECTATIONS OF VOLUNTEERS At the start of the project, do share with the team what needs to be done and provide clear information to reduce expectation misalignments. Ground rules of the team: Have the team set ground rules such as punctuality, respecting one another s idea and set expectations of how the team should work together throughout the project. Goals and Objectives: You may wish to involve the team in setting the Goals and Objectives your team may want to achieve. Always align the team back to this to ensure you are on the right track. COMMITMENT OF VOLUNTEERS At times, volunteers might expect the time taken for the entire project to be just on the actual day. Do inform volunteers of the amount of time required for the entire project, from the preparation to the post project follow ups. If possible inform the number of meet ups / planning / preparation time required prior to project 13
RECRUIT MANAGE ENGAGE volunteers in your team Recruitment: Be sure to set your recruitment criteria, be clear of what type of volunteers you need. Must they possess certain skill sets, is there an age limit? This will help you determine and engage the right type of volunteers to perform the tasks given. The First Meeting: It will be the first meeting that volunteers get together. Make it a fun and relaxed experience. Some ideas include: Ice breaker games to introduce the team to one another Introduction of the project and what needs to be done Assigning of roles and responsibilities Set personal Goals and Objectives to achieve Set ground rules Managing volunteers: Conduct regular planning and preparation sessions towards the project. This creates teamwork and better working relations amongst team members. Recognise volunteers efforts towards the project Disagreements are common in times of stress and tight timelines, so be positive and provide encouragement Ways to recruit volunteers: Through your network of friends SG Cares resources Publicise through your Facebook Page You may wish to create a project web page Share your ideas and recruit through community sites 14
3. Plan for Success Ensure that the details of your project are well thought through and discussed amongst the team. Have volunteers contribute towards the project to give them a sense of ownership. Idea Generation Brainstorm ideas as a team Include the community that you are working with, hear their thoughts and how they may wish to contribute Encourage creativity and respect all ideas Feasibility Look at how feasible each idea is. Question how it may fulfill the objectives Do you have the resources? Is it scalable and impactful? Project Details Administration details Logistics & Resources required Budget and Fundraising Timeline and progress tracking Marketing your project Working with partners Preparation Track progress of project Ensure Goals and Objectives are aligned Make contingency plans Create hype and advertise your activity Facilitation Manage conflicts and disagreements well Discuss learning points through planning Ensure that everyone contributes positively Constantly look out for more opportunities and resource / people to be roped in 15
Project Details Items to plan and prepare Administrative details Permits, (if required), filing of documents, tracking of progress Timeline Detailed timeline and breakdown of what needs to be done when, and by whom, provides a good gauge on how much has been completed Resources and Budget Look at what resources you might require, equipment and tools as well as soft skills. Budget the total cost your project entails. Fundraising is an option to look at to fund your project cost. You may engage your team to raise funds through interesting activities, or seek funding through institutions and organisations such as the National Youth Council. Logistics Look into the preparation of purchasing, storing, moving of project materials and items required. One way would be to create an inventory of what was purchased and used, by whom. Marketing your project You need to get the word out about what your team is doing, to gather support, create the buzz and the impact. Make use of social media platforms and online websites to showcase your progress along the way. Working with partners If you are partnering other groups or an organization for your project, do ensure you keep them updated about what is happening and do seek to build a sustainable collaboration 16
Project Implementation 1. Pre Event: After much planning and preparation, it is important to have a proper preparation and event brief to ensure the volunteers are aware of the tasks assigned to them as well as the outstanding things that need to be completed. Some of the items to remember: Logistics Checklist, Certified first aider and first aid kit Confirm the number of volunteers attending and their roles, Conduct briefing to ensure all volunteers are clear of tasks and instructions Checklist of what to prepare for each activity 2. Project Period: On the day of the event, it is vital to ensure you have a list of items ready. Some considerations may include: Ensure a good distribution of workload amongst volunteers Ensure welfare of volunteers, e.g. food and beverage provided if required, volunteers are feeling well before, during and after the activity Be ready to manage difficult situations, e.g. complaints, conflicts Intervene when necessary Ensure the space used is well cleaned up after the event Thank and debrief volunteers to ensure a good closure Document the event: Any accidents or incidents out of the norm Photographs and videos for future reference Stories from the community, and volunteers 17
3. Post Period: After you have completed your first activity, there will be many outstanding tasks to be completed. Do have a good closure of the project with the community you served, as well as your supporting partners and volunteers. Steps towards closing the project: Appreciate the efforts of volunteers via email, or a note of thanks Thank partners whom you have worked with Ask for feedback from all the parties involved in the project, to look at what could be improved or done better Close any outstanding reports or accounts Recycle and return all unused / borrowed items Be aware of how you could repeat what you did and the possibility to scale up and decide how you wish to follow up with all partners involved. 18
CHECKLIST TOWARDS PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION Understanding the Community 1 Confirm the community you wish to engage Build the Project 2 Set project goals and objectives to achieve 3 Recruit team members 4 Assign roles and responsibilities to team members 5 Generate and confirm project idea 6 Ensure administrative details are documented 7 Confirm logistics and items requirements 8 Complete budget for project 9 Fundraise for project (If required) 10 Timeline and progress tracking in place 11 Marketing and publicising your project Project Implementation 12 Brief and assign role to volunteers for actual day 13 Checklist and items prepared for project 14 Complete briefing and debriefing of volunteers 15 Provide food and refreshments for volunteers Evaluate and Sustain 16 Conduct feedback session with volunteers and community 17 Evaluate how project was carried out and areas to improve or follow up 18 Document and share project through various platforms 19 Look into possibility of sustaining project
Useful Links Need to gather more information or ideas? Explore the links provided for more information on fund application, volunteer recruitment opportunities and ideas from other groups! Need additional funds to support and sustain your project? Seek possible funds or grants that are available in Singapore. http://www.concern.sg/fundraising National Youth Council Looking at finding avenues to recruit more volunteers? There are various platforms online that provides opportunities for you to recruit. Volunteer Resource Network SG Cares Facebook page Would you like to share your ideas with others? Do Good Network SG Cares [ Share Your Story ] 20