more than just the funder?

Chris Dunning reflects on his experience as funder and connects this with the other contributions to Setting up and managing projects.

contents: introduction | first steps | an agreement is reached | the honeymoon period | riding the storm | maturity 

In this piece I would like to consider the monitoring role that the Rank Foundation field staff have in helping to evaluate the progress and achievements of Youth or Adult? Projects individually and as a whole. In doing this I want to return to some themes developed by other contributors.

First steps

From the first few months of my working with the Foundation in September 1989 I found that the approach adopted by this charitable trust was deemed by prospective applicants for funds as 'different'. The term 'pro-active' might be good description here as it indicates a searching, enquiring and energetic approach. The field work staff of the Foundation have been genuinely interested to see how organizations operate first hand. They have been committed to talking with the individuals concerned, seeing the geographical areas involved and communities represented, and exploring the style and medium adopted to meet stated needs. For the Foundation, evaluation begins with the initiation of a request for funding and continues throughout the life of a project and beyond. Cathie Cox gives a clear picture of this in her chapter.

The sheer diversity of mediums and approaches to informal education found in the 44 current Youth or Adult? Projects indicates that we do not have a fixed idea about how to go about getting alongside young adults. The Foundation has never sought to be prescriptive about the structure of management or the focus of the work. Nor has it wished to determine the policy of organizations. It has, however, given a strong indication through the ethos of the scheme that young adults need to be realistically and genuinely involved in the process of determining project operation and direction. As Charlie Harris indicates in his chapter, we expect certain, key, aspects of project working to be addressed. Alan Rogers also outlines some crucial considerations and rightly emphasizes the central importance of vision.

Because projects originate from many different sources there is no one way of assimilating the considerations needed to make a judgement on their viability.  Some are national organizations with a staffing structure and long history of youth work, others are consortiums of interested groups drawn from a local community, some are partnerships of statutory and voluntary bodies and there are those which are a mixture of all three!

As Charlie Harris mentions in his chapter, one of the four key factors in the evaluation of the Rank investments is whether or not the project is an integral and fundamental part of the funded body's policy.  Is it seen as a priority for the work of the host agency; should the application to Rank not be successful would they continue to seek funds for something very similar? This has been the case on a number of occasions. Organizations have gone on after an unsuccessful bid for funding and have either gained money elsewhere or come back to the Foundation. They have moved the project forward in the interim, and have gained support for their Youth or Adult? project second time around.

I don't feel guilty about those projects that do not gain support.  Some are not of the right quality, many have good applications but fail to achieve support simply through limited numbers being accepted.  In both cases I feel that having been through the discipline of focusing on what they are going to do next, each organization is better placed to go to other funders and seek their support. Also as part of the process we try to feedback suggestions about improving their applications.

This period of research and assessment by the Rank field staff is well described by Charlie Harris when he looks at the current position.  It is also a time to evaluate the achievements in the scheme so far, and to apply those findings. For example, is the Initiative still addressing the needs of young folk and is it relevant to the developments and trends of that generation? Such a process of evaluation is helped considerably by the network of contacts that can be tapped into. There has been a particular advantage in keeping in contact with past projects and workers that the Rank Charities have supported.

An agreement is reached

Once the Board have reached their own decisions about who to invest their energies and money in, the relationship between the funder and project begins to firm up.  I have always tried to work from a position of trust with project management and have expected to be kept abreast of developments, 'warts and all'.

As soon as the Heads of Agreement document has been mutually agreed, (it contains the basic outlines of the project, annual budget totals etc.), all successful projects attend a 24 hour business conference which addresses the expectations of the Foundation and the College. Past managers and current student-workers of Youth or Adult? projects attend the event. A very thorough examination of how to set up the project is undertaken.  This networking and sharing of experience is vital to the whole exercise. It also puts evaluation on the agenda at an early stage. A full record is kept so that an ongoing database of material can be built up for use with further Youth or Adult? intakes.

Throughout the next three to four months Rank's field staff are fully involved in monitoring advertising, job information packs, selection procedures, short listings ('short leat' in Scotland!) and actually taking part in the interviews for student-worker posts.  I hope that this is seen as complimenting the individual organizations' methods of interviewing and providing some continuity and experience across the selection.

A second, independent, interview for the student-worker is carried out by the College and provides another element in confirming that the person is right for the job.  It also goes the other way of course, giving the applicant a chance to see what they are letting themselves in for.

As can be seen in both Christiane Schlichting's and Gavin Stewart's chapters, mistakes can be made even with such a rigorous interview procedure.  Cathie Cox also describes the in-depth and detailed involvement of young people, local adult volunteers, and representative bodies in the interviews.  In this case the interviews themselves were pieces of youth work in their own right. Adults on the panel were outnumbered 2 to 1. Whilst being incredibly demanding this particular selection event occasion was one of the most rewarding for me personally.  More to the point, the young people picked someone they wanted and who has been successful in the post.

Each year the feverish activity usually dies down in early September. Appointees begin their induction into the project; and managers feel their way forward. It is then time to look to the College's distance learning programme and to gradually take up the strain on the work load!

The honeymoon period

The interviewing period does have its tensions, not unlike the time prior to a wedding and all the ceremony that carries on with great gusto! Quite often the sheer enthusiasm of workers, and desire to show that they can do the job, leads them to attempt five years work in the first 5 months! On one occasion I discovered that a worker was also doing voluntary youth work outside the working hours and wondering why she was suffering a touch of exhaustion! New project workers tend to want to prove themselves, and please the funder. When these are combined with unrealistic expectations from both inside and outside the project there can be problems.  I am quite clear that there is a certain order of priority that has to be attended to. First come one's private and personal life. Second, the course of study, which progresses in preplanned blocks and has deadlines.  It is also predictable. Third, the youth work which can be spontaneous and spasmodic.  Workers have to learn to say 'no' to things and focus on quality.

The right balance for one individual or project is not likely to suit another.  Mistakes are often made and, again, Schlichting and Stewart refer to the problems that they encountered as managers. It is important, however, to note that in both cases the Foundation had been fully aware of the situation. Decisions were not made without prior consultation with all parties.  Such matters rarely go like clockwork and some sharp learning usually has to be gained by all.

There are some projects which have suffered the loss of a key worker or manager in this honeymoon period. This has, on occasions, meant a 'success or fail' situation for the student-worker and project.  With a loss of vision, and the lack of good management support, the direction of a project can become very unclear and it has been the role of the funder to ensure that whoever takes over does maintain a common vision for the work.  This has caused tensions between the various bodies involved with the initiative.  Most have been worked through successfully but, as Charlie Harris alludes to in 'On or Off Plum?', projects have closed permanently.

An aspect of Rank's monitoring procedure which might be seen as unusual is the attendance by field staff at the College study days held for students during their induction year.  With special sessions to explore project functioning and development, a number of issues have been able to be dealt with quickly - a particular need at this formative stage. Our involvement has also allowed us to see how each trainee has adapted to study, how they presented themselves in a College setting, and what they perceived their work in the project achieving.  I think it has also allowed each student-worker to see the funder in a new light, encouraging an open and honest approach.

This involvement has meant that there needs to be close observance of the boundaries of each relationship and its circumstances.  It is perhaps unusual for a Trust to have such a comprehensive association with an initiative, being privy to a whole host of different perspectives without sacrificing integrity and confidentiality.  It is, perhaps, one of the most difficult and demanding aspects of my job, how to hold boundaries and maintain the accountability of the various aspects of the projects' workings coupled to successful project development. The arrangement has allowed a mutually beneficial relationship to form between the College and Rank Charities, each learning from the other and becoming the richer for it.  The College programme is, after all, the single largest investment by the Trust and as such has been part of our evaluation process just the same as all other projects in the Youth or Adult? Scheme.

As the first 18 months or so of the Project pass by it is fascinating to see how the student-workers and managers gradually sort themselves out and attain a level of industry which suits them. Those projects that involve young adults in their management structure wrestle with the realities of such methodology and practice, student-workers toil over the College work and the local "Community Soup" begins to take on a more distinct flavour.

In Trefor Lloyd's and David Coates' chapters one can read about the mechanics of management and organization involved in taking a project forward.  Whilst I won't repeat what each has said I do want to underline an important point. It never ceases to amaze me how many projects do not have an open dialogue between young adults, student-worker and management with regard to the overall direction and general operation of the project.  This is the very core of the Youth or Adult? Initiative and success hinges on the relationship between youth and adult and the power complex which underpins project philosophy.

Riding the storm

After the honeymoon period a relationship can go through some pretty stormy times.  After 18 months many projects have difficulties and some very hard decisions have to be made. The fact that an organization has a Trojan Horse, in the form of a trainee worker, in its midst sometimes escapes the attention of managers and directors.  Other workers, as Rogers points out, can be unsure of this unusual individual in their company. Being stimulated by their study the student-workers  begin to make their presence felt and ask all those questions that one wished to have time to ask oneself.  A myriad of changes begin to take place and it is only the skills and commitment of all concerned that keep the project moving.

I think that this is a time when a funding body can play a key role in keeping the project management and worker mindful of the end goal, without interfering in the execution of the day to day operation. Also by this time a number of young volunteers are beginning to make a contribution to the initiative. The Rank Foundation School and Community 'Gap' Schemes  (young leadership programmes) may also be taken up. These may involve trainees taking on extra managerial responsibilities. It is also a time when the young folk begin to flex their muscles and the project has to work with the issues that arise.

Maturity

As projects pass their third year, and confidence in self and others strengthens, I often witness a most heartening process of maturity taking place.  Not that problems become less common or stress less evident, but the method of dealing with them takes on a professional air.

Generally speaking those projects and trainees that are going to fail have done so, achievements amongst the young people are self evident and the project management has faith in its approach and competency.  This is the time when student-workers are exhibiting the ability to make informed decisions and professional judgements regarding informal education and they have an impressive folio of youth action under their belts. Most will also have an appetite for study and an ease in tackling the growing responsibilities that the later years at College bestow on them. This is also the moment when I feel the funder should be pushing projects and host organizations to see where their future lies.  What is the interrelationship between project, agency, community and other funders? Projects tend to change quite radically over the five years - and as funders we both expect, and work, with this.

One of the measures of success is the ability of the project to take the initiative into year six and beyond with a renewed vision and practical support. If the agency is able to convince other funding bodies and local communities that the needs of young people are being met then it is likely to remain in operation and be a good example of qualitative youth work. In this respect, the annual conferences that the Rank Charities have funded are occasions when projects can demonstrate their success to a wider audience. It is also a time to allow the Rank Directors and Trustees to see for themselves the collective energy and dynamism which their investment has allowed to flourish.  There's nothing quite like getting from behind the desk and experiencing for oneself the excitement of young people with a sense of purpose and commitment.

I see my role as an advisor and a 'conduit' allowing the two way flow of information and contact between funder and funded.  It primarily relies on the relationship that can be fostered between visionaries, actionaries and enablers to achieve a common goal in informal education. The collective group of projects, past and present, was referred to at one conference as 'The Rank Family'. This is not a cosy clique of like-minded initiatives swanning around the UK feeling good about themselves. I see it is as a dynamic and challenging group, with all the problems of a family but many of the strengths. It is not exclusive but exists for the expressed purpose of promoting the development of mind, body and spirit of young folk, their peers and the adults whom they follow. Any long term evaluation really rests with the future development of our society as a whole.  I hope that all those involved in the Youth or Adult? initiative continue to maintain the quality of the experience and its ethos.

Chris Dunning is Director of Youth Projects (Scotland and Northern Ireland) for the Rank Foundation.

First published in Mark K. Smith (ed.) (1993) Setting up and managing projects, London: YMCA George Williams College/Rank Foundation.