Thinking about projects

In this piece from Setting up and managing projects Alan Rogers sets out the main characteristics of youth work and other informal education projects, and some of the main issues that workers and managers face.

contents: intro | a project rationale and plan | a project rationale and plan | some of the main benefits and problems inherent in projects | stages in the life of a project | project people | we're all 'projects' now | references

We need to be clear from the start what we mean by a 'project' as there are a number of misunderstandings in this area. For me a 'project' has a number of distinguishing characteristics: it is a discrete, time-limited programme of work, with a specific allocated budget.  The nature of project funding also means that the programme of work is likely to be seen as being innovative in some way.  A project may also have staff - project workers - who work exclusively on the programme.

With funding increasingly attached to specific outcomes and programmes, however, a 'project mentality' is becoming a way of life for everyone working in informal education.  In this way, an agency worker may be working on or managing a number of different 'projects' within their work programme. 

A project may range in scale from a national five-year programme, such as the Youth or Adult? Initiative, to a one-off week-end for a local group. While this chapter will focus on the development of projects with staff working on them exclusively, most of the comments will apply to any project under the above definition. 

A project rationale and plan

A project is often the result of a specific application for funding from an outside body.  If it is internally funded, it is likely that formal approval will have been sought from senior managers.  This provides a practical benefit for project staff and managers - in order for the money to be obtained, some planning has to be done.  In preparing a bid for funding, a rationale for the programme has to be developed.

A project rationale will describe what led to the application for funds (or the initiation of the project). It will outline the key elements of the world in which the project will be operating and identify the specific problem(s) that a discrete piece of work can address. It could be seen as putting forward a working hypothesis which the work of the Project will test.

The project plan will outline the stages through which the project will go. It would point, in general terms, to the kind of outcomes or findings which the project will establish. It should describe the broad goals of the project and look forward to describe the impact the project could have - what George Bush called 'the vision thing'!

The rationale and plan become the guiding lights of the project; each stage of development has to take them into account. Experience may prove that they need to change, but they provide an essential reference point. The existence of the project rationale and plan is helpful to project workers and managers.  It enables them to present themselves to others - saying, 'this is the situation as we see it, this is what we hope to move towards, and this is how we believe we can bring about that change'. 

Without a rationale, it is difficult to proceed and impossible to evaluate properly. Having a plan and a set of objectives gives a focus and clear purpose to the work that can help staff and managers avoid being side-tracked into other issues.

Some of the main benefits and problems inherent in projects

Most of the benefits and limitations of projects flow from their very nature. First, having a clear rationale and plan can be both a considerable strength and can lead to certain lack of flexibility. Project workers and managers may be unwilling to look at things in a different way or to consider other solutions to problems. This is why I suggest below that project workers understand their first task is research. They have to put the rationale and plan to the test. It is a rare project that follows precisely the assumptions on which it was based. Workers and managers need to be aware that the working hypothesis may need amendment.

Second, being a discrete piece of work gives the project independence - an ability to concentrate on its core mission. Project workers are there to look at things afresh and need not be distracted by taking on responsibility for any other of the host agency's services. At the same time, this brings with it a danger of isolation. Inter-dependence is necessary for establishing team work; if project workers do not need the co-operation of other staff within an agency, their work may be marginalized and the possibilities of long-term impact decreased. An 'us and them' relationship can be fostered which ultimately can harm the future of the agency as a whole.

Third, being seen as innovative is also a double-edged sword. It creates a sense of excitement and brings the opportunity for development and change. It is a chance to start with something like a clean slate, to break new ground. The host agency may be entering what are new areas for them - new target groups, new means of delivery, new curriculum issues, working with different partners and so on. This excitement can be seen as a threat to existing staff as well as an opportunity.  It is not unusual or surprising for project staff to be seen as critics of the rest of the organization.

Fourth, having a specific budget makes planning easier. Project workers, by having a separate budget are likely to be able to avoid any annual budget negotiations and competition with other staff and services within the host agency. Indeed, because of the project's innovative nature, it may be easier for staff to attract even more funds to their work.  This is a reassuring position for project staff. One consequence of this is that the project - particularly where it is well funded - may seem to be glamorous as compared to some of the well-established programmes or day-to-day servicing tasks that the host agency performs. Again, resentment can build up and be directed towards project staff. The nature - and sometimes the level - of a project's funding can be at the bottom of many internal problems for project staff and managers. Sometimes it is the other way round - projects are under-funded in relation to the rest of the agency's work and it is project workers who feel taken advantage of; this is more rare.

Fifth, a piece of work that is time-limited is operating under a number of constraints. Besides having the pressure to show 'results' as soon as possible, time may restrict the range of responses that project workers can make - almost by definition, real long-term strategies are not feasible. There is a permanent question amongst project staff, asking 'what happens when we're gone?'. In part this is a concern about the programme and its objectives, but it is also about project staff themselves. There is an inevitable sense of job insecurity for project workers (discussed in more detail below). 

Sixth, it is the nature of projects that they come to an end. How a project ends will depend on a strategic decision that needs to be taken at the end of the initial research phase (as described below) at the latest.  The project has to decide whether it is aiming to 'leave behind' things - resources or information, for example - or whether it is aiming to set up a structure or organization that will continue after the project itself ends. Unless a project is particularly well-resourced and staffed, it is unlikely that both strategies can be followed at the same time. This key strategic decision will have a fundamental impact on how the project workers work within the host agency.

Last, in the days of (relatively!) easier access to funding in the public and non-profit sector, a project idea may simply have been an idea that grew from experience and the desire to address problems directly from observed needs and demands. Nowadays, there is an underlying danger of becoming too project-oriented. Agencies can become shaped by the supply of funding, rather than the demands of the client group. There is a real temptation for the idea to follow the money, rather than the other way round. This more 'entrepreneurial' approach can create management problems (in addition to the ethical dilemmas). In practice, it can lead to a skewing of overall aims for the host organization, caused by responding to the financial market, rather than identified needs within their client group or membership.

Stages in the life of a project

Any project is likely to have similar basic stages in its development, each with certain key functions that will enhance its effectiveness. Bearing this in mind can help in the development of a project plan.

1. Preparation

Before the project starts, the focus is on creating a framework for the staff - a basic plan to structure the work of staff and a set of broad objectives. The priority is to be clear about what incidents or factors have led to the identification of a problem which a project can address. In order to obtain funding or agreement for a project, the description of the problem will need to be supported by evidence and will require some initial research.

Unless there has been detailed research, market testing or piloting of the idea, it is advisable to avoid identifying outcomes that are too specific. The less emphasis placed on detailing methods of work, the better!  Concentrate on leaving options open. For example, aims such as: 'The project will set up and run two-day training programmes for volunteers in the community' can create many problems for the project worker(s). Training courses may not be an appropriate strategy, two-day courses in particular may be problematic. Managers need to be clear not on what strategies should be used, but on their broad purpose.

An alternative like, 'The project will devise means of using training to enhance the skills and confidence of volunteers in the community' leaves options open. Courses may be one of the means used, but further research may identify more appropriate ways of achieving the same end - and the devising of appropriate methods of work is one of the reasons for having the project workers in the first place.

Figure 1.1: Stages in the life of a project

The host agency will need to develop a realistic plan for the project. The plan will include (at least) the three basic stages outlined below - adapted to suit the particular situation. Here it is wise to be cautious in deciding the time scale of the project's programme. In a new area of work, in particular, everything tends to take longer than you expect (and, if it's in youth and community work, remember to allow for quiet times over summer and Christmas).

During the Preparation stage of a project, the host organization can also help prepare the way for the project staff by building alliances with any other agencies with common interests. Agencies can also identify any relevant networks in order to find out about any similar work and to find future sources of support for project staff. Relevant networks could include building links with the target group or audience for the work of the project. All of this work will help the new project worker(s) to find their bearings when they start.

Assuming that finance and agreement to go ahead is gained, the next key task for managers of the project is recruitment. There are two points that are the most crucial in deciding the ultimate success of a project. The first is in having a clear rationale and plan before setting up the programme; the second is in the appointment of staff. In the final analysis, the worker is the most crucial - a competent worker can rescue a project with unclear plan and rationale, but a perfectly planned project can under-perform because of the appointment of a worker with inappropriate skills. 

It is important to debate and clarify which skills and qualities are necessities for the project worker(s). The reality is that the programme will reflect their strengths and weakness.

2. Research

Research for the project should be part of the preparation stage. However, research by project staff after appointment is also necessary, if only as part of the inevitable early weeks of going round visiting people and introducing themselves. This stage needs patience, since the project will have nothing to show for this initial period; there will be a lack of obvious 'results'. How much research is necessary at this stage will depend on how much has been done beforehand.

This stage of a project involves workers in beginning to test out the working hypotheses of those involved in planning the project. It is in these early days that a skilled worker/researcher may find out that their employers have been 'chasing the money', rather than responding to needs - because the demand or problem will not be there. This creates an all too common problem for project workers and managers: workers wonder why they've been appointed and get resentful; managers wonder how they are going to hide this fact from their funders. (Don't laugh, it happens all the time!)

This period of the project's life should end with a review of the situation and the development of a project action plan. This ending needs to be a clear point, where the project moves from one stage to another, rather than have workers drift into programmes without clarifying how they relate to their research and the original aims and purpose of the programme. 

The research phase may come up with some unexpected findings - that's why the project plan needs to be general and also why it is important to maintain links with funders. Any changes need to be negotiated and would need evidence to back them up. [The importance of being open with funders and negotiating any change in programme is discussed further below.

3. Programme

The programme is the main work of the project - the work towards the main objectives as refined through the research phase. This work must relate to the project's original rationale - if only by saying that the original rationale and objectives were found to be inappropriate and a different set of strategies have been taken on. The 'research' stage will need to have provided the evidence for this, or indeed any other, plan of action.

Assuming the project itself is progressing well, its relationships with the rest of the organization are a continuing challenge.  As stated earlier, the best strategy for working with others within the agency will depend on whether the decision is to 'leave things behind' or to set up a structure that will survive past the end of the initial project. The former strategy means that workers can work more independently, the latter requires greater commitment to the organization as a whole.

Whatever strategy is adopted, there is great value in keeping people within the host agency in touch with project developments, inviting them to be involved where appropriate. Involving other agency staff becomes more crucial where support is needed for work beyond the initial lifespan of the project.

The innovative nature of a project could mean that things take longer.  For instance, the project's aims may be to work in a new area or with a different target group. If this is the case, workers have to establish trust and credibility within the field. It is not unusual, for example, for project workers to be viewed with suspicion if they are the only staff from an organization who are actively trying to work with a particular group or on a particular issue.

4. Ending and Recommending

The nature of the 'ending' of the project will depend fundamentally on the basic strategy adopted early on about the outcomes it is aiming for. This decision, therefore, is the responsibility of project management, rather than project workers. The two basic options are:

'leaving things behind'; and

'setting up a structure'.

Leaving things behind. Leaving behind things like publications and materials is a strategy that relies on others to take forward the learning from the project. It is a relatively hit and miss approach which requires a network or outlet for these materials. Two (creepy-crawly - but true!) examples of this strategy date from the early 1980s - Creators not Consumers (Smith 1980 - NAYC Political Education Project) and Starting Out in Detached Work (Rogers 1981 - NAYC's Project in Support of Alternative Work). The relative success of the strategy can be judged by the continued use of material today - and is due, in no small part, to NAYC (now Youth Clubs UK) having a substantial and continuing publications service. More recent examples include the various materials developed by the Leaving Home Project (e.g. leaving Home Project 1992) .

This strategy can reach a wide audience with a basic message. As well as sending out ripples of interest, published materials can provide an opportunity to enhance the status and image of the host organization. If an agency is able to present itself as being one that can initiate and manage successful innovative work, it increases its chances of being used again.

The current climate is not one that welcomes innovation. The youth and community work and community education field, like the rest of the non-profit sector, is vulnerable. Budgets are being cut, staff are concerned about whether they will have any kind of job at all when the next budgets are set. It is understandable that staff are preoccupied and unable/unwilling to listen to new concepts or programme ideas from project workers. 

Setting up a structure.  A structure to carry on the work of a project can be set up within the host agency, or it might be more appropriate - if more difficult - to aim to set up a separate organization.

If the aim is to work within the host agency, this will affect the project worker's use of time throughout the project. There is a greater need to integrate the work and the worker within the existing services and team. A lot of factors tend to work against this - especially the common feeling among existing staff that the project's very existence is an implicit criticism of their work. Involving those staff in different ways in the work of the project can help here - as can project staff showing a commitment to the work of the agency. There have been a number of successful examples of projects establishing themselves as part of the work of the host agency within the Youth or Adult? Initiative (see, for example, Charnley 1993; Fisher 1993; Riley 1993).

Setting up a new organization is a most ambitious strategy which needs to be worked on from the earliest days of a project. One consequence of this approach may be that the project will have fewer specific outcomes or outputs, since the priority will be on processes rather than products. Again there have been examples of this happening within the Initiative (see, for example, Campbell 1993).

Every project will also have concerns of accountability to funding bodies and project evaluation. Evaluation is the measuring of outcomes in relation to goals set beforehand - and the consideration of any unintended outputs and outcomes. For this reason, evaluation should be easier for a project than for much mainstream work, as objectives should have been identified in the preparation and research stages. Together with the keeping of relevant recordings, a review of achievement and effectiveness more straightforward.

Project people

What's it like to be part of a project?  What are the qualities needed by someone taking on a project, either as worker or manager? 

The project worker

The competence of - and the agency's confidence in - staff is crucial. The benefits of being a project worker centre around notions of innovation and creativity - whether it be looking at new problems or looking at old ones in a new way.  However the disadvantages and pressures are many.

A project worker can be exposed or vulnerable because of the nature of the work. It is almost certainly new for the organization, and there may be few people within or around the agency who can help out with ideas or advice. Because of the subject matter or target group of the project, a project worker may also be in a minority within the host agency - perhaps because of age, race or gender - which can add to a sense of insecurity and pressure.

Project workers may well experience a high degree of isolation. As the work is new, much of their own management, support, policy development and decision-making may be left to them. Having a free hand like this may sound attractive; however it can be lonely - and it can also leave the worker powerless, in that they are unable to influence other aspects of their host organization's work. They may not be part of the regular team structure; they may have different lines of management and reporting; they may find it difficult to get the level of management and supervision they need, especially in the early life of the project.

There is an inevitable pressure to 'have something to show' - a concern about what difference the project will make. Project workers must be able to step back and ask themselves what realistic impact can be expected from the resources they have. Workers should try to avoid the internal and external pressure that their achievements should be on a grand (often unrealistic) scale.

The fact that projects are time-limited has a fundamental impact on worker(s) - a period of uncertainty and insecurity is inevitable as the project nears the end of its planned life. There may be a bid for continuation, which will create anxieties; if this is not being made, there is the inevitable anxiety of the search for another job. It is difficult to give 100 per cent to the project in its final months and weeks. The stress of this aspect of project life is hard to underplay. 

Being part of a project creates a stronger demand on certain abilities.  In particular, a project will benefit from having workers who are able to be reflective and analytical. Project workers, in particular, need to be able to step back and ask 'what is going on here?' and make clear links between their programme choices and the aims/rationale of the project. This is necessary because the accountability for the work is particularly clear. 

Project workers have to be able to handle uncertainty. In the early days of a project, it is customary to go round introducing yourself to potential colleagues and future users of your services. At this initial stage it is not unusual for the project worker to have to say 'I don't know' to a lot of questions. It is important, however, to feel able to do this if this is the case. Where the initial brief of the project is to undertake research before making decisions on further development, it is crucial that workers avoid making premature decisions on priorities.

Where the research element of the project is strong, a project worker needs to come to the project 'sceptical'. Project workers do not need to be 'experts' in the subject area - indeed too much (assumed) knowledge can prevent workers from listening to the voice of the project's audience or target group. Mistaken assumptions can be made about what response is needed before the research is undertaken.

New situations may require new solutions, so demands will be made on the creative abilities of project workers. On a practical note, recording is an essential task for project workers as they need to produce evidence for their decisions about their work programme. Alongside this, workers will need to be good at organizing themselves, their ideas and their materials - planning is essential where the work has a definite ending time.

Project manager(s)

A project may be managed by a single line manager and/or a committee. Where it is by committee only, the isolation of the worker(s) is likely to be more intense and the need for additional support, outside the committee meeting is even more crucial. Whatever the arrangement, experience in project working is valuable. Perhaps the single biggest benefit of having people with project experience in project management is that they are more likely to be sensitive to the pressures on the project staff. For example, committee meetings can be timed to fit in with the work programme, at a time when decisions will be needed not just every 'x' weeks/months. In practice, this may well mean having meetings close together in the early part of the project, far more infrequently in the middle phase and then more often at the end.

It is particularly important that managers are sensitive to the pressures that are on a project worker, especially in the early days. Managers should avoid expecting too much too soon from the early stages of the project; the research phase needs to be clearly identified.

The manager's relationship with the worker(s) is crucial. In a formal sense, it is important to stick to clarifying the ends that the workers are meant to be working towards and leave the workers some discretion as to the means that need to be used. On a personal level, managers need to demonstrate some understanding of the insecurity that is inherent in being a project worker - from (possibly) finding somewhere to live at the beginning to seeking a new job at the end of the project's life; In between there is the vulnerability inherent in breaking new ground.

One of the most difficult challenges for a project manager is handling the impact of the project on other work (see Campbell 1993). The new work may be better funded (e.g. staff paid better, more administrative backup, the ability to delegate expenses etc.); its findings may be critical of current services or provision.

A factor to consider here is the organizational and geographical placement of staff - whether project staff should be within an existing team or based in the same building as other staff.  Team placement is important if the plan is to influence the service of the host agency; geographical placement is of particular concern if there is a danger of workers' feelings of isolation being aggravated by being 'left out in the cold'.

Maintaining a relationship with the funders is another key task for project managers. Funding bodies need to be informed as to developments, especially if changes are planned - and changes are almost certainly going to be needed! It is important to maintain integrity. Having a clear rationale and a broad plan comes in to play here. It is easier to negotiate a slight change in the programme than it is to explain why the whole purpose of the project needs to change. My experience has been that direct negotiation and open discussion is an effective way of handling any necessary changes of plan. Remember that funders need successful projects at least as much as you do.

Sometimes it is a problem for workers and managers that the line manager is the person who had the initial idea. The vision of the project's originator may be changed or challenged by the experience of field worker(s); this can be hard to accept for the initiator(s) - and they in turn can make life difficult for the project staff.

We're all 'projects' now

As the 'contract culture' develops even further, distinctions between 'projects' and mainstream work are becoming blurred. Most of the positive aspects of project work - clarity of goals, importance of planning and rationale - can be introduced to other work. Indeed, they are. It is common for organizations within informal education to adopt three and five year development plans - the organization as a whole becomes a kind of project.

There are many benefits in this 'projectization' of work in the youth and community work and community education field. Reviewing the overall impact of us all becoming 'project workers' there seem to be many benefits, almost all clustered round a concept of 'effective management'.  Looking around - and reflecting on my own experience as a project worker, one drawback dominates the others - the insecurity of that way of life... welcome to the market economy!

References

Campbell, I. (1993) 'Addressing the cuckoo syndrome' in M. K. Smith (ed.) Youth or Adult? The first five years, London: YMCA National College/Rank Foundation.

Charnley, C.   (1993) 'Arts work in informal education' in M. K. Smith (ed.) Youth or Adult? The first five years, London: YMCA National College/Rank Foundation.

Fisher, E. (1993) 'A health education project' in M. K. Smith (ed.) Youth or Adult? The first five years, London: YMCA National College/Rank Foundation.

Leaving Home Project (1992) Leaving Home. A training course and resources guide, Leicester: National Youth Agency.

Riley, P. (1993) 'Youth work - Mission Impossible?' in M. K. Smith (ed.) Youth or Adult? The first five years, London: YMCA National College/Rank Foundation.

Rogers, A. (1981) Starting Out in Detached Work, Leicester: NAYC Publications.

Smith, M. (1980; 1982) Creators not Consumers. Rediscovering social education, Leicester: NAYC Publications.

Alan Rogers is a freelance consultant in youth and community work. He specializes in writing and editing training and resource materials. He was consultant to the Rank-funded Youth Work into the 90s Project.

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