Volunteering can offer a way to unwind from daily pressures of work and a chance to live out your values. But, your personal interests may not be in alignment with your professional pursuits. Perhaps you work in software development, but you are inspired by environmental causes. Or, maybe your interest in human rights is sparked by travel to global locations for your construction management job. The opportunities for volunteering should not be limited because your interests or passions are not an exact match for your skills and expertise. Rather, “let’s do what we love, and do a lot of it” (Marc Jacobs).
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Is Non-profit Project Management Different?
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A project, in a broad definition, is a temporary endeavor to produce a unique result, product or service. Project management is “the application of knowledge, skills, tools, and techniques to meet the project requirements” (PMI, 2013).
Government According to PMI, “public sector projects can have unique characteristics and notable complexities”, justifying the need for a Government Extension to the PMBOK® Guide (PMI, 2009). Although project management principles, best practices, and standards are applicable to a wide range of projects, different industries need to adapt best practices to their particular projects. As a matter of fact, tailoring is one of the cornerstones in all respected project management methodologies.
Is non-profit project management different than for-profit? It is not that non-profit project management is different from for-profit project management. Let’s consider an IT project, for example. It doesn’t really matter if you are implementing Enterprise Resource Planning - ERP software in a private company or in a NGO (Non-governmental organization), those projects should be very similar. However, the organizational context is extremely different.
Project management in non-profits is different because:
In summary, there is a variety of stakeholders and processes that may impact NGOs, which demands some tailoring to non-profit project management.
From my experience with NGOs, I feel the need for project management approaches better suited to non-profit project management. Below are some references on NGO project management that I found very helpful:
Please share your experience and references in NGO project management below. I look forward to your comments and suggestions. |
When you are making the World a Better Place, Who Has Time for Paperwork?
| Combining creative and analytical skills helps NGOs' project performance! NGO (Non-Government Organization) and NPO (Non-Profit Organization) Founders take pride in creating organizations that address various social justice issues, such as establishing green environment, sourcing micro financing for small businesses, or providing educational opportunities for girl-children. Their energy, skill, and creativity works in government, local agencies, and grassroots movements to make the dream a reality. But energy and passion needs to be balanced with rigorous planning, organization, and management. This is where a Project Management skill set can step in. Here are the top 3 reasons why your NPO organizations should care about Project Management. #1 - You only get one chance to make a good first impression
Make it count! In today’s world, there are several non-profit organization options out there for almost every charitable goal imaginable. With tool sets like Charity Navigator, BBB Wise Giving Alliance, and GreatNonprofits.org at their disposal, the average donator is much more discerning with who they give their money to. Keeping in mind that approximately 39% of (IT) projects fail, it is in the best interest of any non-profit organization to limit the possibility of project failure and ensure the people who provide funding maintain confidence in the organization’s ability to deliver on their promises. Since poor project management process is one of the main reasons projects fail, it makes sense to invest in project management oversight to mitigate this issue before it derails your project and undermines the confidence of your donors and stakeholders. #2 - Money does not grow on trees
Can’t Grow a Money Tree - Matt Harris - CC BY-NC Closely related to #1, we have to remember that money is finite and this is especially true in the non-profit sector. For IT projects, the average cost overrun is 43% and a whopping 71% of projects come in over budget (est. waste in the US alone: $55 billion per year). PM processes help to mitigate these issues by a strong focus on Project Planning, managing scope creep, tracking and measuring progress, and keeping stakeholders engaged and informed throughout delivery. This ensures that *what* needs to get done is directly tied to *how* are we going to get there: PM oversight can help provide the tactical approach to achieve the NGO's strategic objectives. #3 - Haste Makes Waste
According to a KPMG Global survey, short-term projects (<1 year) are more likely to fail than those of longer durations. While one’s intuition might be that a short-term project is easy and should not be additionally burdened with administrative and management overhead (or costs!); it is these projects that are at most risk. When we rush projects or skimp on delivery methodology, we increase the risk of failure. Projects - especially shorter ones - benefit from good planning, well-defined requirements, schedule management, and cost control. In the non-profit world, there is little margin for waste: especially if you are to remain appealing to your donor base. From this perspective, Project Management oversight is a smart investment. While Project Management is perceived as a lot of forms, paperwork, and administrative burden, in reality, it can provide invaluable returns for an NGO (Non-Profit Organization). By increasing the chance that a project delivers on-time, on-budget, and actually meets the needs and expectations of the organization's stakeholders, this oversight can help ensure a steady donor stream, maintain public confidence, and support continued commitment to an Organization’s strategic objectives and goals. What other benefits have you noticed (as a PM or as an NGO) Project Management provides to the Non-Profit sector? What kinds of challenges does one face in the Non-Profit world that you would never see in private or public sector industries? Chime in the comments section below! |
Volunteering Outside of Your Industry
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The new challenge of a volunteer assignment outside of your industry sector is a great opportunity to learn how to get out of your comfort zone. Here are 6 tips for navigating new territory: #1 - Do your homework. Ideally, you will know something about the organization before volunteering. But, if your information is limited, spend time before your first day on the project to develop a working understanding of the organization and the field. #2 - Deep-dive into the onboarding literature. Depending on the structure of the organization, there may be some literature available to describe the basics of the organization, its causes, and its missions. Use these onboarding materials as a starting point. Let your natural interest and curiosity guide the direction of your research. #3 - Interview and observe. The resources within the organization may not have been devoted to developing a thorough website, so – unlike in a new job – it’s not always the best place to start on researching the organization. Instead, it might be best to start with interviewing the leaders, other volunteers in the organization. Get an idea of their perspective of what the organization is trying to accomplish. Sometimes, knowing the challenges from their perspective can help you narrow in on what information you need to research to perform well in your role. #4 - Reach out to your network. Not only is your network of friends and family a good resource for finding volunteer assignments, they may be able to connect you with a professional actively working in the field. This person can give a good idea of reasonable expectations for outcomes of the project. #5 - Ask if you can spend time with clients. Respecting the principles of engagement, meet with key community leaders and groups in their surroundings to learn about their needs and what the organization’s work means to them. Early and effective stakeholder engagement also helps to build trust between the community or clients and the NGO. #6 - Go back to school. Taking professional development courses to learn more about the sector allows you to be involved in a structured program with an educator dedicated to answering your questions and making sure you comprehend the relevant material. The commitment to a professional development course can range from 1-hour webinars to multi-week open coursework to an on-site intensive seminar. It is important to not be overwhelmed by your lack of knowledge in the field. This could actually be an advantage to the organization as you are providing “fresh eyes” to the state of the organization. When we are very familiar with a project, we have the propensity to develop bias and may lose the critical perspective. This is even more likely when the passion for the project is high. Be ready to be a sponge in the beginning; absorb every piece of information from everyone engaged in the organization. But, also be prepared to ask questions that will grow your knowledge. Leverage skills from your industry sector, look for activities that overlap in function, if not name, and try to draw parallels from them. Don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and take the challenge. Today is a great day to learn something new! Do you find that you volunteer in organizations with causes outside your area of expertise? What tips can you offer for matching your skills across industry sectors? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below. |
4 Steps to Effectively Engage Stakeholders in Non-profit Project Management
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All projects and organizations struggle with getting stakeholder engagement right. Unfortunately, there are few guidelines, techniques, or case studies available to overcome this common obstacle . A successful project depends on stakeholders’ expectations and perceptions and satisfying these expectations is crucial. Most of the time, stakeholder engagement is considered synonymous with soft skills rather than methodology, which leaves engagement up to chance and the luck of having a charismatic project manager. But stakeholder engagement does not need to be left to chance! Here are 4 steps to improve stakeholder engagement and obtain valuable support in non-profit sector projects.
Figure 1 – Four steps to engage stakeholders effectively (Trentim, 2015)
#1 Establish What Results Your Stakeholders Care About The first step is to identify stakeholders, document their expectations and engage them in a collaborative effort to define project purpose and value propositions. Uncovering needs and aligning realistic expectations right from the start is paramount. To identify stakeholders, there are different tools and techniques, such as brainstorming, organizational analysis, categories, checklists, lessons learned, historical information, benchmarking and expert opinion. One of the most effective tools is to create and update a Stakeholder Breakdown Structure with common categories or types of stakeholders. In Figure 2, you find a suggestion of stakeholder breakdown structure for an IT project.
Figure 2 – Stakeholder breakdown structure (example)
#2 Develop A Plan to Deliver to those Expectations Once you have a long list of potential stakeholders, it is possible to analyze and prioritize based on importance and influence. Sometimes, there is a large number of stakeholders and it is not possible to involve all of them in the same way. That’s when analysis and categories are useful. Based on common interests, individual and group contributions, the project manager can decide on the best strategies to involve and engage persons, groups and organizations. There are various tools and techniques to collect requirements and define scope. We will discuss some of them in a future article. If you’re curious, take a look at problem structuring methods, collaborative approaches to combine different perspectives into a “big picture” in problem solving.
#3 Work Your Plan! Now that you have your project plan in place with all the input and help from your stakeholders, it is time to put engagement strategies to work. Project execution is always challenging because it depends on a variety of factors. It is not uncommon that stakeholders lose interest along the way because they engage in new ventures, raising issues in commitment, buy-in, participation and contributions that were agreed in the beginning. Never take planning and commitment for granted. Always confirm along the way and frequently review the stakeholder register for new stakeholders and to analyze changes in attitude.
#4 Follow-up and get Feedback (Please Keep in Touch)! In daily activities of running a project, it is easy to forget the importance of keeping in touch and getting feedback. It is essential to have a process in place to review stakeholders’ satisfaction at every phase or milestone. This prevents problems from growing bigger and jeopardizing the end of your project. What challenges have you faced in creating stakeholder engagement, and how have you managed them?? What are the main challenges of project management in nonprofit organizations? Any suggestions of tools and techniques we could add to those steps? Please leave your comments below.
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Finding Your First Volunteer Assignment
| Why volunteer? We live in a time of increased global demand for humanitarian action. As the demand grows, so does the complexity of the need. NGOs and other organizations may be strained to find resources with the talent and expertise to navigate the technical and logistical challenges of delivering impactful solutions. “Key to making operations work better is getting the right people on the ground with the right skills and experience, at all levels ” (Valerie Amos, May 13, 2011, The Guardian). The knowledge and skills developed as project management professionals can help transform ideas to outcomes. You have an opportunity to integrate your personal beliefs and professional experiences and drive towards a positive impact in our world. From the construction of a green-space in a high-risk community, to establishing volunteer shelters in a natural disaster, to planning a major fundraising initiative for a healthcare NGO, the capacity to execute is invaluable. So, how do you find an organization whose mission aligns with your personal values?
“So many organizations need help! Why should I make this commitment?” At this point, you may find the number of organizations where you can get involved to be overwhelming, and you may wonder why you should continue to pursue your first assignment. To put it simply: “To welcome the opportunity of contributing to the world's work ...because of the joy of service thereby bestowed and the talent of leadership multiplied” (Alpha Gamma Delta, The Purpose). Beyond making you feel good about giving back, volunteering can help you refine your leadership skills as you seek ways to overcome unique logistical and cultural challenges in your assignment. Through volunteer work, you can acquire skills not available in your current professional role. It's an impactful way to learn how to drive innovation, motivate accountability, and mobilize teams through unusual and enterprising efforts. Get invigorated by your work! Use your knowledge and passion for project management to make meaningful change to the way we approach the world’s work. |