Whether it is for:

• a specific funding bid

• a standalone project

• funding strategy development

• organisational strategy development

I’ll be teaching you about the key areas that need attention, such as:

• establishing the evidence for the need for the project

• understanding progress: how and what to measure to monitor and evaluate effectively

• capturing learning

• building sustainability

So that you can keep everyone along for the ride by leading and communicating well.

What’s more, this will be a budget and Gantt chart free zone. 

We all love the results, getting the ‘Yes!’ replies to grant applications; introducing the VIP guest at a sunny grand opening event; or (my favourite) seeing a project beneficiary bloom, but do you enjoy the foundation work? I can’t say I’m crazy about it and I’ve been at this game for over 20 years. Even if you have lots of project management experience from outside the voluntary sector, are you sure you know what best to focus on when time, money and energy are finite? Do you worry about getting it wrong, letting people down, or making the right set of decisions that will help your beneficiaries in the best way? People often talk of the ‘Arrive – Survive – Thrive’ journey, but did you know it can take up to two years to feel confident in a new voluntary sector role? Perhaps you aren’t yet very sure of where your responsibility begins and ends, and you’d really appreciate some clarity so that you can see the way forwards. This masterclass is designed to help you with all these areas of uneasiness, so that you can project plan with confidence.

Most UK grant funders report massive oversubscription for grant applications, which means that lots of small, non-profit organisations pour valuable resources into unsuccessful bids – it is a numbers game, and securing funding is becoming increasingly competitive. I don’t know many small organisations with big purposes who have spare resources to burn in this way. Even if your project doesn’t require external funding, your organisation probably doesn’t have the resources to fritter on unsuccessful projects. All too often it feels like there is a lot at stake, and that can cause a Board to procrastinate and get indecisive as people worry about doing the wrong thing. The answer is a good quality, practical and relevant project plan that’s been created on a ‘do it once, do it (mainly) right basis’, so that people in and around the project really understand what it is for, what will happen and the difference it will make.

Writing a complete project plan can be a dry old task. It is so very easy to cut straight to the fun bit of just making things happen, but this is a short cut which often results in going a longer way round, or even failing altogether. There are many really reliable ways of failing including:

• Not having enough evidence for need

• Not ensuring there is support for project delivery

• Not keeping an eye on progress or checking for necessary adjustments

• Not keeping supporters engaged

• Not understanding timescales

I have experience of grant funding decision making. It is not for the faint hearted – it really is terrible just how many good projects rule themselves out of the race simply by failing to develop a half decent plan. 

I don’t want half decent for you, I want you to get to killer level of project plan! With a little extra information and intentional effort you can build high quality, comprehensive project plans. It needn’t take as long as you might think and it doesn’t have to be a drudge.

Firstly, we won’t be focusing on ‘the thing’ that your project will bring into being, we’ll just be assuming that something will be created or bought, or some great activities will happen. We’ll also assume that someone in your organisation can come up with a properly costed way of making it so because persistent ferreting isn’t a particularly unusual skill. The reason we don’t need to focus on those things is because they’re in plain sight. Instead, we’ll be bringing attention to the more subtly essential parts of a project plan: 

• the difference the project will make; 

• (appropriate) evidence for need; 

• monitoring and evaluation; 

• project sustainability and capturing learning;

all whilst relating back to The Purpose that underlies everything that your organisation does. 

Proper consideration of these aspects is what makes a project plan a great investment, rather than a potential sink of additional costs, ultimately making your project plan stand out from the crowd in funding bid assessments and crowded newsfeeds. 

The Project Planning with Confidence Masterclass Course has at its heart a five hour (10am-3pm) virtual workshop, with a guide book and work book. I have designed it to be a blend of learning, group coaching and co-working. A week ahead of the workshop, you’ll receive brief information on some foundational topics so that we can really focus on actual project planning when we begin on the day. This is not ‘new shiny thing’ training – there is no point me taking you away from your usual activities if you do not implement what you learn, so in addition to the co-working time on the day, a week later there will be a 90 minute (12noon-1.30pm) group Q&A session with me. Peer learning is important, so there is a private Facebook group for you to network and discuss your work with one another. As part of the package, there is an option to purchase heavily discounted individual coaching sessions with me.

• better understand project planning in the context of the voluntary sector;

• understand what goes into a compelling plan;

• know how to make an effective contribution of your skills, knowledge and experience;

• understand how to get clarity on:

       • relevant evidence for need

       • goals and appropriate ways of measuring progress

       • capturing learning

       • communication to others

• have gained transferable skills;

• be part of a community group of peers; 

• have gained momentum with your real project plan;

• be able to confidently communicate about the difference your project will make to real people, places or creatures; 

The people I work with care very deeply about their organisations. Whether they are local charities, community groups or sports clubs managing on small budgets, or organisations with larger incomes and paid staff, everyone is here to make a difference. That is what makes our sector so special, and that is what inspires me to support people like you to contribute your skills, knowledge and experience with confidence. I want to see you thriving in your role.

Frankly, in over 20 years of working in development management alongside the many successful funding bids, I have some amassed some truly world class experience in project failure. I have also seen first hand the long term effects of one-dimensional project plans; the disasters resulting from relying on reputation rather than evidence; and the occasionally catastrophic fall out from Trustees taking a route of least resistance and ignoring good governance. I have seen too the missed opportunities from failing to monitor and evaluate a project nor considering how to stitch a project into the longer life of an organisation. 

I do not think everyone needs to have personal experience of these failures, and alongside the shocking competition for funding in the first place, I don’t believe that your beneficiaries can afford for you to learn project planning from first principles – they need you to stand on the shoulders of others. 

In addition to over two decades in the sector and £millions raised through successful finding bids and community fundraising activities; I have carried out systems thinking research into the funding of this sector as part of my MSc in Development Management. I have held paid and voluntary roles in the sector. I have experience of grant funding decision making. Overall, I have a deep understanding of the way this sector works, the people in it and what brings great outcomes for your beneficiaries. It isn’t difficult, it’s just a different way of thinking. 

'Alison has a wealth of knowledge and useful contacts in the charity sector. Within a few minutes of talking through the issues with me, she was able to unravel complex structures and show me exactly what we needed. Her '100 reasons' technique was really useful to help the committee start to explore the reasons our organisation needs to exist. Alison is friendly, approachable, generous and really knows her stuff - if you want to get a new organisation running or need to fine-tune your trustee practices, I wouldn't hesitate in recommending her!' AC

'I've known Alison a long time so can speak to her depth, insight and general warmth as a person. Recently I've had the privilege of being coached by Alison as I start my charity consultancy business. She has real excitement for drawing out key themes, passions and ideas. She understands people. She connects the dots between people's thoughts, their subconscious thoughts, client behaviour, books that can help, methodologies that can help, people that can help. Alison is full of ideas and recommendations. If you're stuck about where to go next, she will help you find your way.'  BM

Included:

• 5 hour virtual workshop

• A guidebook and a workbook

• Preparation materials

• 90 minute Q&A session

• Dedicated private Facebook group

Optional extra: discounted one-to-one coaching session @ £120 per hour.

I have some virtual course terms and conditions. Fundamentally I don’t like working with unhappy people, so if you feel you need to discuss a refund for any reason, please let me know at the earliest opportunity so that we can have a reasonable discussion about what has happened and how best to support you. 

You (yes, YOU!) are perfectly capable of confidently creating smart, effective, implementable project plans. The cost of poor project planning to beneficiaries in lost opportunities is incalculable. Small organisations with big purposes already lose millions of pounds each year through the highly competitive grant funding bid process. By working with me and your fellow participants, this masterclass will help you to project plan with confidence, enabling your organisation to avoid wasting valuable resources, and help you to help the people, places and creatures that your organisation exists to support. Let me help you to help them.