Tip - Nonprofits and PM

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MANAGING MULTIPLE PROJECTS
v Separate Projects from Non-Projects
vStart with Strong Project Titles
vBuild a Project Inventory
vPrioritize Multiple Projects
vSimplify Managing Similar Projects
vRecession-Proofing Projects (NEW)

SCHEDULING
vSchedule Any Project

PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE
vMS Excel
vProject KickStart
vMS Outlook
vMS Project

FAST-TRACK PROJECTS
vBuild Trust
vCost vs. Time
vCompress Schedules
vProject Gateways

PM FOR NON-PROFITS
vOptimize Project Organization

Nonprofits and Project Management
Grouping similar projects and partnering eases paths for nonprofits.

Nonprofits need to organize their projects as the means of implementing policies, initiatives and directives, and group similar projects together.

In this case study, a nonprofit working with disadvantaged youth ran programs to keep kids in school. Their four main programs consisted of:

Parental Involvement

In-Class Presentations

After School Tutoring

In-School Drop-Out Prevention.

What they in fact called "Keep Kids in School," was one project to them, but at least four projects above, and, after a closer look, the nine separate subprojects shown in the work breakdown structure (WBS) below.

At the top level this looks like one project, but breaking it into its components shows that it could be nine projects.

Trying to run these projects from the "Keep Kids in School" level was blending nine related, but different projects into a blur. Identifying individual projects allowed tasks in one project to be distinct from tasks in another.

These nine represented only a few of what turned out to be over 100 projects that this well-funded, but over-burdened non-profit was hoping to manage with 8-9 people. Separating projects from non-projects and building a WBS out of the project inventory showed a projects-to-people ratio over 10-to-1, longer odds than at most horse races. Either more staff or fewer projects would be needed, otherwise quality would have to give, as it had been.

" 100 projects for 8-9 people... means quality will give."

Now informed decisions could be made. Justification for additional staff had been validated, as had a reduction in the initiatives that the Board had recommended. Reality and expectations were coming together.

Meanwhile, the non-profit had been combing through its project list to combine similar projects. For example, they were offering several training programs that needed to be managed more like a curriculum than separate projects. Parenting programs, high school programs, single parent programs and other project groups soon began to come together.

Partnering gained a higher priority. Various project partners -- parents, teachers, schools, law enforcement, advisors -- were involved in these projects, so to a certain extent many of the partners needed to take more responsibility for their annual, semi-annual or quarterly projects.

People, projects, policies and budgets came together for this nonprofit in a surprisingly short time as better organization led to strategies for taming the mix of projects.

For more, see Multiple Projects, Scheduling or Project Management workshops.

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