Fast Track Project Process
Regardless of client or project type, every ACT project goes through a similar process, which includes project development and planning, work plan implementation, and evaluation. The three essential phases to the Fast Track project process are:
- Phase I: Scoping the Project
- Phase II: Project Execution
- Phase III: Project Completion and Wrap-Up
Knowing what's coming up, and having everyone in agreement, will help your project proceed as smoothly as possible toward a successful outcome.
Phase I: Scoping the Project
Objective: To define project scope and required resources in writing
Key Challenge: To balance the client's wish list against ACT consultant interests, skills, and availability; to set consultant and client expectations
Deliverables: Abbreviated project work plan (agreed upon by consultant/s and client), set of follow-up meeting dates
This first phase may be the most important in determining your project's degree of success. Prior to a kick-off meeting with all consultant/s and key client contacts, consultant/s should review the client's project application and be ready to ask questions.
Schedule a kick-off meeting with the client at a time when all consultant/s and key client contacts can attend. If desired, invite an ACT staff member to attend the meeting and help facilitate the discussion. The meeting agenda might include the following:
- Introductions (consultants should share relevant skills/experience and motivation for joining the project)
- Background of the issue, presented by the client
- Q&A/discussion about the issue
- Negotiation of deliverables, timeline, and next steps, all agreed upon by the client and consultant/s
- Agreement on client contact and key stakeholders who will ensure implementation of final recommendations
- Scheduling of follow-up meetings and date of final recommendations
Allow for plenty of time during this first meeting to fully explore major issues, as the project will move quickly and unanswered questions at the beginning may delay the final recommendations. At the end of this phase, ACT consultant/s should be ready to embark on exploration of the issue with occasional communication with the client contact.
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Phase II: Project Execution
Objective: To execute against the work plan
Key Challenges: To engage the consultant/s all the way through to completion, to stay on schedule
Deliverables: Data collection, analysis, and presentation of final recommendations
After the kick-off meeting with the client, consultant/s should re-group to confirm understanding of final deliverables and timeline (if more than one volunteer is involved). Work out logistical details, including a series of meeting times and location(s), how the group will communicate, and how meetings will be conducted. Then, as a group, develop expectations for the project and each other, including assignment of key deliverables. Tie upcoming meetings to deliverables and expect to work independently and collectively between meetings to achieve your goal.
During the Project Execution phase, the client should consider the following:
- Honor the original project scope unless your consultant/s offer more time to the process—Fast Track projects are intended to take only a few months and to require a total of 10-15 hours per consultant. If you believe your project might be more extensive, contact ACT to explore other options.
- Your involvement is vital to success—In many cases, consultants set aside a specific amount of time per month for project implementation and schedule other involvements around the project cycle. Show that you value your volunteer's time by responding quickly to requests for information and prompting your board and staff members to assist the consultant/s as needed to move ahead in a timely manner. If you believe the project might be getting off track, discuss your concerns immediately with the consultant/s or the ACT office to ensure that your shared goal will be met in the time allotted. Openness and responsiveness throughout the process will ensure that the final recommendations are useful for your organization.
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Phase III: Project Completion and Wrap-Up
Objective: To provide closure and opportunity for feedback to the client, consultant/s, and ACT
Key Challenge: To encourage completion of follow-up surveys
Deliverables: Final recommendations filed with ACT office, completed follow-up surveys
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The ACT office requests the following from clients and consultants in order to officially close a project:
- File final report with ACT Staff—ACT uses all learnings to inform future projects. Consultants should submit to ACT any final recommendations or reports shared with the client. Send to ACT at info@stanfordact.org.
- Complete online Zoomerang survey as soon as it arrives—ACT staff will send a brief satisfaction survey to consultants and clients soon after the project is complete. This survey information is vital to ensure an engaged volunteer pool and to help ACT improve its programming, so please be sure to complete it in a timely manner.
- Stay in touch with one another—ACT volunteers find satisfaction in knowing that their work made a positive impact on an organization. Volunteers will welcome occasional updates about big successes as a result of the consulting project. If mutually desirable, the ACT experience can serve as a springboard for future relationships between nonprofit clients and volunteers.
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