Project
Planning Tools
(Adapted from The Shape of Change: A Curriculum for
Building Strong Communities and a Sustainable Economy. © 2000 Susan
Santone/Creative Change Educational Solutions. http://www.creativechange.net)
STEP 1. PLANNING: Consider your goals, resources, and obstacles:
· What do I want to accomplish? What would I like to be different
as a result of my action? Where can I have an influence? Can I change
my own behaviour? My friends' and family's behaviour? Can I make a change
in the community? Can I inform others? Can I provide assistance to a group
· What resources do I need? What do I have? If I don't have what
I need, can I work with others who do? What would it take to get the resources
I need?
· What barriers might I encounter? Who might be resistant to what
I'm doing? How will I overcome these barriers?
The following table shows how one student weighed different options:
| Level
of influence |
Examples
of things I can do |
Resources
needed |
Potential
barriers |
| My
own behaviour |
I
can make a friend who is from a different religion or ethnic group. |
I
will need time to develop a friendship. |
What
if that person doesn't want to be friends with me? |
| My
friends' behaviour |
I
can speak out when I hear put-downs and racial insults. |
I
need to know the right words to say. I'll also need courage. Having
the support of other friends or a teacher would help, too. |
People
may laugh at me or tease me. I might not say the right thing. |
| The
community |
I
can invite a representative to the class to speak about discrimination.
I can ask them what I can to reduce |
I'll
need time, a phone, and maybe a computer to write them a letter or
e-mail. Then I'll need more time and resources act on the visitor's
suggestions. |
It's
time-consuming to find someone, invite them, and prepare interview
questions. Following-through might be difficult. |
| National
or international actions |
I
can find out if my country has ratified the UN conventions against
discrimination. I can donate money to a group that is fighting discrimination.
|
I
will need time to research national policies. I'll also need access
to books, a library, or a computer. Making a donation takes money,
and I need to find out what groups to donate to. |
The
research might be time-consuming. I might not have money to donate.
What can I do to raise some money? |
Now,
create your own table to weigh your options and choose a goal for yourself.
When you've decided on a goal, organize your project as directed below.
STEP 2. ORGANIZING: Write up a summary of your plan:
a. My goal is
b.
It will take this much time:
c.
These are the resources I will need:
d.
My project will be successful if…
STEP 3: DOING! Write down your plan and get going on it. The clearer
you outline what needs to be done and by when, the greater chance you'll
have of success:
Action
step Finish by this date
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
STEP 4: CHECKING AND REFLECTING: As you go along (and after you're
done), evaluate your efforts. If something's just not working, don't worry.
Revise your plan. Go back to steps 1 and 2 if needed.
· Did I complete the steps?
· What worked as I had expected?
· What unexpected difficulties arose?
· What could I have done differently?
· What new skills did I learn?
· What new knowledge did I gain?
|
