Step 3 – Develop a plan of action

The next step is to produce a plan of action. It doesn’t have to be detailed and can be updated as you go along.

Managing a community project from start to finish means you need to keep on top of every aspect – including staff and volunteers, budget and promotion. It’s important to stay organised, communicate regularly with your team and take the time to look at what’s working and what isn’t.

Involving the community

In Step 2, we highlighted the importance of involving others, making sure you consult regularly with your community to address any issues or concerns relating to your project. Depending on the type of project you are running, you may find that it’s best to involve the community in developing a plan of action too.

Setting goals

Try to think what success would look like. What could your community project realistically achieve?
Often it’s a good idea to start with a small goal and once your project has achieved it, you can look at ways to branch out.

You may feel your community project has a number of benefits – a family fun day would provide activities for children but would also bring different members of the community together. Or improving your area by sprucing up a community garden which could later be used to host community events.
The main thing is to prioritise and pick one key objective. This will help you stay on track and keep tasks manageable.

Below are some links to free guides, software and websites that can help you plan your project.