Project Development

General Advice

Project development is often missed out by groups who try to jump straight from having a great idea to filling in a funding application. However, this will make you less likely to be able to access funding and also run the risk of your project failing. A well-developed project has a number of key elements:

• A clear goal, thought about in terms of the benefit you want to achieve not just what you want to do
• Strong evidence of need, this will be a requirement for nearly all funders
• Consideration of a range of options of how to deliver the benefit you want. This is often ignored but if done properly whilst you may not end up doing what you intended you will end up delivering better outcomes
• An understanding of risk, what might go wrong, how likely it is and what are you going to do about it
• Practical elements that are well thought-through, timescales that are realistic, sums that add up and the knowledge of where the skills and other resources you need will come from
• Outcomes, outputs and milestones that let you keep track of progress, know when thing are going well (or not) and understand if you are achieving the benefit you intended

Community Action Norfolk can help you with

• Training on project development
• Templates and tools to help you plan your project
• Act as a critical friend to see if your plans are realistic
• Develop project governance and understand the different roles needed to make a project successful
• Set realistic objectives and targets
• Understand how you will evaluate your project and know when you’ve been successful
• Help you access funding  
• Help you develop the evidence you need, including undertaking consultation and engagement

To start turning your idea into reality, get in contact.