Every successful project has a clearly defined purpose that is widely understood and supported. What impact will your project have on your community, society, or the environment? Summarise your core purpose in one or two sentences.

Community issues are often complex and deeply rooted, so take the time to thoroughly understand the problem you’re addressing. What is the primary concern you’re responding to? How widespread or urgent is the issue? How do you know the problem exists? Remember that the apparent problem may be a symptom of deeper underlying causes that must be addressed for your project to succeed.

Your project can't address everything at once, so prioritise where to focus your efforts. Determine what aspects the project will cover and what will be outside its scope. Consider the resources needed and what is realistically achievable, as well as which tasks others might be better suited to handle. Remember, you can expand the scope of your project later as you make progress.

Objectives define what a project aims to achieve, shape the necessary activities, and determine how success will be measured. Ensure that your objectives are SMART

Specific.
Measureable.
Achievable.
Realistic.
Time-bound.

Review your objectives to ensure they align with the agreed project scope.

It's unlikely that you'll be able to help everyone, nor will you need to. Take time to define your project's target beneficiaries. Who is affected by the problem, and in what ways? How many people are in this target group, and where are they located? Carefully consider which individuals, families, or communities will benefit most from your work, and how you will engage them from the start to validate the problem and inform the solutions.

It's unlikely that your project can resolve complex social or environmental problems on its own. Identify others who are already addressing or working to solve the problem. How could you collaborate with them to achieve more together? Explore local groups, charities, and government departments that are already involved in the issue.

The activities of your project should directly lead to outcomes that improve the situation and address the problem. Define what success will look like for your project. What changes, benefits, learning, or other effects do you aim to achieve for the beneficiaries? Focus on a few key outcomes that are most important to the people you’re helping. Articulate the objectives clearly and broadly, using terms like "improve," "increase," or "reduce."

Determine how you will measure your project's success. What tangible signs will indicate that you are making progress and achieving your goals? Focus on a small set of performance indicators or metrics for each main outcome. These indicators should offer a balanced view of your work, and be clear, credible, and quantifiable. When establishing your project indicators, consider the practical aspects of tracking and reporting them.

Every project will have a set of tasks, activities or work required to achieve the project objectives. What needs to be done to reach intended beneficaries? How will you resolve the difficulties that beneficaries are facing? Which activities are essential to success? When describing your activities try to break them down into manageable parts and ensure they are sufficiently detailed.

Most projects require a mix of time, money, and expertise to achieve their goals. Identify the resources needed to execute your planned activities. Assess which resources are already available to your team and where gaps exist. Not all resources are equally crucial; some are more essential for successful implementation. Think creatively about how to acquire the missing resources. If you need to apply for grant funding, you can use your Project Canvas as the foundation for your proposal.

Let’s face it: life is unpredictable, and not all aspects of your project will go as planned. Identify the events and circumstances that could most significantly impact your project. What are the potential implications of these risks? Consider strategies to minimise their likelihood or impact. While you can't eliminate uncertainty entirely, acknowledge and manage likely risks without using excessive effort to avoid them completely.

Finally, you're presenting a vital solution to a social or environmental problem. What sets your project apart from previous efforts or related activities? Consider how you will apply innovative methods, ideas, or approaches to address the problem. Reflect on the key factors that will contribute to your project's success.