Managing Your Project
Effective project management is essential for driving success in any Enactus project. By ensuring that your team is organized, focused, and aligned with the goals, you can create a clear path forward and maximize your impact. Good management isn’t just about planning but about execution—making sure that every member of the team understands their role and the collective targets while working efficiently to achieve them.
When your project is well-managed, you reduce wasted time, improve collaboration, and maintain momentum toward achieving the goals that will create real, lasting change in your community.
KEY AREAS TO FOCUS ON
Ensuring Everyone Understands The Targets And Goals
It’s easy to get sidetracked if the team is not aligned on the same goals. Make sure everyone understands not just what needs to be done, but why it’s important. Set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART) goals to keep the team focused on results.
Activity:
At the start of your project, dedicate time to defining and agreeing on the main goals. Document these goals and review them regularly during meetings to ensure everyone stays on track.
Template:
Step 1: Define Your Project's Current Goal
What is the primary impact or change you want to create through this project?
Why is this goal important?
Example:
Overall Goal: Improve access to clean water for 500 households in our community by the end of the year.
Why This Matters: Access to clean water is a pressing issue in our community, affecting health and overall quality of life.
Step 2: Break Down into SMART Goals
Write down the specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals for your project.
| SMART CRITERIA | PROJECT GOALS |
|---|---|
| Specific | What exactly do you want to accomplish? |
| Measurable | How will you measure progress? |
| Achievable | Is the goal realistic given resources and time? |
| Relevant | Why is the goal important to the overall project? |
| Time-bound | When is the deadline? |
Example:
Specific: Install 50 water filters in community homes.
Measurable: Measure success by the number of homes served and the reduction in waterborne diseases.
Achievable: We will use funding and local fundraising to purchase the filters.
Relevant: This supports our main goal of improving water access and health outcomes.
Time-bound: Complete installations by the end of the first term
Step 3: Assign Goals to Team Members
Each SMART goal should have a clear owner or group responsible for achieving it
| GOAL | RESPONSIBLE PERSON/TEAM | DEADLINE | KEY MILESTONES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install 50 water filters | Installation Team | 31st October | Secure funding, purchase filters |
| Launch community clean water campaign | Marketing Team | 15th November | Finalize campaign materials |
Step 4: Regular Progress Check-ins
At each team meeting, review progress toward each goal and discuss any challenges or changes.
| GOAL | CURRENT PROGRESS | NEXT STEP | DEADLINE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install 50 water filters | 30 filters installed | Finalize installation for remaining 20 | 20th October |
| Launch community clean water campaign | Campaign launched in 3 areas | Extend to 2 more areas | 25th November |
Step 5: Reflect on the Impact
After completing each goal, take time to assess its impact and learn from the process. How did achieving this goal move your project forward?
| GOAL | OUTCOME | IMPACT | LESSON LEARNED |
|---|---|---|---|
| Install 50 water filters | All filters installed | Reduced waterborne illnesses by 20% | Engage the community earlier |
Delegation of Roles
Delegating roles is a critical part of project management. Each team member should have a clear understanding of their responsibilities. Delegation ensures that everyone has ownership of specific tasks, helping to spread the workload evenly and allowing each member to contribute according to their strengths. It also prevents bottlenecks and promotes accountability.
Activity:
As a team, create a responsibility matrix that outlines who is in charge of what. Discuss everyone’s strengths, interests, and available time, and assign roles that suit each member’s capabilities.
Template:
| Task/Activity | Person Responsible | Role | Support Team Members | Deadline | Progress Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Task/Activity 1 | (Insert name) | (Lead, Coordinator, etc) | (Names of Support) | Date | (Not started, in progress, completed) |
| Task/Activity 2 | (Insert name) | (Lead, Coordinator, etc) | (Names of Support) | Date | (Not started, in progress, completed) |
| Task/Activity 3 | (Insert name) | (Lead, Coordinator, etc) | (Names of Support) | Date | (Not started, in progress, completed) |
Setting Clear Meeting Scheduled
Regular meetings are vital for keeping everyone aligned and up to date on progress. It’s important to set clear, consistent schedules for team meetings to maintain accountability. The frequency of these meetings should be enough to track progress without overwhelming the team.
Activity:
Set a weekly or bi-weekly meeting schedule at the start of your project. Each meeting should have a clear agenda, and every team member should come prepared with updates on their assigned tasks.
Less Talk, More Action: Stay Focused
It’s easy to get caught up in endless discussions about what you could do. But effective project management is about focusing on actions that will directly move the project forward. Always ask yourself, “Is this making the boat go faster?”—meaning, is this discussion or task directly contributing to the success of the project?
Activity:
During meetings, regularly check if discussions are actionable. If not, refocus on what can be done immediately to move the project forward. Establish the habit of closing each meeting with clear action points and deadlines for the next steps.
Top Tips
Delegate with Care: Make sure that roles are clearly defined and that each team member has ownership over their tasks. Balanced delegation promotes responsibility and efficiency.
Stay Organized: Use project management tools to keep track of tasks, deadlines, and progress. Staying organized prevents missed deadlines and ensures accountability.
Set Short, Action-Focused Meetings: Keep meetings concise, with a clear agenda and action points. Meetings are for decision-making, not endless discussions.
Prioritize Action: Keep asking yourself, “Is this making the boat go faster?” Focus on actions that will directly contribute to your project’s progress.
Communicate Constantly: Keep communication channels open between team members, especially when deadlines are approaching. Ensure that everyone knows what the next step is.