Sweating the Small Stuff: Evaluation Project Planning
Man with long beard works with metal using hammer and anvil
In the month of July, we are turning the mic over to Emily Neill, Evaluation Assistant at Improved Insights. Emily joined the Improved Insights team at the end of 2022 as an administrative assistant and has gradually taken on more responsibilities related to evaluation and research. Her combination of critical thinking skills, aptitude for organization, and love of learning have been assets in a variety of roles throughout her career, including operational support and project management.
In this post, Emily will discuss the value of a detail-oriented mindset and how a strong infrastructure is key to program success. Without further ado, let’s get into it.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a gal who has focused on the details. I love the process of slowly uncovering a new subject or process that I did not understand before. Getting to know a topic intimately, picking apart its pieces, and putting them back together is how I would willingly spend most of my time given the option. Luckily, I’ve found myself in a cross-section of careers (both the evaluation and project management worlds) where this mindset is valuable.
In the corporate world, well-intentioned leaders frequently repeat idioms like, “Don’t sweat the small stuff!” and “Don’t miss the forest for the trees!” Though these phrases have become ubiquitous for good reason, in this post, I’d like to discuss a side of project planning that is often overlooked: the details.
The beginning stages of a project can be exhilarating. Brainstorming and ideation require enthusiasm, passion, and a willingness to speak one’s mind. In this phase, it is great to “throw spaghetti at the wall” and see what sticks. But what happens when the creative phase has concluded? The next step is to shift to the less exciting, but no less essential, implementation phase. An initiative’s success often does not hinge on the quality of its ideas, but on whether the scope can be broken down into actionable, achievable steps. The implementation phase is where folks like me - those dedicated to “sweating the small stuff” - thrive.
In both of my roles as a project manager and evaluation assistant, it is necessary to extrapolate tasks from an end goal. In order to do that as a project manager, I need to understand a few fundamental things: key deliverables, the project timeline, and the general roles, responsibilities, and strengths of personnel assigned. Fully grasping all of these details, and a multitude of other aspects that make up the whole, enables me to develop a clear and realistic roadmap of the project. If I understand the scope well, I can clearly define associated tasks, required resources, and due dates, among other things. It also helps me level-set with my team and provide them with a clear set of expectations so they clearly understand their roles and responsibilities within the project.
The process I follow as an evaluation assistant is very similar to the way I approach project planning. If I am assisting with an evaluation where a client wants to track a program’s performance year over year, I need to start by understanding their particular definition of success. What kind of outcomes are they prioritizing for program participants? Did their goals shift between years? Were there significant changes to the team between program iterations? Depending on the evaluation focus, I might ask about a myriad of other elements to ensure that I fully grasp the nuances and context of the program. This exercise helps me develop clear action steps that produce a result for the client that aligns with their goals.
The analogy I like to use when discussing project planning is that it is much more difficult to drive a car if you haven’t built the road first. When a solid infrastructure is laid ahead of time, the course of a project is smoother, and avoids susceptibility to a lack of preparation when the unexpected inevitably occurs. Whether I am working on an evaluation or planning out a project, it is essential to take the following steps in order to create a clear project strategy and communicate direction to the assigned team:
Understand the definition of success within the context of the project
Identify key deliverables
Scope the project timeline
Define roles, responsibilities, and strengths of personnel assigned
Develop clear and concise action steps
At this point you might be wondering how I keep track of the many factors that make up a project. In my next post, I’ll dive into a few resources and processes that help me manage these complexities. Until then I would encourage you to consider your organization’s approach to project management. Are you more of an ideator or an executor? Do you have a good balance in your organization of both of these strengths?
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