Provocare Coaching

As a community development worker, you will support community members in their own action and influence others to do so. At the same time, you probably need to achieve this by effectively working with limited resources.   Instead of money, you will rely on the talents and abilities of your community, teammates,  and work within the tight finances of the organisation.

Above the planning, triangle tool can help you come up with a simple plan,  and below are some tips on where to start and question you should ask before starting

• Name the program, being creative, yet sensitive (you might be surprised how easily a project name can sink your idea and cause a ruckus )
• What is the goal, who is the project for, and why?
• What is the purpose of the program? Why is it needed? What is your evidence?
• List what the individual goals of the project? What difference will it make? Remember the end product might not be the goal, but the involvement of residents in the process and the connections the build is.
• How does the purpose and goal of this program advance your organisational mission?
• Come up with a vision statement that sells and inspires
• Research: has it been done before elsewhere? What were the lessons?
• List the benefits, risks, and possible challenges and how you will mitigate them
• come up with possible objections people might have and identify if you can answer those objections.
• Use these objections un-defensively to troubleshoot and refining what you are trying to achieve.
• Be prepared: Your feasibility study might show you cannot proceed, or that your program is not needed, or, it is not the right time, and then it is back to the drawing board.
• Be creative. Money does not solve all of the problems! You can be amazed by what you can do for nothing as you maybe about some hidden costs
• Make sure you have adequately understood any legal requirements, including insurance and follow their guidelines and policies, particularly with risk assessments. If you are not sure, ask and ask again.
• Come up with an action plan, and put it all down on paper, step by step working back from your end goal (see planning triangle as a great tool )
• Decide who can help and be responsible for different parts of the project.
• Have co-leaders who recruit people and expertise. They can train and mentor them so as the program grows; the new volunteers become the new leader’s, they recruit new supporters, and so forth.
• Establish a system for support and supervision and show regular gratitude for all involved
• Do not let it start and then forget about it! Momentum is hard to get back once is lost
• Decide what skills and abilities will be needed to run it.
• How many volunteers will you need?  What training might be required? And Have a plan to train them or find someone else who can
• What are the real financial needs and costs versus your existing resources?
• Do not feel you have to reinvent the wheel. Chances are, someone else is already doing it, so find them and get to know them!
• Contact other organisations, business, agencies in your area, even outside of your usual network who are doing similar programs.

• Pick their brains for ideas:
  • Ask what you need to do.
  • Ask what you should avoid.
  • Ask for any materials or samples they can loan you.
  • Ask what and how they would go about it if they had it to do again.
  • Ask what their successes and failures were.
  • Ask to come and visit them and see their work for yourself.

• Check online for existing resources and guides
• Outline a plan to meet any unmet resource needs!
• Write the benefits to the organisations and community.
• Decide what the financial requirements will be, and make a budget.
• Have an accounting plan, with checks and balances.
• Have another person outside the program tp cross-check your work.
•  Decides how the finances can be secured, or other possible sources of funds and in-kind support.
•  List what stakeholders you need to communicate with and be accountable to ensure ownership by all
• Make sure you control your expenses and cash flow analysis.
• Keep receipts, always make sure you have genuine invoices, don’t pay in advance, deposit exists for a reason
• Always get several quotes, check reviews, look up registrations and do an ABn check
• Develop a communication and marketing strategy
• Don’t get paralysed by over analysing the what if’s. Make decisions and solve problems.
• Decide how it will be evaluated, set your KPIs focus on output and outcomes.
• Collect data and impact stories from day one. 
• Decided when you will start, the venue, day and time of the meeting, etc.
• Decide how long the program will run for
• What are your expectations? And Keep in mind the organisation, and funders expectations are potentially not the same as yours or will appear conflicting
• If in doubt, test it  Evaluate it to show  management how it can work and remain flexible to feedback and change
• Remember, you may discover that you did not need it or it is just not feasible
• Implement and manage the program!
• When it starts, give people time to process the idea, changes and to get behind it
• Evaluate it regularly for fine-tuning and implementing course corrections when they needed and quickly

How far have we achieved the outcomes we set?

Have there been any unexpected outcomes? 

What are the lessons we have learned?

What will we need to do now?

 If further action is necessary, return to step one

• Do not forget to celebrate your progress and encourage your supporters and contributors.
• Reflect on lessons learned regularly
• Once the program is running, if working well consider scaling it up and if not learn from it and move on to the next one

What are your tips? What stories do you have of success and challenges?

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