Working in the Form of Projects

          1 . Analysis of the reality

• Identify the needs and analyze the existing problems, their causes, proximate and remote in order to get to the root of the problem, the primary need which we wish to resolve: what is the most urgent thing that we need to attend in order to generate a change in this reality?
• Determine the people who will be involved in the project, listen to the difficulties and hopes. It is very important that the people who will be affected become involved and participate in the elaboration of the project so that true self-advancement takes place.

          2. Planning

a) Formulation of the objectives:

Beginning with the analysis we can establish a general objective that responds to the primary need that has been highlighted and thus reveal the future positive reality that the project hopes to obtain in the long-term: What improvement or meaningful change do we want to achieve in the long term? Said objective usually coincides with the name of the project.

The objectives are drawn up and the verbs are stated in the infinitive form and ought to answer the question for what? The objectives ought to move in the direction of the key ideas that are stated in the ends and the means of the Association: evangelization, promotion of young people, prevention, formation of leaders and animators of the community, professional training, community development, education on behalf of solidarity and cooperation, socio-cultural services, etc.

The general objective should be concretized with specific objectives (clear, concrete, able to be measured and evaluated) that describe the desired effects on the beneficiaries. What effects will the beneficiaries obtain as a result of the project? Today there is a tendency to work with just one specific objective given the fact that in practice each specific objective constitutes a distinct project.

          b) Establishment of the results:

The results that one hopes to obtain with the project must be thought out and established. These are expressed as goals or achievements that the direction of the project ought to guarantee throughout its duration.

          c) Undertake action:

In order for each specific objective to become a reality a series of actions or specific interventions have to be programmed and this has to be done in such a way that the relation between means and ends is clearly noted. What actions are necessary in order to produce the results that we hope to obtain? It would be very helpful to develop a description of each activity that corresponds to the objective keeping in mind:

• • The content of the activity: the concrete steps that are implied in each action.
  • The concrete method: there are different way to accomplish the same activity, (e.g. formation can be done though classes, workshops, personal lectures, group study, etc).
  • The time or duration of said action: how many hours per week, specific days and time, number of weeks or months that will be needed (starting and final dates), etc.

           d) Persons and means:

It is important to develop an inventory of people and resources or material in order to know if they are sufficient to carry out the project. It is important to know who can be relied on and what resources have to be obtained.

It is good to determine from the beginning who will be the person-in-charge for each activity, if said person has the capacity for the task and has enough time to dedicate to the work involved. It is very important at this stage to work as a network, in other words, look for collaborators, promote the participation of all the people involved in the project and contact other groups who have the same or similar objectives, for example, other branches of the Vincentian Family, other Associations (ecclesial or not), public institutions, private institutions.

We have to develop a budget that is as realistic as possible, noting the expenses involved in the execution of the project (materials, equipment, transportation, personnel, administration, unforeseen) and the income and contributions we can rely on. Usually the budget should be calculated in local currency and in US dollars or Euros, according to the place where the budget will be presented. The local contribution should not be less than 30% of the value of the total project. Once the financing is received and as the project is carried out the person in-charge for finances ought to be meticulous in obtaining and filing in an orderly manner the receipts for every expense (official invoices, etc) in order to show that the expenses conform to the budget approved by the organization and timely reports should also be sent to those organizations that finance a project.

           e) Calendar:

Now we should establish the general calendar of our project, keeping in mind the timeframe that we have assigned to each of the activities as well as the time we will need for the different stages or phases of the project.

           3. Execution-follow-up

When, how and who will engage in this activity on the local, regional and national level. Activity: methodology, persons, material resources, time frame and evaluation.

People are assigned tasks:

• • Chronological ordering of the tasks.
  • Designation of those responsible for making decisions.

As the project is carried out, an individual person or a team of people should be charged with monitoring the work that is done. This will enable the project to be evaluated in relation to the objectives and foreseen results, the activities accomplished, and any new realities that might arise. What specific results were obtained through the management of the project? What new realities have arisen as a result of this project?

A good evaluation is one that is able to identify:

• • the positive and successful results that were obtained,
  • the internal difficulties that were encountered,
  • the external factors, outside the control of the project, that affected positively or negatively the achievement of the objectives.

In order to measure achievement, all objectives and results should have some indicators, (quantitative, qualitative, or some form of behavior). From the beginning it is essential to reflect upon the elements that can guarantee the continuity of the project: people, structures, finances, collaborators, etc. Working with projects has a generative or multiplying effect: as a result of identifying problems during the analysis of the reality and examining the results that are obtained by our action, new projects can be created in order to provide continuity and/or to complement the first project. Is there any other urgent need that should be tended to in order to give continuity to the work that has been begun?

In order to present a project on the national, continental or international level, it is necessary that the Association be civilly recognized in said country. 

Depending on the type of that we carry out according to our ends, the organizations from whom we solicit assistance can be: public or private, civil or ecclesiastical. Each organization has its own requisites and priorities when awarding assistance. For example, to present a project to an ecclesial organization it is necessary that the Association is recognized by the Episcopal Conference of that country or at least by the Ordinary of the place where the project originates (usually the Diocesan Bishop) and that the project has a clear evangelization dimension or service. At the same time an organization of the State will give priority to projects that have a secular character and that will involve the local participation of a specific percentage of the people.

Other important considerations:

• In any project under the responsibility of the VMY the financial contribution of the Association (members, Diocesan, Provincial, and National Councils) ought to be very clear. We have to continue to remind our members to assume (according to their possibilities) the economic support of the projects of the Association. If we want to promote responsibility and the culture of self-advancement then we must clearly state in our projects the role of the beneficiaries, their participation and contribution.
• Generally no organization will finance more than 70% of the total cost of the project. Therefore we should not approach any organization and seek financial assistance unless we have guarantees from other sources that will permit us to cover 30% of the total cost.

The International Council wishes to respond to this request and so it has created a “Service for Projects” within the International Secretariat as a place where formation, information and the management of projects for the Association will be promoted. This service is responsible for:

a) Formation and information

The National Councils will seek for ways to form its members in this methodology. The International Secretariat commits itself to:

• Stimulate and guide the National Councils in this task,
• Offer formation resources through its web page,
• Provide information about possible organizations and agencies that offer assistance.

b) Management of projects

The “Service for Projects” has as a priority the obtainment of resources to support the functioning of the VMY on the International Level (Council and Secretariat): maintaining the Secretariat, the formation of volunteers, visits to other countries, international meetings, publication of formation materials, etc.

Nevertheless this service is also open to the possibility of providing guidance to the National Councils that want to request economic assistance from international organizations while at the same time using the name VMY.

• In each country, the Local, Regional or Provincial Councils that want to obtain subsidies, should first dialogue with the National Treasurer who will identify possible organizations and donors in their own country and will also provide information about the specific requirements of these organizations and establish specific guidelines that must be followed.
• The Service for Projects will request annually information from the national treasurers about the management of projects in their country, the achievements, the difficulties, and the percent of participation by the members of the Association in the projects, etc.
• When using the name of the VMY to request financing for projects from an international organization, whether civil or ecclesiastical, the written authorization from the “Service for Projects” of the International VMY must be obtained. Such authorization will only be given to:

1. Projects endorsed by stable National Councils that ordinarily maintain regular communication with the Secretariat.
2. Countries where the Association is recognized canonically and civilly.
3. Projects whose viability and continuity are clearly expressed.
4. Projects that have at least 30% of the total cost already financed.
5. Projects that provide detailed information about local, regional, or national organizations (both public and private) from whom they have previously requested funds and the response of these organizations.

Once these requirements have been satisfied, the “Service for Projects” will then provide guidance concerning specific organizations from whom funding can be requested and will outline the requirements that are needed to obtain funding.

It is indispensable that the responsible person for the project respond promptly to the requests of the “Service for Projects” and/or the organization that will provide financing and provide all the information that is requested. When these requirements are not satisfied the financing organization can consider the project abandoned and therefore will ask that the money be returned.

We do not pretend to have been exhaustive in proposing this theme but our intention is to encourage all our members and councils to assume this “new” methodology of working so that we can grow qualitatively as an Association in the coming years. It is important that these reflections be shared with the base, with each member of our local centers and groups so that all of us, as an Association, might walk in the same direction. We entrust this task to each one of the National Councils. Hopefully each country will be able to have at least one meeting which will focus on forming our members in these lines of action. We hope that in the near future we can count on an individual from each National Council being responsible for projects. In the meantime, the Service for projects of the International Secretariat will take charge of responding to the objectives for which it was created, promoting this way of thinking and acting in the whole Association.