Get a project group together

To deliver a big project, you need to get a group of people together with specific skills and knowledge.

We can help you identify those skills and give you advice to help you run the group in a professional way.

Ideally, you need people with project management, business and financial skills.

Ask your volunteers what skills they have. Then, in your resource plan, write:

• The full list of skills you think you need
• Those you already have
• Those you hope you can find in the local community
• Those you may have to “buy” in or get from outside experts

To fill the gaps, ask people in your own congregation and the local community if they would like to be involved.

The resource plan will also tell you if your volunteers need training in a specific area. Volunteers need to be trained – they have to know what they are doing.

Find out more about doing a skills audit

At the very least, you need:

• A chairperson to run the meetings
• A secretary to take the minutes
• A treasurer to keep control of the budget
• A communications person
• A project manager
• Someone to engage with the community

Ask people from the church to join the group and include members of the PCC. Also, invite people from the community or a partner organisation.

But don’t ask your architect to join the group – it’s not a good use of their time (or your money) if they come to every meeting. Send them the meetings’ minutes instead.

The larger the team, the better. Just make sure everyone’s tasks are clear.

Funders prefer to deal with properly constituted organisations. So you need to set up a structure to deliver your project and manage it in the long term.

Decide on your group’s terms of reference. They should explain the levels of authority and responsibilities.

Develop a clear set of aims and objectives. Your objectives should explain how you will make your project happen. They should be “SMART”:

• Specific
• Measurable
• Achievable
• Relevant
• Timely

Agree a clear chain of command and communication. Think about who will pay the invoices and how the group will approve expenses. And seek the backing of your PCC.

Find out more about setting yourself up

As a group, talk about how you will run your meetings and how you will make decisions.

You may want to agree a set of values. For example:

• Be positive
• Be respectful
• Speak succinctly and let everyone have their say
• Aim to agree by consensus
• Be responsible for tasks you agreed to do and be honest if you need to ask for help
• Listen to hear

Learn to appreciate others’ contributions.

Schedule regular meetings in the diary to keep your project moving and meet somewhere comfortable and practical.

Agree how often people need to come to meetings for the project to work well. But don’t worry if they can’t make it every time.

Finally, agree how you are going to communicate between meetings.

Find out more about running your meetings

You will create many plans and policies during your project. Collect them all together into one big file. So far, you should have written:

• Your vision statement and mission action plan
• Your building and parish audit
• Your community’s profile and the results of your survey
• Your skills list
• Your objectives

If something changes, don’t forget to go through your documents and update them.

To make your vision become a reality you need to start thinking about:

• What changes, if any, will you need to make to the building?
• Talking to your diocese about faculty
• Developing a structure to manage the project in the short, medium and long term
• The long-term future of your project’s activities
• Making sure you keep people informed