Inspiring good teamwork: our experience jointly developing a detailed implementation plan

A detailed implementation plan is one of the most important components of a project especially when you are working in collaboration with partners.

Realising its importance, Oxfam organised a detailed implementation planning workshop with consortium partners. This sought to orient partners with the details of the project including activities, logical framework, budget provision and phasing, timelines and partnership compliance.

Below are some personal reflections on this process shared by Neeta Shrestha, the project’s research coordinator at Oxfam’s partner Child Workers in Nepal (CWIN).

It has been a very positive experience to be involved in this project that focuses on collecting innovative ideas from the experts working against Gender-Based Violence (GBV). These ideas will help to measure the impact of the GBV programmes conducted during emergency.

With an aim of providing a clear structure to the project, Oxfam in Nepal organised a two-day workshop on the 26 and 27 February 2019. The workshop was dedicated to project orientation and developing a detailed implementation plan for its implementing partners Child Workers in Nepal Concerned Center (CWIN) and Mahila Atma Nirvarta Kendra (MANK).

As it was a short-term research project all of us were eagerly waiting for this to take place. We were keen to gain more information, add our inputs and start moving the process forward. It was also important as the two implementing partners CWIN and MANK were meeting for the first time. It was a great opportunity for the whole project team to come together and show their active and meaningful participation.

The first day of the workshop took place in Oxfam’s office in Nepal. The Gender and Social Justice Coordinator from Oxfam presented the project goals and objectives and the need for preparing the detailed implementation plan. The Executive Directors, research coordinators and finance officers from both CWIN and MANK shared their thoughts and inputs on the project. There was a presentation from the compliance department regarding the budget and the project coordinator demonstrated the ways to complete the detailed implementation plan template.

I think working together to create a shared detailed implementation plan is crucial in every project but especially when you are working in consortium.

"The workshop continued for the second day at an external venue, a café in Lalitpur. The change of environment was refreshing and helped to ensure continued motivation. We used this day to further work on our plans and refine our thoughts and input.

As both MANK and CWIN were responsible for similar activities for the project such as key informant interviews, interaction programmes, consultation meetings etc., we planned to follow the same process for each. Each team got the opportunity to present their activity so that the other team could plan for the next activity.

All the working procedures were developed in the team collaboratively between the three partners and the meeting was very fruitful.

I think working together to create a shared detailed implementation plan is crucial in every project but especially when you are working in consortium. It provides proper guidance and structure for those who are implementing the project. It also helps to identify possible challenges and ways to best mitigate those challenges from the very first stage.

This kind of team work was very helpful to meet the goals and objectives of the project."

Feature Photo: Team members who attended the workshop. Credit: CWIN.