Emma Richardson

26 days ago

I looked at Charleen's example on the lottery funded project that failed to include a vehicle which was a critical part of the project. My suggested solutions would be - taking a pause in the project and have a clear overview of the whole project to ensure nothing else had been missed before any other part of the project continued. I would ensure there was measurable steps and clear planning that was clearly documented for the project to continue.

Alejandro Javier Diaz Petit

24 days ago

Analizo el caso de Juliet, donde para 3 meses tenía muchos temas y objetivos que cubrir, para lo cual asumió muchas responsabilidades. Yo en su lugar, hubiese podido plantear al inicio del proyecto, definir el alcance y los roles del equipo, que se pudieran ser razonablemente obtenidos en un plazo de 3 meses. Si las causas del problema a resolver fueran múltiples y diversas, tratar de priorizar dentro del plazo de entrega, aquellas que se podían resolver (no necesariamente la más importante, sino la que pueda dar un mayor impacto por el nivel que se deseaba alcanzar al solucionar ese tema), para ello se pudiera realizar un plan, donde defina actividades, responsabilidades, tiempo de ejecución dentro de un calendario.

Fiona

18 days ago

I chose the comment on the promblem from Alex:

I heard about reforestation project in Chiapas mexico that failed due to poor planning. It was initiated to combat deforestation, the project planted millions of trees but did not consider local environmental conditions or land use practices. Many farmers cut down newly planted trees to reclaim farmland, and monoculture plantations reduced biodiversity. Poor stakeholder engagement and lack of long-term maintenance led to high tree mortality. As a result, the project failed to achieve lasting reforestation

My response ...

From the description provided, one of the key areas that could be improved is  Stakeholder engagement and risk management. I would suggest the following steps which could have helped in this scenario:

Write up a detailed stakeholder management plan at the outset, outlining all of the key players. Categorise them by whether they have a potentially positive, negative, or neutral impact on the project's success. Consider the positive / neutral as resources that can enable you to succeed, and make sure that you provide them with all of the information and tools needed to support your work. For the negative stakeholders, create a detailed engagement plan including education and behaviour / change management. Off the back of this, consider any additional risks such as language barriers, cultural practices, etc and build a risk management plan to mitigate any negative influences. Each potentially problematic stakeholder can then be monitored and "managed" carefully as the project moves along.

Katherine Butt

12 days ago

I’m reflecting on Andrea’s example about the grey wolf reintroduction efforts in Europe. The project struggled seemingly due to a lack of effective stakeholder engagement. Maybe involving those local villagers and farmers more in the early stages, helping them understand why the wolves matter and addressing their concerns directly, it might have avoided a lot of conflict and been more successful overall.

Perhaps some potential solutions could have been:

1. Including community education and awareness programs to explain the ecological benefits of wolves and to address local fears.

2. Getting locals involved in the conversation so they feel heard and part of the process - maybe an online platform for feedback and discussion, or community meetings where concerns can be openly addressed.

Abbie

12 days ago

Alumni example 1: Solutions
I would set up a test week to trial field work (removal of invasive plant) before the project officially starts. This would allow a more accurate time line of invasive species removal to be given. This in turn would allow funding to be spread accordingly. Additionally, I would set time aside for networking to be researched as working alongside other NGOs and possibly gaining extra funding along the way, could enable the project to be more successful.

Alessio Mocci

11 days ago

Helllo everyone! I looked at Gal's example. I'm very keen on marine conservation programs and I have had the privilege to spend some time with staff and volunteers of a sea turtles conservation NGO. I have made some reflections and suggestions.

- Why did the project struggle?
To enhance project effectiveness, better succession planning should have been implemented, identifying and mentoring potential leaders well ahead of the season. Clear communication regarding the expectations and responsibilities of leadership roles would have helped ensure volunteers were prepared and committed. Possibly, adopting a more flexible staffing model—such as rotating experienced leaders across sites—could have provided critical coverage and support where needed.

- What simple steps could have been taken to make it more effective?
One potential solution is to establish a reserve pool of experienced, on-call field leaders who can be mobilized quickly to fill leadership gaps. Offering short-term contracts or stipends could incentivize availability and ensure continuity across sites. Another approach is to offer remote supervision and support through digital tools, enabling experienced leaders or managers to provide guidance and oversight without being physically present. This would help maintaining project standards and support smaller sites while optimizing resource allocation.

Abebech Zewdu Alehegn

9 days ago

I want to reflect on Miguel’s project experience “I worked on a river restoration project in London that aimed to reinstate a natural section of the river within a park. The water had to be diverted into the new section and thus an abstraction license had to be obtained, this process took much longer than expected and it didn't match the funding timeline at the end, so the project had to be postponed and new funding had to be found.”

1. Why do you think the project struggled?

The project's failure was primarily due to the omission of essential licensing requirements. Not prioritizing to address these licensing issues led to significant delay, ultimately hindering the project's success.

1. What simple steps could have been taken to make it more effective?

Engaging with the relevant authorities to address licensing issues before initiating the project would have facilitated a smoother resolution.

Proactively identifying and resolving licensing requirements during the project planning phase is crucial to avoid potential legal and operational challenges. This approach ensures compliance and minimizes the risk of project delays or complications.

Bree

8 days ago

I looked a Grey's project about a project that seemed like a really good idea however due to suboptimal communication went in many directions before its completion and felt very rushed in the end. Possible solutions were to set clear and specific project goals and outcomes at the first meeting and then returning to these periodically throughout the project to see if everyone was still aligned and on the same page. Also trying to remember the 'why' - why did you want to present on the topic in the first place as this can help realign people' focus. Perhaps also having one person communicating with stakeholders may have decreased some of the mixed messaging.  

Charley Bird

about 5 hours ago

I am reflecting on Andrea's example of the struggling of reintroduction efforts of gray wolves in Europe. 

I think the project is struggling because not all elements of what may affect the success of the project have been considered. The project has not considered threats and human behaviours, or the influences behind these.

Working with stakeholders, such as farmers, to better protect their livestock from wolves to prevent financial loss and conflict, is key to ensuring that the project is successful. 

Education of the public is also crucial. Educating the public on the ecological benefits of wolf reintroduction is key to increasing public tolerance of these apex predators within their countries. 

Perhaps there could also be work with local governments and law enforcement increasing fines for the killing of wolves, setting up action groups in local communities to monitor wolf populations etc.