Sanaz

3 months ago

I was part of a local environmental awareness campaign that aimed to promote eco-friendly tourism in my city. The project was rushed into action without a clear breakdown of phases. We had no separate planning, implementation, or evaluation stages — everything happened simultaneously.

What went wrong

Tasks overlapped, causing confusion about responsibilities.

No checkpoints to assess progress or adjust strategy.

The team felt stressed because priorities kept changing.

Some activities were repeated unnecessarily while others were forgotten.

 What I would do differently with PMWC phases

 Initiation phase: Define clear objectives, stakeholders, and scope before starting.

 Planning phase: Create a timeline with milestones and assign roles to avoid duplication.

 Implementation phase: Carry out activities in the planned sequence and document progress.

 Closing phase: Hold a final review meeting to measure success against initial goals and record lessons learned.

 SMART Change Goal Example

Specific: For my next project, I will use the PMWC 4-phase structure from the start.

Measurable: At least 90% of tasks will be completed on time according to the plan.

Achievable: I will create a simple phase checklist template to use with my team.

Realistic: Allocate 2 days at the start for planning before any action begins.

Time-bound: Implement this approach in my upcoming project starting 15 September 2025.

Teagan Morris

3 months ago

I have also been guilty of not completing  the prepare phase in enough detail, which resulted in projects lacking direction and a solid plan. 

SMART Goal

S: follow the PMWC phases and ensure there is a prepare phase prior to implementation 
M: understand overall project objective and measure how plan will meet objectives. 
A: only prepare for what is within project scope 
R: allocate enough time to prepare 
T/B: set due date (depending on project complexity, time will vary)

Stanley Mbuagbaw

3 months ago

In my current and previous projects, I would honestly admit the Phase approaches are similar. What I have realised is the application of this concepts rationally. For example, in a previous project, the lack of some defined roles and responsbilities led to poor planning which resulted in an inappropriate funding which could not meet the project needs. However this was adjusted during implementation as new fund requests were submited and the project plan readujusted

The PMWC phase approach hereby emphasises the importance of adopting a methodological and organised manner in carrying out our conservation work oriented towards yielding measurable impacts

Lara

3 months ago

In the last project I worked for, it was missing monitoring, there wasn't a structured way to measure progress, and sometimes had weak execution as one team member might have overloaded responsablities. 

What can be done different applying PMWC phases:

- Add a monitoring & control phase.

- Include milestones like: weekly progress report submitted or mid-phase review completed.

- Use Work Packages to divide reponsabilities more fairly.

- Ensuring each work package is assigned to different people instead of clustering them under one person.

SMART Goal Example below:

S= Hold regular monitoring meetings and limit each team member's workload to no more than 3 core tasks.

M= At least two monitoring meetings held per month with written reports, workload documented so no team member has more than 3 core tasks.

A= Meetings are short and use existing staff, workload can be distributed across the team without requring extra resources.

R= Regular monitoring fixes the lack of oversight, while balanced task distribution prevents weak execution.

T= From project start until project closing, every two weeks for meetings; workload checked and confirmed during planning and mid-project review.

Giovanni Rodríguez Cambronero

2 months ago

I have seen how great ideas can get stuck in actions that don’t allow them to take off. By being part of the preparation offered in this course, I can now say that I have the tools that will enable me to generate successful, realistic projects with measurable impact.

Example of a SMART Change Objective

• Specific: I would remain within the PMWC model by creating phased structures from the very beginning.

• Measurable: I would create a set of indicators that allow me to determine whether my objectives are being met and to what extent.

• Achievable: I would design clear and applicable checklists for each stage of the project.

• Realistic: The actions to be developed must align with reality, a social or environmental context, and a cultural environment related to everyday life.

• Time-bound: Deadlines would be established in a planned and organized manner according to each task or stage.

John Hartshorn

2 months ago

There has been a shift in recent years for many projects across many sectors to adopt a more 'agile' approach to project management and implementation. This can often result in a reduction in more formal control and reporting. I will ensure that projects limit agile working to within the Implement phase and adopt more structured use of the Plan, Fund, Prepare, and then Close phases and that each ends more clearly with a phase end report and a signoff.  

Sally Murugi Kahoro

about 2 months ago

I was organising a mental health event and all I did as project lead was list the tasks and tried to achieve them all by the day of the event. This means I was looking for funding while still trying to confirm the venue and source for a moderator to lead the yoga session. I was overwhelmed to say the least. In future, having phases would definitely make the process much easier

For my next event in December, I will definitely purpose to do everything in phases to avoid overlapping or missing valuable tasks

S- I would be specific as what task goes to whom
M- The tasks would be measurable against the due date set
A- The tasks would be achievable when allocated to 1 person and if we do it in phases planning and executing each plan effectively
R- They would be realistic as we would know just how much time or funds we need per task or project
T- They would be time bound as setting a 'do by date' as in the case of allowing us to move from 1 phase to the next systematically and seamlessly ensuring preliminary actions are undertaken such as sourcing for funds before beginning to settle on a venue

Natalie Ellis

about 1 month ago

I was involved in promoting volunteering in conservation but this was a last minute project and therefore under researched into who would be attending and organisations attended who were not actively recruiting for volunteers. 

This made it feel like a waste of time for people who had given up their time to learn more about volunteering in conservation and also for the organisations in attendance.

I would research the organisations attending ensuring that they needed volunteers and were part of the conservation sector. 

See if there was a way they could start the volunteer process on the day or whether they could give a taster of what their volunteer work looked like or a practical demonstration. 

Closing I would ask for a review of the sessions hosted and see what areas needed improvement for the next presentation.

Cynthia kanana kariuki

about 1 month ago

I was involved in a community clean-up project aimed at reducing plastic pollution. We didn’t follow the standard project phases and jumped straight into implementation without proper planning. This led to poor coordination, running out of materials, and difficulty tracking progress. From that experience, I learned the importance of following all project phases. In future projects, I will ensure proper planning, clear role allocation, and continuous monitoring to achieve better outcomes.

Brenda Muriithi

12 days ago

Hello everyone,

In one community animal-welfare initiative I was familiar with, the team skipped structured project phases entirely. There was no planning, funding wasn’t secured, and preparations for equipment, partners, or timelines were missing. When implementation began, activities clashed, resources ran short, and turnout was low. There was no proper closing, so lessons weren’t captured, and the project ended without clear results.

What can be done differently applying PMWC phases: The team could start with proper planning by breaking down tasks and assigning responsibilities clearly. Next, a funding phase would ensure resources are secured before other activities begin. During preparation, equipment, partners, and materials would be confirmed ahead of time. The implementation phase would follow timelines and assigned roles to prevent overlaps, and finally, a closing phase would collect feedback and capture lessons learned to guide future projects.

SMART Goal Example:

• S (Specific): Assign each task to a team member and confirm funding and resources before moving forward.

• M (Measurable): Track task completion on a checklist and confirm at least 2 funding sources.

• A (Achievable): Tasks divided fairly, no one overloaded, and phases followed in order.

• R (Realistic): Planning and preparation ensure resources are available, reducing clashes and stress.

• T (Time-bound): Complete planning by Nov 20th, funding by Nov 25th, preparation by Dec 5th, implement on Dec 10th, and close by Dec 17th.