Whether it's about disaster relief or job training, the ability to plan and lead programs is a critical function of nonprofits. In Designing & Planning Programs for Nonprofit & Government Organizations, authors Pawlak and Vinter write for leaders in the nonprofit sector charged with planning new or significantly redesigned service programs. The emphasis on planning brings home the authors' contention that to carry out a successful program, one must take proper care in the planning phase.
To complement the various processes that go into planning, the authors divide the book into two parts. Part one reviews the factors involved in selecting and planning teams, such as required expertise, relationship skills, and credibility with stakeholders. It ends by introducing readers to the planning stages: initiation, analysis, goals and objectives, design, and documentation. Following that, part two explores the tasks and concerns associated with each of the stages. Pawlak and Vinter are quick to identify important issues from each planning stage. For example, a chapter on the initiation stage involves these key steps:
- Review and interpret the planning charge
- Develop an initial work plan
- Review the requisites for the completed program plan
- Develop an overall work plan for the whole planning venture
Other issues lie in wait to catch the project leader unawares: Who is the source of authority? How does this project relate to the mission of the organization?
Throughout these chapters, Pawlak and Vinter rely on cases to show how organizations might apply their recommendations. They also include useful charts that readers can refer to when planning their projects, such as a Goals and Objectives Framework and a Draft of the Initial Work Plan.
There is a lot to learn here, but this book gives solid coverage of the stages of project planning and helps leaders to anticipate and address problems that may arise.Manda Salls