THE SOCIAL AUDITOR

Managing Social Projects – A Primer

CMA (Dr.) S K Gupta
Chief Executive Officer - ICMAI Social Auditors Organisation

What are social projects? Social projects usually involve community members so
that they have access to the knowledge and tools needed
ocial projects are initiatives related to human

S rights. They cover things like health, education,

housing, and access to basic services to help dis-
-advantaged individuals and social groups. They may be
to continue the project after its initial implementation.
Social projects are distinct from traditional projects
which are designed for producing products in that they
aim to create positive change in people, communities and
driven by the state, Non-Governmental Organizations
society. They require different approaches as compared
(NGOs), or by private companies.
to traditional projects.

What are the characteristics of social projects? They establish predictive techniques to avoid
improvisation and thus optimize resources, budget,
While each social project has its own goals and and time.
requirements, these initiatives usually share the following They’re flexible, taking any contingencies into
characteristics : consideration.
They set goals related to improving the living They have people who fulfil specific roles with
conditions of a social group, with individuals being different loads of responsibilities.
the primary beneficiaries.
The intention is for the project to be sustained over Why Are Social & Community Projects Important?
time.
They carry out detailed monitoring on resources and Social & community projects can be of any size you want
the evolution of planning. them to be. They range from small, grassroots initiatives,
They respond to an optimized model for monitoring to large-scale efforts with significant resources. It is
deadlines, resources, and work routes. important to understand how your project fits into the

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range of other services, so that you can play to your Addressing social and environmental issues.
strengths and resources and avoid duplication. The Reducing inequalities and barriers to human
hierarchy of social intervention is a useful tool in this development.
regard. The goal of social & community projects is to To creating jobs and economic opportunities,
bring about positive change in communities and the Building skills and knowledge
world at large Promoting collaboration and partnership.

Social & community projects are our pathways to a

change in society while addressing complex social and
better future. Social & community projects are vital as
environmental challenges. Effective project management
they help address pressing social issues. They also
ensures that these businesses can navigate obstacles,
improve the quality of life for individuals and
leverage resources efficiently, and drive impactful
communities. Unfortunately, the need to create social &
outcomes.
community projects is greater than ever. We have seen
inequalities increase in our societies. According to the UN
Do your research : You don't want to start from scratch.
“Inequality is growing for more than 70 per cent of the
Find out what is already being done and by whom,
global population.” As well as the impact of human
especially if you’re working in the same geographical
behaviour on the environment. With pollution accounting
area. You can learn from their past experiences and
for almost 50% of all pressures on the environment.
might be able to adapt or improve on successful projects
(European Environment Agency).
they've already piloted. Don’t reinvent the wheel! Get all
Project management and Social Projects the facts from the start, so you know exactly where you’re
headed and if any unexpected things crop up, you’ll be
Project management plays a crucial role in the successful better prepared to deal with them as they come. Be
implementation of initiatives within social impact willing to adjust your approach or methods of operation
businesses. These organizations strive to create positive as needed - there are always lessons to be learned along

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the way that could help you in future projects too! Stay Creating a Robust Project Plan : Developing a
focused on the end results rather than worrying about comprehensive project plan is vital for managing
how something may have been done differently in resources, timeframes, and risks effectively. Social impact
another project before because ultimately each one has its businesses must consider both the social and financial
own unique. aspects of their projects. A well-structured project plan
includes clear milestones, timelines, and budget
Defining the Project Scope : One of the fundamental steps allocations. Additionally, it incorporates risk
in project management is defining the scope of the management strategies, anticipating potential challenges,
project. In the context of social impact business, this and implementing mitigation measures. A robust project
involves clearly articulating the goals and objectives of plan provides a roadmap for success and enables project
the initiative. By establishing a well-defined scope, project managers to track progress, make data-driven decisions,
managers can align team members, stakeholders, and and adjust course if needed.
resources towards a common purpose, ensuring everyone
understands the intended impact and desired outcomes. Building Cross-Functional Teams : Social impact projects
According to a study conducted by the Stanford Social often require diverse skill sets and expertise. Project
Innovation Review, clearly defined goals and objectives managers must carefully assemble cross-functional
contribute significantly to the success of social impact teams, bringing together individuals with complementary
projects. skills and a shared passion for social change. These teams
may include professionals from different disciplines, such
Have a clear strategy for your organization : ensure as finance, marketing, technology, and community
alignment between what your mandate is and the goals of development. Effective communication, collaboration,
the project. A strategy is not a mission statement or a set and a shared vision are crucial to harnessing the
of goals. A strategy is a plan you create to accomplish collective strengths of team members and maximizing the
your goals. A good strategy will have clear steps, project's impact.
timelines, and success indicators. Your strategy should be
designed to help you fulfil your mandate, and the purpose Be willing to change your approach if needed : So your
of your organization. project is going well, and you're gaining traction in the
community. The only problem is, that you've realized
Engaging Stakeholders : Social impact businesses often that your approach isn't working as well as it could be.
have diverse stakeholders, including customers, Maybe the current situation has changed, or the market
beneficiaries, donors, government agencies, and local is responding differently than you thought it would. Or
communities. Effective project management entails maybe you've discovered that your target audience
engaging these stakeholders from the early stages of doesn't have access to all of the resources they need to
planning and throughout the project lifecycle. By actively participate in the program at the highest level possible.
involving stakeholders, project managers can gather Whatever it is, it's important to be willing to change your
valuable insights, build partnerships, and foster sense of approach if needed. This may seem like a daunting task,
ownership and collaboration. This inclusive approach especially if you're already prepared project materials
leads to greater support, increased accountability, and and promotional campaigns based on a certain idea or
ultimately, more impactful outcomes. The Harvard method—but think of this as an opportunity to make
Business Review highlights the importance of stakeholder your project better.
engagement in social impact projects, emphasizing that
involving stakeholders can lead to better project Focus on the impact of results and how to achieve them :
outcomes and sustainability. A project to be implemented must have a clearly defined

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purpose, objectives, and desired results. The project managers can foster resilience and drive sustainable
should have a measurable impact on the target change. In today's rapidly changing business and
population. The most important requirement is to ensure advancing technological environments (AI, digital
that the result of the project will have a long-term impact transformation, automation...), the ability to adapt and
on the social problem. The result should be sustainable embrace change is more crucial than ever.
and adapted to local needs so as not to become "just
another" project in an area with many projects. And let's not forget that learning how to manage stress is
also an important part of becoming more adaptable.
Measuring Impact and Evaluation : To ensure the Effective stress management is crucial in the fast-paced
effectiveness of social impact initiatives, project managers and demanding world of business. Implementing
must establish robust measurement and evaluation strategies to reduce stress levels can improve
mechanisms. Impact measurement goes beyond productivity, enhance decision-making abilities, and
traditional financial metrics and encompasses social and foster a healthier work environment. By prioritizing the
environmental outcomes. Implementing key performance well-being of their employees, project managers can
indicators and evaluation frameworks allows project cultivate a more resilient workforce and achieve long-
managers to track progress, identify areas for term success of their organizations.
improvement, and demonstrate the project's positive
impact to stakeholders. Regular evaluation ensures that Set clear expectations and timelines for deliverables :
the project stays on track and enables evidence-based Setting clear expectations and timelines for deliverables is
decision-making. critical at the beginning of every project. As a project
manager, you need to set your team up for success by
There are numerous variety of methodologies, being explicit in what you expect from them, when it's
approaches, and tools for impact measurement and due and how they'll communicate their progress. If
evaluation in social impact investing. Frequently applied you're a team member and you're not sure what's
methods range from collecting stakeholder feedback to expected of you, ask questions so you can clarify your
conducting fully-fledged impact evaluations role. Once those expectations are set, establish a timeline
(organizational efficiency or user progress), which may and stick to it. There will be times when things don't go
also include a monetary valuation. The diversity of tools as planned, but good communication will help keep
and resources available can be daunting and difficult to everyone on track.
navigate, especially for smaller or less experienced
entities. While some guidance exists, ultimately each Set the right parameters for success : Make sure each
organization has to decide how to select and develop person on your team understands what counts as a
(adapt existing and/or create new) the most appropriate success or failure—and how early things might change
social impact measurement strategy, based on their needs based on feedback from stakeholders—because doing so
and context. will help avoid last-minute surprises during execution or
evaluation phases if things aren't going quite according to
Embracing Adaptability and Learning : Social impact plan .
projects often operate in dynamic and unpredictable
environments. Project managers must foster a culture of Navigating challenges in Social Impact Projects
adaptability and continuous learning. Being open to
feedback, remaining flexible, and embracing innovation Embarking on a social impact project is a Nobel endeavour,
is essential to responding to evolving challenges and but it comes with its own set of unique challenges.
maximizing project outcomes. By promoting a learning Navigating through these challenges requires a combination
mind set within the team and the organization , project of resilience, adaptability and strategic thinking.

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Limited resources Measuring impact effectively

Challenge : Social projects often operate on tight budgets Challenge : Defining and measuring the impact of social
and limited resources making it challenging to execute initiatives can be complex specially when the outcomes
initiatives effectively are qualitative in nature

Strategy : Prioritize and allocate resources strategically, Strategy : Establish clear measurable goals and key
focussing on high impact activities, establish partnerships performance indicators aligned with your projects
with other organizations, leverage volunteers and explore mission. Leverage data analytics and engage in ongoing
innovative funding models evaluation to assess the projects effectiveness

Stakeholder resistance Managing Cultural sensitivities

Challenge : Resistance from stakeholder whether Challenge : Cultural nuances and sensitivities must be
internal or external can hinder progress and support for navigated carefully especially in projects that span
social projects diverse communities

Strategy : Foster open communication channels, actively Strategy : Invest time in cultural competency training for
involve stakeholders in decision making processes, your team and collaborate with local leaders and
Address concerns proactively and emphasise the long organizations and approach the project with deep
term positive impact understanding and respect for cultural context

Community engagement and trust building Adapting to unexpected challenges

Challenge : Gaining the trust and engagement of the Challenge : Unforeseen challenges like natural disasters,
community can be a time consuming process or political unrest can disrupt social impact projects

Strategy : Prioritize community involvement from Strategy : Build flexibility into your project plan, create
projects inception, listen to community needs, and engage contingency measures, and establish crisis management
in transparent communication. Building relationships on protocols to pivot when necessary
trust is foundational to the success of social impact
initiatives
Changing Regulatory Environment

Balancing short term and long term goals Challenge : The regulatory landscape for social impact
projects can be dynamic with changing policies and legal
Challenge : Striking the right balance between requirements
addressing immediate needs and achieving sustainable
long term impact can be challenging Strategy : Stay informed about regulatory changes, build
relations with relevant authorities and integrate
Strategy : Develop a phased approach that addresses flexibility into project plans to accommodate evolving
both short term and long term goals, consider creating legal frameworks.
short term wins to build momentum while working
towards lasting systemic change

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Conclusion

Effective project management is crucial for social impact businesses to drive positive change successfully. By defining
project scope, engaging stakeholders, creating robust project plans, building cross-functional teams, measuring impact,
and embracing adaptability, project managers can navigate complex challenges and maximize the project's social and
environmental impact. Ultimately, well-executed projects contribute to the long-term sustainability and growth of
social impact businesses, creating a brighter future for communities and society as a whole.

References

https://www.ferrovial.com/en/resources/social-projects/
https://edgeofpossible.com/manage-social-community-projects-guide/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/project-management-social-impact-businesses-positive-change-roginek/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/project-management-social-impact-businesses-positive-change-roginek/
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/tips-managing-social-development-projects-elliot-ll-b-m-p-h/
https://www.projectaccelerator.co.uk/project-management-in-the-non-profit-sector-maximising-social-impact-
with-project-management-tools/
https://www.projectmanagement.com/articles/367341/social-project-management-tips

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