Project and Organisational Development

Aim:
To examine the potential and risks of organisational development and its relationship with community projects.

Objective
At the end of the modules students will:
* Be able to analyse and evaluate selected community projects:
* Understand the relationship between organisational structures and community
projects:
* Understand some of the difficulties and possible strategies for developing
community projects;
* Be able to identify factors that make community projects successful.

Content:
How projects can evolve from community organisation. The balance between organisational structures and the involvement of community people. Possible extent of community influence over organisational direction. Developing a sense of ownership. The struggle between community ownership of projects and their operational efficiency. The place of outside experts. The need for management. Finding and developing people to take on management and other roles. Vision, morale and resource creation. Progress of organisational development as local people develop in their capacity to perform the functions required. Understanding the voluntary sector and networks. Learning from failure. Examples of academic and case studies of organisational and project development in poor communities, e.g. World Vision projects, Tear Fund, Christian Aid, CAFOD, Oxfam, Tudor Trust. Review of existing research into project development and project life-cycles.