How we work

Modern project management can be a highly complex business requiring a major investment of people, time and finance. Understanding the key successes of a project can have a major impact on future direction and provides a unique learning opportunity for everyone involved. At Garton Gresham we specialise in helping you secure the maximum benefit from every project you undertake saving you time, energy and money in the future.

Our background in education, training and consultancy means we approach our work with professionalism, authority and understanding, always remaining aware of the sensitive nature of a great deal of research and evaluation work.

We already have a successful track record in helping funding, public and voluntary bodies research and evaluate the success of projects undertaken that encompass complex organisational relationships, are accountable to an outside funding body or are breaking new ground or risk taking in nature.

As an organisation you will need our expertise if:

• You are working with excluded or marginalised client groups whose needs are not met by mainstream services
• Your project involves multiple agencies
• Your are accountable to a funding body for project outcomes
• Your resources are stretched in dealing with day to day issues and you cannot undertake research or a full evaluation
• You need independent validation of your work
• You want to carry forward learning points during the lifetime of the project and from one project to another
• You want to find out what your unique selling points are for use in marketing materials and tenders

HOW WE WORK

Our specialised project evaluation programme has four key phases, which can be undertaken separately or combined to form a powerful learning tool for future performance enhancement.

Phase 1

This is an overview of the project, which includes how it can be helped or hindered by major influencing groups such as:

• Project Manager
• Project Team
• Clients
• Steering Group
• Funding Bodies
• Other stakeholders

HOW WE HELP

Understanding Impacts
We know how the various aspects of organisations involved and the wider context within which they operate can impact on the success of the project. Ultimately the success of the project involves a complex interrelationship of systems, structures and procedures. We help to unpack these and uncover the extent to which they are helping or hindering the project’s success.

Mediating between the various parties.
Each group is likely to have a different view of the project and its outcomes. Many will experience frustrations with the other parties. We help everyone express their appreciations and frustrations in ways that the other parties can hear. We can develop rapport with client groups very quickly and we are equally comfortable interviewing managing directors or women who work in the commercial sex industry.

Phase 2

Evaluation of the opening phase of the project includes:

• How the project identifies and addresses the needs of the client group
• Where and how client groups access the project
• Feedback of what has been successful at the opening of the project
• Forward planning to maintain successful elements

HOW WE HELP

Experience in Depth
We have amassed a successful track record in understanding the difficulties and ‘two steps forward and one step back’ experience of many projects. This can be particularly acute when dealing with excluded or marginalised client groups. We can help you deal with these issues and keep the project moving towards the desired outcomes.

Positive Focus
We take a ‘half full’ approach rather than a ‘half empty’ one. In dealing with situations that are often highly charged we can help the project team deal with day-to-day frustrations. We help them focus on what’s right about what they are doing, which helps them generate the energy to do more of it. We don’t ignore the negative; we help reframe it in a positive and future orientated way

Phase 3

This covers the busy middle phase of the project and looks at:

• How the design and delivery of the project meet the needs of client groups
• How the project team adjusts the delivery in response to clients’ experiences
• How parent organisations manage the tension between the flexibility needed for innovation and the stability needed for the smooth running of its other functions
• How momentum and motivation are maintained

HOW WE HELP

Providing support
We support the work the project team does that benefits the client group. It is important to us that the project succeeds. In supporting the project team our purpose is not to trick them or trip them up but to enable them to deliver an even better service.

Managing Change
All development projects are about managing change of one sort or another. We understand the complexities of the change process and use practical models to help illuminate areas of potential strength and difficulty. We can also offer pointers to help maximise the positive outcomes.

Phase 4

As the project reaches its conclusion we will help you with:

• Measurement of immediate expected and unexpected outcomes for:
  
  Client group
  Project team
  Your organisation
  Other key players

6-12 months after the project has finished we will help you with:

• Measurement of the impact and outcomes on the client group in the longer term: in particular how well client groups have been able to transfer, sustain and integrate their new skills, knowledge and attitudes into their lives and work.

We will also provide you with a confidential comprehensive report detailing:

• Project background and aims
• Desired outcomes
• Methodology
• Key findings
• Discussion
• Conclusion
• Our recommendations for future action

HOW WE HELP

Raising morale
By using the techniques we have mastered over many years we can ensure that client groups and project beneficiaries enjoy the research and evaluation interview process and feel more positive about themselves and the project at the end of the interview than they did at the beginning.

Looking to the Future
An independent research or evaluation report provides organisations and project teams with templates and guidelines for future good practice. This information can be shared with other projects to cascade lessons learned and spread good practice throughout the organisation – saving both time and money in the future. The research or evaluation also provides project managers and their teams with a clear sense of direction.

Increased learning
In carrying out our research or evaluations we are always careful to ensure that project teams know what they are doing ‘right’ and have a strong sense of their successes. In this way they can learn from the past and generate ideas on how to improve their service. They also learn more about the needs of the client group.

External Validation
For many externally funded projects a research or evaluation report produced by independent professional body is useful in measuring quality and providing a mechanism for accountability. Funding bodies and inspectors feel much more confident about the quality of the project when the evidence gathered to establish success has been provided by a third party. In this way project managers and teams can use the evidence to support any applications for additional or further funding.