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How do I plan a community project?

Explore how to identify what your group or community’s goals are and what steps to take to plan a local project.

On this page you will find:

  • Defining your Goal: A 15-minute video clip from Sandy Chidley discussing the importance of goal setting and how to figure out where your want to go with your community climate actions.
  • Community Project Planning: A 10-minute video clip from Anni Sander discussing the steps needed to plan a successful community project.
  • Slides and Worksheets: Relevant slides and worksheets to help work through this topic,
  • Further Resources: A list of further resources including articles, guides, websites, blogs or video clips help build knowledge of the topic. Note these resources are external pages not moderated or managed by Cambridge Carbon Footprint.
Back to the Net Zero Now Resource Hub

Defining your Goal

Community project planning

Slides and Worksheets

Slides: Defining your Goal

Worksheet: Defining your Goal

Slides: Community Project Planning

Worksheet: Action Planning

Further resources

How to build a theory of change
A theory of change is a description of why a particular way of working will be effective, showing how change happens in the short, medium and long term to achieve the intended impact. It can be represented in a visual diagram, as a narrative, or both. This page outlines how you put one together.

How to get started with a project in your community
Guide by My Community, a website for people and organisations who are passionate about their communities.

Social Action Hub Framework
Poster from Community Organisers outlining community organising

The Best Goal-Setting Strategies
Some tips that may be useful to refer to when setting goals.

The Community Hub Handbook
Guide on how to run a successful hub and make your neighbourhood thrive.

The Community Organising Framework
From Community Organisers. Provides a map of the process that starts with listening and it always aims to build power through action.

Theory of Change
NCVO description of what a theory of change is and how to create one.

Theory of change: creating a social mandate for climate action
A report that outlines Climate Outreach’s theory of change for their organisation.

Back to the Net Zero Now Resource Hub

How do I plan a community project?

Now that you have completed your ’Listening Campaign’ and the ‘Shaping your Initiative’ activity, it is time to review your short list of potential activities and prioritise them further.

This session will look at:

  • how to prioritise actions to find the most effective and achievable initiatives; and
  • the basics of planning a project.

Planning a Project

Defining your Goal

Resources

Worksheets

Essential reading

TitleTypePriorityLevelTimeDetails
Developing a Project PlanVideoCoreBeginner0:04:00A short video for community groups on developing a project plan.
Project Planning for Beginners - Project Management TrainingVideoCoreBeginner0:06:00A short video breaking planning down to its basics.

Further reading

TitleTypePriorityLevelTimeDetails
Managing a community projectVideoMediumBeginner0:12:00An overview of managing more complex community projects.
How To Create a Project Plan: the foolproof way to guarantee the success of any projectVideoMediumBeginner0:07:00A clear overview of how to go about creating a project plan.
How to get started with a project in your communityWebsiteMediumBeginner0:18:00Step by step guide on how to engage your local community, develop a project and make a plan for it.
How to set up a community group successfullyWebsiteMediumBeginner0:15:00Where to start and what to think about if you're setting up a new community group.
Community Hubs handbookPublicationLowBeginner1:00:00An informative and detailed handbook on setting up local community hubs.
Thrive Renewables Community Benefit ProgrammeGrantLowIntermediate0:06:00Grants for energy saving measures in community buildings
SalixGrantLowIntermediate0:02:00Government funding to the public sector to improve energy efficiency, reduce carbon emissions and lower energy bills
The National Lottery Community FundGrantMediumIntermediate0:02:00National lottery funding for community climate projects.

Slides

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