Project Management Toolkit

Whether you are running a project on a reservation in Washington state or Florida, a village in Alaska or a rancheria in California – whether the project is on methamphetamine, suicide, HIV, or diabetes, there are certain realities that all public health projects must face.

• Staff turnover may be high
• You have to submit periodic progress reports
• Project meetings are regularly held
• Staff development opportunities are few and far between
• Grant funds are limited
• Leadership buy-in and support ebbs and flows
• Community support shifts

Even the best-run projects with a finely-tuned and culturally aligned curriculum will face such challenges. This is not a cause for alarm, nor is it meant as a judgment for any projects that encounter such barriers – being armed with this knowledge is a cause for advance planning and preparation. Project management refers to the set of skills and resources that allow project team members to conduct their collective work on a single project effectively. Being prepared for these inevitabilities can minimize their impact, and maximize efficiency. These are the basic tenets of risk management. Risk management refers to the forecasting and evaluation of potential risks together with the identification of procedures to avoid or minimize their impact. Project management and risk management are opposite sides of the same coin, and should not be separated out. If you are doing risk management, then you are doing project management and vice versa.

This toolkit will provide you, your team, and your program some insights, tools, and resources to help ensure that your project run smoothly, team members feel valued, participants feel engaged, and the community is knowledgeable of your activities.

This toolkit contains:

• Articles – NIHB compiled a series of ‘frequently asked questions’-based articles that present some practical solutions to barriers encountered by Tribal programs seeking to manage various projects.
• Project Management Training Modules – a series of four training modules produced by NIHB on project management
• Additional Resources – a variety of resources that providers and administrators may use to strengthen their project management skills

Articles and Resources

• A Roadmap for Collaborative and Effective Evaluation in Tribal Communities
• Sustainability Planning (PDF)
• MSPI Handout for Staff Recruitment (PDF)
• MSPI Handout for Staff Retention (PDF)
• MSPI Handout for Sustainability Readiness (PDF)
• MSPI Handout for Logic Modeling 1 PDF
• MSPI Handout for Logic Modeling 2 PDF
• Using the Advanced Tools of Quality Improvement (PDF)

These question and answer columns were a series that NIHB compiled during 2014 that responds to specific questions and barriers encountered by programs.

• Project Management Lessons from the Field Part 1 (PDF)
• Project Management Lessons from the Field Part 2 (PDF)
• Project Management Lessons from the Field Part 3 (PDF)
• Project Management Lessons from the Field Part 4 (PDF)

Webinars and Presentations

• Where's the Logic in Logic Modeling?
  Presentation Recording  |  Presentation PDF  |  MSPI Handout for Logic Modeling 1 PDF  |  MSPI Handout for Logic Modeling 2 PDF
• How to Develop and Establish an Effective Program: One Year Planning Phases as a Key to Success
  Presentation Recording  |  Download Slides
• Taking Care of Yourself While You are Caring for your Community: Fundamentals of Provider Self-Care for Prevention Specialists - April, 2014
  Presentation Recording  |  Download Slides
• Fundamental of Evaluation for Public Health Programs
  Presentation PDF
• Creating Sustainable and Effective Prevention Programs: Lessons from the Field
  Presentation PDF

Additional Resources

• OJJDP Tribal Youth Grant Writing Toolkit (http://www.tribalyouthprogram.org/tools/online-guide-preparing-coordinated-tribal-assistance-solicitation) has several short tips, guides ,and best practices for writing federal grants – especially those focused on Native youth and justice programming.
• The Community Tool Box (http://ctb.ku.edu/en) hosting by the University of Kansas hosts a wide array of project management tools
• MindTools.com is an online resource for project planners and managers, http://www.mindtools.com/pages/main/newMN_PPM.htm. And for additional tips on filing and documentation, they have posted a good article online: http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newHTE_85.htm
• BusinessBalls.com has a wide mixture of tools, tips, and insights on leadership, management and planning, http://www.businessballs.com/project.htm
• Project Insight has some online resources and a free project management online training, http://www.projectinsight.net/project-management-basics/
  basic-project-management-phases.aspx
• Jerry Helms has shared his presentation on project management best practices, http://www.slideshare.net/jerryh_nc/PM-Best-Practices-cin