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Technical Assistance ToolkitProject Management

Effective project management is one of the most critical components of a successful technical assistance (TA) program. The project manager or project management team is responsible for ensuring the TA project rolls out as planned and achieves the desired outcomes. Key elements to an organized project management approach include: (1) clearly defined roles for each entity involved, (2) a clear communication process, (3) a plan for ensuring engagement of TA recipients, and 4. an ability to be flexible and responsive to changing needs.

Clarify Roles and Points of Contact

Each entity involved in a TA program needs defined roles and a designated point of contact. In addition to the scope of work in the TA contract, program staff and TA providers should have a shared understanding of roles. Each party should have a work plan in order to keep the project moving on schedule and avoid misunderstandings about tasks and associated deadlines.

Agency

Designate an agency staff person as a clear point of contact for the TA program. The point of contact should understand their expected role and responsibilities and have the capacity to manage the project. In addition, this person should work directly on the program or policy the TA supports or maintain close communication with the relevant agency staff. Appointing multiple points of contact within the agency creates confusion. However, it is advisable prepare a back-up plan in case of staff transition.

TA Providers

The contract or agreement for a TA program should cover the following components:

  • The number of total hours committed to the TA project by each team member;
  • The TA staff assigned to the project;
  • The scope of work for the TA team; and
  • Any work products to be developed, such as training materials or an application toolkit.

Once the contract begins, it may be useful for agency staff and TA providers to create and agree on a workplan that outlines some or all of these components in greater detail.

TA Recipient

TA recipients must fully understand the expectations for their involvement and have the capacity and willingness to meet them. If a TA program requires a significant dedication of time, agencies may require recipients sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) or other form of agreement to ensure their full participation. Keep these agreements as simple as possible – overly lengthy and complex agreements may deter TA recipients from participating in the program. In some cases, especially when the TA provided is short-term or does not represent a significant engagement for the TA recipient, an MOU may be too burdensome for the TA recipient and a simple verbal or written agreement to participate may suffice.

Communication Process and Tools

Establish a clear communication protocol on how all entities should coordinate and collaborate. Establish clear lines of communication to ensure consistency in TA delivery and support everyone’s understanding of their role. Developing strong working relationships with TA providers can help agency staff ensure consistent messaging and information flow. The following key strategies can help maintain strong communication:

Kickoff Meetings

Agency-hosted kickoff meetings and robust orientations for TA providers at the beginning of the contract provides space for agency staff to develop a relationship with TA providers and simultaneously lay the groundwork for carrying out TA. The kickoff meeting should clarify roles, processes, and tasks included in the contract. A kickoff meeting might cover the following topics:

  • Roles of agency staff and TA providers
  • Communication processes between agency staff, TA providers, and TA recipients
  • Deliverables and deadlines for the contract or agreement
  • Guidance on any technical components of the TA work to be performed

Question and Answer Documents

If TA providers are relaying questions from TA recipients to agency staff, implement a mechanism for organizing and sharing these questions as well as a timeline for agency staff to respond. In addition, determining which topics or types of questions TA providers can answer and which require a response by agency staff should be determined when establishing a question and answer process. The Resources section offers a template of a Question and Answer tracker that program staff are free to utilize and adapt to their needs.

Check-in Calls

Regular check-in calls between agency staff and TA providers should take place throughout the duration of the TA program. Depending on the services provided, agency staff might have direct contact with TA recipients as well. If a TA contract has a team with multiple subcontractors, consider scheduling additional check-ins with the entire team of TA providers so that everyone has direct access to agency staff.

Clear Deadlines

At the beginning of the contract, establish deadlines for reporting requirements and other deliverables that you can refer to through the duration of the TA program. Providing timely reminders is essential to achieving prompt implementation and reporting over the life of the contract.

Transparency

Maintaining frequent and open communication with TA providers can ensure that they are providing the most accurate and up-to-date information with TA recipients. For competitive grant programs, this may include sharing scoring information from past application cycles so TA providers can understand common challenges and pitfalls and tailor their TA accordingly. This may also include notifying TA providers when an important policy decision is being made that may affect TA recipients.

TA Coordination

As a TA project manager, it is important to reach out to other agencies and partners to understand what complementary TA is available. Coordinating your TA efforts with those provided by other agencies can maximize the impact of your assistance and result in better outcomes in California communities. This coordination may entail organizing joint workshops with TA providers for other relevant grant programs or connecting your TA recipients to other TA providers who can provide complementary services. Remember that communities do not live in silos and often do not differentiate grant opportunities by administering agency or funding source as much as by the projects they fund. Therefore, providers of application TA for a specific grant program that supports affordable housing should also be able to direct TA recipients to TA opportunities for other grant programs that fund affordable housing and related infrastructure, as well as support for planning, transportation, urban greening, and other related grant assistance opportunities as well. If you are unaware of other TA programs to coordinate with, contacting SGC’s Community Assistance team is a good starting point.

Engaging with TA Recipients

Effectively engaging TA recipients is critical to the success of a TA effort. The level of engagement required differs by audience and the intended scope of work.

Outreach

Effective messaging about TA offerings Is important to attract interest and set realistic expectations. Under-resourced communities sometimes hesitate to apply for TA because they lack staff who can dedicate time to interacting with the TA provider or assume that the TA program will involve too much hands-on involvement. In order to maximize interest and participation in your TA program, emphasize TA methods that will help the recipient save time while ensuring that they are involved and able to provide guidance as needed. For example, a TA provider may help identify viable grant opportunities for the TA recipient, respond to technical questions, and review the grant application, which helps the TA recipient save time, while also building internal capacity to apply for similar grants in the future.

In developing a TA program outreach strategy, you may choose to consider the following strategies:

  • Develop a messaging and communications strategy in partnership with agency communications staff or third-party consultants
  • Identify key contacts, coalitions, or networks through which to share information
  • Host workshops and in-person events to publicize the program

See the Outreach and Community Engagement section for more guidance on effective outreach to potential TA recipients and other entities.

Effective Communication

Once TA recipients have been selected, State agency staff and TA providers should consider strategies to ensure consistent communication and participation from local points of contact. (See Step 5: Selecting TA Providers and TA Recipients for more information on the selection process.) With little capacity to spare, TA recipients may sometimes be slow to respond to TA providers or even be reassigned to other tasks before completing the project, ultimately minimizing the effectiveness of the TA program in that community. To facilitate consistent communication and engagement, program staff may choose to employ some or all of the following strategies:

  • Develop messaging that clearly outlines the level of involvement expected from TA recipients and specifies the benefits to them.
  • Identify the level of available local staff capacity through surveys or within applications for TA.
  • Schedule an intake call with TA providers and prospective TA recipients to ensure that everyone understands expectations and are ready to begin TA.
  • Require an MOU or other form of agreement between TA recipients and providers.
  • Develop a work plan for the TA project term that clearly specifies timelines and who is responsible for each task.

For TA programs that will involve engagement with a variety of partners, State agency staff and TA providers should agree on a plan to maximize the effectiveness of that engagement. Developing the engagement plan early in the program’s development will create an opportunity for input from potential TA recipients and other community partners. For additional strategies and resources for maximizing engagement with TA recipients during the provision of TA, see the Outreach and Community Engagement section.

Flexibility & Responsiveness

Success in TA and capacity building efforts requires flexibility and the ability to adjust as needed. This may be particularly true in the first few rounds of TA or when you are experimenting with a new model of TA delivery. It is especially important to understand that under-resourced communities are often juggling a number of priorities, which requires agency staff and TA providers to be persistent, responsive, and adaptable to the needs of TA recipients throughout the entire project term. See the Core Value section for more information on the importance of flexibility in TA provision.

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