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Dos and Don'ts

From the analysis and additional assessment of ICD practice within BC and externally, we have developed a lessons learnt list, which is not exhaustive, of some Dos and Don'ts when delivering ICD projects. The aim of this section is to assist project managers and practitioners at the start of the project to be aware of opportunities, barriers and pitfalls. The list (below) is not in itself a perfect project management tool, but it can serve as a helpful reminder, along with tools in the performance section, to ICD projects so that a robust approach is planned, managed and delivered from the outset, which leads to desired ICD outcomes.

Do

  • Plan your project and ICD proof it by making sure you are clear: why the project is being undertaken; what priorities it should focus on; who should be involved; what the ICD outcomes should be; and how the impact will be measured.   (Link to BC Product Development and ICD checklist)
  • Conduct a baseline survey to identify established priorities and get buy-in from stakeholders.  (Link to Perception survey)
  • Establish the performance baseline against which the improvements will be measured and use as a benchmark to assess impact.
  • Identify from the outset what the desired outcomes are, (Link to BC corporate outcomes and ICD Indicators ) how these will be achieved, and how they will be measured and compared against the baseline established (see above).
  • Consult and secure commitment from all relevant stakeholders. This should result in a higher level of engagement and commitment once the project starts to deliver. Equally this will ensure that the project is addressing the real issues and not ‘perceived’ ones.
  • Build in interim and end of project evaluation and impact assessment procedures. (Link to BC monitoring and evaluation tool and ICD SEF)
  • Try and capture all of the outcomes resulting from the ICD project. Many of the benefits may be accrued at a later stage. Therefore create mechanisms for capturing this systematically such as an ‘Alumni’ network, Life Journals, IT social networking sites, or a project database (which captures lessons learnt, organisation-wide and centrally). Outcomes in terms of community and longer term change are important too, such as a decrease in community conflicts, decrease in hate incidents and increase in those people involved becoming active citizens in their communities.
  • Evaluate your outcomes and proactively share learning through the use of case studies, testimonies and by hosting learning events locally, regionally and corporately.
  • Look for ways to sustain the dialogue and to build it in to mainstream or everyday activities of civil society.
  • Ensure that equality of opportunities, diversity and a commitment to human rights are reflected in participants, staff, policies, project delivery and Governing Boards of projects.
  • Focus on a small number of people and groups to avoid resources and services being spread too thinly and therefore possibly diluting the impact and quality of outcomes.
  • Raise awareness of individual and shared historical experiences and cultural practices. 
  • Identify ‘shared spaces’ to host the dialogue that are neutral and where everyone feels safe. (Link to ‘Place’ section in ‘ICD Challenges and Opportunities’)
  • Utilise the Arts, Sports and Media as important facilitators of ICD that can break down barriers at the start of dialogues as well as consolidate dialogue throughout the process.
  • Ensure the benefits of ICD go beyond participants to families, communities and society as a whole.
  • Take a managed risk and engage with ‘seldom heard’ groups such as disaffected youth susceptible to extremist ideology or women who are not visible in the public space.

Don't

  • Initiate a project just because you think it is a good idea. Planning and checking the idea against local context and corporate outcomes is very important.
  • Rush into delivery before the project has full sign up of all stakeholders.
  • Organise ‘one-off events’ without thinking about how the dialogue can be sustained and the learning shared with families, staff, communities and wider society.
  • Avoid difficult issues in dialogue: debate is important to build consensus. The aim in dialogue is to change people’s attitudes and behaviours to each other in order to build positive relationships.
  • Always engage the ‘usual suspects’ but take managed risks, jointly with local partners, to reach out to those who are at the periphery.
  • Overcomplicate projects by trying to involve too many different groups.
  • Fall into the trap of trying to be ‘all things to all people’. Stay focused and deliver successfully.
  • Assume that funders/stakeholders fully appreciate the benefits that can accrue from ICD interventions.
  • Forget to plan a strategy for succession or exit and that this should involve an evaluation of the outcomes.
  • Despair - there are many others in the same situation. It is advisable to read and establish contact with the many examples of good practice available on ICD in the toolkit and resource list.

Please go to stakeholder section for further suggestions on working with key groups.