The project management function is the glue that binds all of the programmes moving parts together. It brings organisation to the creative chaos, ensuring that the expertise and efforts of our respective team members are coordinated to deliver Wavumbuzi on time and within budget.

While our M&E team, developers, curriculum designers, and other domain specific talent focus on deploying their expertise to ensure the respective components of the programme design are world-class, it is the role of the project management team to understand and coordinate how these different components come together to deliver a polished user experience.

A particularly important part of the project management function is the planning and scheduling of work according to programme related constraints (e.g. launch dates, school holidays, etc.). It is not necessarily the project management team's job to complete the work (although they are often the first to be called on when additional capacity is required in certain areas). Instead, the purpose of the project management team is to ensure that the team members who are responsible for their respective components of the programme design are adequately resourced in available time/capacity, knowledge (clear brief) and funds to deliver their contributions as per the proposed work schedule.

Our approach to project management is two-fold.

First we ensure the installation of a high-level framework which helps us to digest the complex design of the programme and coordinate the teams efforts across its multiple moving parts. Frameworks are a way of helping us make sense of the chaos. They allow us to be able to understand and track all of the different components of the programme design in a format that is digestible and easier to envision as part of the broader programme. These frameworks also generate clarity within the team as to the respective roles of the various team members and their responsibilities in the delivery of the programme. These frameworks also highlight any external constraints that the team should be aware of which may effect their responsibilities.

When we have the key frameworks in place, we schedule recurring rhythms and processes which are designed to drive consistent progress, force regular reflection and ensure continuous development/improvements. These rhythms help us reinforce accountability and recognise capacity issues by ensuring the team regularly review and confront progress. They also provide a platform for strategic alignment and direction setting at both a team and individual level, ensuring all team members are working towards a common goal.

Project Management Framework ✅

Conceptual Framework

The Wavumbuzi conceptual framework is a process map which templates team responsibilities, platform functionality and user experience for any single iteration of the Wavumbuzi programme. This serves as the highest level framework for understanding the different components involved in the design of the Wavumbuzi programme, how they relate to each other, and their broad sequencing.

The design and development of the conceptual framework is overseen by the strategic leadership team (head of programme design, product owner, systems architect and country leads). Iterations are usually published periodically following feedback from live challenge iterations. Whilst tweaks to the conceptual framework can be made during implementation to align with the unique context of a specific iteration, the templated design of each element should be followed as closely as possible to preserve the scalability benefits of the framework.

Resource

• Wavumbuzi Process Map

• Wavumbuzi Conceptual Framework

Roadmap Milestone Planning

Wavumbuzi Roadmaps detail how the conceptual framework template is implemented for a specific iteration of the Wavumbuzi challenge (e.g. Kenya 2021). The roadmaps draw all of the design elements from the conceptual framework and structure them in a logical workflow that fits the context of the specific iteration of the challenge in question.

These roadmaps primarily serve as the highest level reference for tracking progress throughout a challenge iteration. The purpose of the roadmap is not to detail every single task required to make the challenge a success. Rather, roadmaps plot out major milestones in the journey of successfully delivering an iteration of the challenge. This enables the team to maintain high-level oversight over the progress of the key design elements, without becoming distracted or overwhelmed by the granular detail of specific tasks.

Roadmaps also allow us to easily overlay our proposed workflows for a specific challenge iteration with other significant internal (e.g. Jasiri plans, team leave, etc.) and external (e.g. school calendars, public holidays, etc.) activities/milestones scheduled to occur during the proposed iteration dates. In overlaying these activities/milestones, we are able to identify potential conflicts, align/optimise project resourcing and develop contingencies.

Roadmaps are typically designed and lead by the project management team, with input from the country lead and associated staff for a specific challenge iteration.

Resources

• Wavumbuzi Roadmap 2021

• AGGP Roadmap 2022-23 (TBC)

Task Management (Asana)

Once a roadmap for a challenge iteration is approved, the milestones within the roadmap are broken down into the granular tasks required to achieve each milestone and housed as projects in Asana (our preferred task management software). Where possible, these tasks are grouped into projects that relate to specific functional teams that are formed to deliver across different iterations of the challenge. For example, all marketing & communications related tasks will sit in an Asana project for the attention of the Marketing team.

As per the standard practice for Asana task management, each task is assigned a due date as well as an individual who is responsible for that task. It is the role of the project management team to ensure that the respective individuals in the functional teams keep their Asana tasks up to date; and to ensure that all conversations and briefing notes related to specific tasks are documented in the task description. The project management team should also keep in regular contact with the functional teams to ensure any unforeseen or context specific tasks are added into the respective Asana projects.

In addition to managing the coordination of human resources (talent capacity) for a specific challenge iteration, Asana also forms a key ownership and accountability tool. Where tasks become overdue, it is the responsibility of the project management team to follow up the task owners for progress updates, and to implement contingencies where delivery is delayed.

Resources

• Wavumbuzi Rwanda 2021 (Ed 1) Asana Workspace

• Wavumbuzi Kenya 2021 Asana Workspace

• Wavumbuzi Central 2021 Asana Workspace

Project Management Rhythms ✅

Annual Framework Review & Planning Meetings

A review of the conceptual framework is conducted on an annual basis by the strategic leadership team (head of programme design, product owner, systems architect and country lead), which largely reflects on the lessons learned (as documented in the iteration compendium) from any iterations deployed in the previous cycle. It is the responsibility of the country leads to ensure that such compendiums are collated in preparation for these meetings, along with any recommendations from the findings.

The purpose of the meeting is to analyse and discuss whether any of the lessons learned from any iterations deployed in the previous cycle (or any changing context predicted for future cycles) should influence the programme's conceptual design template (which will govern the design of future iterations). The meeting also provides a space for coordinating and negotiating internal work schedules to ensure adequate resourcing is available for the success of all internal projects.

Cyclical Roadmap Planning Workshops

Roadmap planning Workshops are typically scheduled annually according to the lifecycle of a specific iteration of the challenge. These meetings typically require several days of preparation and at least one full day off meeting time. Preparations are largely lead by the project management team, who sources input from the country lead and associated staff for the specific challenge iteration. The workshop time typically involves the project manager for the specific challenge iteration presenting a detailed walk-through of the proposed roadmap and associated work schedules for that iteration to the strategic leadership team (head of programme design, product owner, systems architect and country lead).

The workshop gives the strategic leadership team an opportunity to apply a second pair of eyes to the logic and assumptions which underpin the proposed roadmap, allows them to identify any gaps in the plan and provide additional context which might affected the planned workflows, plus provides an opportunity for the full team to collaborate in solving identified issues or potential problems that could inhibit the plans (e.g. resourcing, etc.).

Resources

• Wavumbuzi 2021 Walk-Through Agenda/Presentation

Weekly Project Manager Meetings

Meetings between the project management team are typically scheduled weekly or fortnightly, and see the project managers for all iterations of the challenge come together to review and interrogate each others respective roadmaps and associated progress. The purpose of the meeting is for project managers to help each other maintain up-to-date and realistic milestones on the respective iteration roadmaps, keep a comprehensive list of all the logical tasks and steps required to successfully deliver on these milestones, share knowledge on lessons/tips/tricks they have learned from their own experiences, and build contingencies and problem solve in specific areas of implementation.

The focus on the respective iterations within these meetings will shift depending on the timing of the different iteration cycles. Much of the time in these meetings will give focus on any iterations that are currently live, or are due to go live in the near term future. Conversations typically focus on granular tasks and explore the tactical implementation of the challenge iterations, whilst documenting any strategic level considerations which need to be raised with the strategic leadership team.

Weekly Strategic Management Meetings

The Strategic Management Meetings are also typically scheduled weekly or fortnightly, usually in alignment with the weekly project management meetings, and are designed to give the strategic leadership team (head of programme design, product owner, systems architect and country leads) the opportunity to monitor the high-level progress of work across the entire team, as well collaborate in solving identified issues or potential problems that could inhibit this progress.

The conversations typically focus on the strategic implementation and design of the challenge iterations (e.g. budgets, resourcing, legals, product direction, etc.) and are often guided by the considerations raised from the weekly project management meetings. These meetings also enable the strategic leadership team to identify and coordinate any opportunities for increased efficiencies in the tactical implementation across different iterations, or pick up on the need for greater strategic alignment and closer direction setting at both a team and individual level.

Weekly Team Meetings

On a weekly basis all individuals involved in the design and implementation of Wavumbuzi come together to get an update on the progress of the programme across all live challenge iterations. This meeting is particularly important for members of the functional teams who occupy a more specialised role which is removed from the day-to-day implementation of the programme (e.g. developers, M&E team, etc.), as it provides them with a wider context and understanding of how their specialised contribution affects (and is affected by) the other design elements of the programme.

This meeting is typically lead by the project management team, who are tasked with identifying the key updates that need to be shared with the rest of the team. The strategic leadership team are also important in this forum to answer any questions which relate to the underlying strategy and reasoning behind the implementation of the different design elements of the programme.

Resources

• Agenda Documents (Isidore/Njoki to add link)

Weekly Coaching Sessions

One-on-one coaching sessions between project managers and key individuals involved in the tactical implementation of a challenge iteration are typically scheduled on a weekly or fortnightly basis. These meetings are designed to provide a platform for project managers to track (and manage) the progress of the respective individuals, as well as have an input into their respective priorities for the coming week/fortnight. These meetings help to ensure complete transparency across the functional teams implementing the programme, plus give the project managers a regular opportunity to assess the strategic alignment of the team's efforts and realign (if necessary) the direction of those efforts towards the team's common goal.

Individuals are asked to set their own priorities in order to limit the feeling of micro-management and to instil a sense of ownership in the listed activities. The project management team's role is to simply to offer advice, provide additional context and ask questions to guide the focus of these key individuals. Country leads for respective iterations are also invited to join (at their discretion) to manage any performance related issues

Resources

• Rwanda Team Coaching Sheets (2021)

• Kenya Team Coaching Sheets (2021)

Daily Communication Practices

In order to maintain good communication practices and ensure transparency across all members of the different functional teams involved in the design and implementation of the Wavumbuzi programme, the team uses Slack for all Wavumbuzi related communication. Wherever possible, all updates, questions, decisions, meeting notes and any other relevant communication should be shared on Slack.

For communications that are only relevant to specific functional teams, the channels on Slack dedicated to that specific functional team should be used. Otherwise, any communication that is relevant to the entire team should be shared on team channels. When in doubt, the better practice is to share communications on a team channel. Should individuals need to discuss the details separately from the rest of the team, they can use a thread.

Resources

• Kenya Iteration Slack Workspace (Admin > Ruti Yannick)

• Rwanda Iteration Slack Workspace (Admin > Ruti Yannick)