The technical consultant, Paul Fitzpatrick, initially did not expect to be able to
incorporate geographical information into the directory's functionality, but upon
conducting further research he found a way to create maps of all areas within the U.S. (A
Canada-based user has expressed interest in extending the functionality to Canada.) The
other major surprise was that a respondent to the survey, Jason Lemieux of the Eggplant
Active Media Workers' Collective, volunteered to redesign the directory website to be
more visually attractive.
In sum, although more could have been achieved with greater resources and staff time, a
very useful and attractive tool for cooperation among cooperative organizations was
created using all free and donated resources. The tool was designed to be almost entirely
self-maintaining with a minimum of expense and staff time needed for continued upkeep.
Project participants have declared it a success.
Recommendations
In light of the experiences described in this report, the author would make the following
recommendations.
Think small and realistic. Generations of CED students have been told this and have
tried, and failed, to attempt a project to be completed in one year that actually has a
chance of doing that. Still, it doesn't hurt to say it again. Having realistic goals helps cut
down on frustration from not achieving grandiose objectives and helps focus effort on
what can be accomplished now with available resources.
Use the resources at hand. More resources are available than may be apparent. A lot can
get accomplished when maximal use is made of those resources. Also, although this is a
learning project, it is acceptable to play to strengths. Other people maybe would have
used certain skills or resources, such as fundraising, but if these are not among the project
participants' strong points, it is OK to use those skills and resources that are available.
Get organizational and community buy-in. This project could not have succeeded without
the active support and participation of the Cooperative Life board, CDI staff, and the
cooperative economic community. In addition, a major unexpected boon to the project
came as a result of a survey that elicited interest and volunteer time from a talented
community member.
Planning, monitoring and evaluation really are helpful disciplines. Having a plan,
reporting on implementation, and doing an explicit evaluation of a project all have very
substantial benefits. They are not mere academic exercises or superficial formalities. A
written plan helps to communicate the project to stakeholders and guide activities (but be
aware that projects will often need to modify plans as things develop). Monitoring keeps
things moving along and provides early alerts for any needed changes in direction.
Project directors may think that they know how the project went, but asking other