What is it?

Responding to the opportunities that can arise, and any unexpected problems that surface during implementation.

Why do this?

You may need to handle tempting opportunities that can often arise once you have started the intervention that can compete for the attention and time of staff, and deal with unforeseen problems and challenges (possibly relating to budgets) that you were unaware of at the development stage.

How might you do this?

• Discuss with managers and stakeholders how to take advantage of opportunities without causing the core intervention to suffer

• Try and determine if an opportunity is really worth pursuing, what would be involved and what impact this might have on the main intervention. More >

  Opportunities - such as new funding to reach a different target audience, or invitations to work on related issues - may or may not improve your intervention

• Where unexpected problems pose significant challenges, consider how best to address them. More >

  For example: decide how to address the problem; take the necessary corrective steps; and make all staff and other stakeholders aware that adjustments are being made to original plans and why they are being made

• Where budgets are limited, manage the budget in such a way that the planned intervention is implemented within the available resources. More >

  Predict expenses on budget timelines and regularly review expenditures against those predictions. If you have an unanticipated and controllable expense in one area, adjust other budget items downwards, always with the project’s objectives foremost in mind

Tips

• Don’t let opportunities deflect the project from its core objectives or dilute the resources that you need to support the intervention

Output

• Ongoing review of opportunities, problems and challenges

Intended Outcome

• Enhancing and strengthening the intervention, where possible, and staying on track to meet objectives on time and within budget