The project approach to suicide prevention activities - Living is for ...

that the project’s objectives are achieved, and that completion
occurs on time, within cost and to required quality standards.
A project should have a nominated manager and management
group to oversee the project. This is often called a Steering
Committee or Project Management Committee and should
comprise at least a representative from the client/funding body
and the consumer of the ‘product’.
Suicide prevention projects can be managed by agencies or
organisations, either solely or in partnership with others through
a contractual arrangement. Sometimes an auspicing agency can
act on behalf of a single or group of organisations which do not
have the capacity or desire to manage a project in their own right.
The auspicing agency receives the funding and has responsibility
for the overall accountability of the performance of the project,
including delivery of each component of the project and the
expenditure of funds. Effective auspicing organisations should
have in place sound governance structures and processes,
a strong track record of transparent accountability to their
members and funding bodies, effective contractual arrangements
(eg MOU) with the other organisations, a commitment to adequate
resourcing of administration and organisational infrastructure
for projects, professional and appropriately trained staff, and a
reputation for excellence in responding to identified needs or
gaps in market places.
Essential components of suicide
prevention projects
It is helpful to think of a project in terms of six main components:
1. Project conceptualisation/initiation – the rationale for the
project and expected project outcomes. This is defined by the
client and the planned outcomes will guide the project evaluation.
2. Project planning – scheduling work to produce the required
product (outputs and outcomes). A project plan is a road map
that describes both the journey and the destination. It provides
high level information on what the project will achieve, how it will
achieve it, how much it will cost, how long it will take and any
hazards to look out for on the way. The plan forms the basis for
other plans and reports that may be required for the project, such
as detailed work plans, risk management plan, communication
plan, project budget, progress and final reports. The main feature
of the project plan is that it should be achievable.
The project plan should include the following information:
• what (the planned project products and outcomes)
• how and when (project activities according to the required
sequencing of activities)
• by whom (resources required)
• costs
• any external influences on the project; and
• stages against which project progress will be monitored.
There are many commercial project planning products that are
commonly used to assist in efficient project planning and monitoring.
3. Product delivery – undertaking all the project work to
produce the outcomes. It will usually be split into defined
stages with each one having its own plan. The outcome must
meet the quality standards defined at the beginning of the
project by the client.
4. Project completion – achieving project deliverables and
handing over the results to the client. In suicide prevention
projects this is often in the form of a final report which
documents measurable project outcomes or it can be a set
of suicide prevention materials or a strategy.
5. Project evaluation – is about making judgements of the
degree to which the project has achieved its aims, the
effectiveness with which it has been run, and/or the valuefor-money
of the project achievements. This means making
informed and evidence-based judgements about how well
the project’s objectives have been achieved, whether the key
stakeholders have been satisfied and how well the project has
been managed. Funding bodies often provide an evaluation
framework, and funding will usually be conditional on projects
being assessed against that framework.
6.Product sustainability – consideration of how the project
outcomes can be sustained in the longer term and the
changes required to achieve this. The project evaluation
is critical to determining sustainability. A key strategy to
embed sustainability is to ensure that the learnings and
successes of projects are shared within the local community.
Raising awareness of the project with key stakeholders and
the broader community contributes to a shared sense of
ownership and commitment.
Community engagement with suicide
prevention projects
The following checklist provides a useful list for determining
how well-equipped individuals, groups and organisations within
a community are to begin project planning and implementation.
Community readiness checklist
• Community leaders, mentors and champions to support
suicide prevention activities have been identified and coopted.
• Community needs, history and issues in relation to suicide
prevention are well understood.
• Participation from a diverse range of groups has been arranged
and guaranteed.
• There is agreement on shared vision, goals and decisionmaking
processes for the work.
• There is agreement on how existing resources within the
community will be mobilised and used.