Project Delivery

The Weekdays

Below is an itinerary of a standard weekday on a Think Pacific Project. Please see explanations for each factor of the day below if unsure.

Health Check-in: Health Check-in is a twice daily opportunity for the team to raise any health concerns with yourselves as leaders and receive basic first aid for any minor ailments or illnesses. These clinics are not for leaders to diagnose, simply to be a primary point of first aid care and escalate to a trip to a medical professional if necessary.

• Make sure to alternate the leader who conducts this regularly; it’s an important symbol and ensures all leaders are seen as equally responsible for health
• Encourage volunteers to use these clinic opportunities even for minor concerns rather than raising them outside of this time (in the evenings for example). If something is raised in a Health Clinic, action may be taken if necessary before it becomes later in the day and more complicated.
• As leaders, you cannot treat community members with first aid due to liability. In addition, as an organisation, we cannot distribute medicine unlicensed.

NB: It’s important to update the Health Diary and share/update all leaders so that the next leader taking the clinic is aware and aligned with actions and monitoring / reviewing of the volunteer’s health. Health updates can then be given to the PC in the PC/Leader check-ins.

NB: Health is often a concerning subject for volunteers and a calm and decisive support is what is required from leaders. When two leaders have different opinions, the uncertainty may not put the volunteer at ease. Disagreements on actions, advice and guidance between leaders is not acceptable in front of team (Discuss later – if not able to agree on outcome and follow processes confidently, should contact PC asap for a decision and advice)

Daily Briefings: These briefings are your daily opportunity to ensure communications are clear across the entire team for the plan and intentions of the day. You may wish to review points from the day before and set the tone for the team for the rest of the day.

• It is crucial that the briefing starts on time, and with purpose. Therefore, it is important that leaders are on time, and have planned what to say. 
• Leaders should have notes and an agenda for briefings where appropriate for confidence and clarity on messages and comms shared. This breeds confidence and avoids missing key messages and not being confident and assured in meeting with the team.
• Make sure to have a variety of voices from the leadership team being given the opportunity to speak, or alternate who delivers them if preferable – briefings are a key visual of leadership and fosters respect.

NB: Build Projects Only: Ensure you include in daily briefing the key roles, work stations and aims for that day on the build site, following your morning check in with the Building Manager.

NB: Building Manager can be present for briefing and de-brief, but Leaders lead the discussion to ensure they remain a key communication point for volunteers.

Daily Debriefs: Debriefs happen daily with the team to reflect on the day and acts as a bookmark for communication as you head into the afternoon. It is vital for de-briefs to be concise and efficient in delivery in offering constructive reflection on the day, including challenges and resolutions, and also successes and highlights.

• Pre-Debrief Discussion – Always discuss as a Leader Unit key points to raise in de-brief across project areas / volunteers, and resolutions that may assist moving forward.
• Be sincere in acknowledging aspects that may not have worked well, but always provide constructive solutions to that challenge.
• Note key ‘wins’ and highlights for team / volunteers to encourage and motivate.
• Each component of the day is led by Leaders, and their reflection points, and only then is it offered to volunteers for ‘further comments’. DO NOT go round the circle for each individual’s description of their day as it can be inefficient, time consuming and ‘negative’.
• Re-confirm plans / timings for evening activities.

NB: Debriefs can be dominated by a single person / negative reflection. If a volunteer wants to ‘rant’, ensure you politely acknowledge it, suggest you will discuss with them individually immediately after debrief, and move on to ensure it does not affect the reflections of other volunteers.

Free Time / Sports: This is the period of the day where nothing is structured, the team can choose to spend their time how they’d like to relax after the day’s delivery. 

• Often, community members will play sports (rugby and volleyball being particularly common). Encourage the team to get involved.
• If someone is particularly tired, you can advise that this may be the opportunity where they take some time to themselves and read a book to find time for themselves in the day.
• If needed, yourselves as leaders can run a sports game for the team/community to boost group energy. This is of course optional, but can be a great tool during the week to control morale.

NB: Always have one leader not participating in activities and near the leaders house in case anyone uses this time to approach the leaders. 

Village Time: Village time is time allocated for the team to support a community requested event. This differs from village to village based on their request but may often be:

• Working towards an aspect of the ‘village plan’
• Village clear up / clean up
• Homework club for the kids

NB: This aspect of your project will be decided during prep-visits and communicated to you prior to the project commencing.

Evening Activity: Your project plan contains a schedule of when evening activities are planned to take place throughout the week. These are organised and fun activities for the team that make up part of the project itinerary (Eg. Kids games night), they are a great opportunity for people to let their hair down after a long day.

NB: When planning these activities, especially when an activity involves community engagement, you will need to work closely with TNK and the x5 key youth to organise locations and assist with communications regarding the event.

Village Curfew: From community requests, we ask that all volunteers are in their host family households at 10:00pm. If this is not respected, it causes disturbances in the community, keeps children awake, etc. 

FRIDAY OR SUNDAY MEET WITH TNK / YOUTH LEADER / WOMEN’S LEADER: DISCUSS PLANS AND AGENDA FOR WEEK AHEAD?

Project Initiative:

Morning Workshops: Information for how leaders should hold themselves in the sessions themselves

Build: Information for how leaders should hold themselves during the build

Saturdays

Saturday is an activity day for the team and often community. They serve as a break from the day-to-day delivery of the project and a fun opportunity to engage in some teambuilding and see the surrounding area. 

It is important to keep the team busy on Saturdays! Key is having time out of the village to keep the team fresh and energised on project, and activities may include Treks, Fishing, Bilibili Raft Building, Village Visits, Picnic Trip, Community Sports etc.

Saturdays are planned in advance with the community and this will be a key area for discussion during your weekly meetings with the TNK and x5 key youth. They will be key communication channels for the village and can also assist with planning and ideas for the day.

Some tips for Saturdays are:

1. Always have a Plan B, and a plan for wet weather.
2. Don’t rush an excursion or activity.
3. Always keep ownership of Saturdays with the TP / Leader Unit.
4. Ensure it is an ‘Excursion’ or an ‘Activity’ 
5. Remind TNK of Saturday activity throughout the week to ensure arrangements are made, and be aware of tides if using boats or going out to sea.
6. For Saturday activities, please  advise the  teams to ‘be ready’ for a certain time e.g. 9am, but allow them to remain in their homes / village until the truck / boat / youths are ready, to relieve pressure if on ‘Fiji Time.’

NB: Every Saturday from 9-10am TP aims to run a ‘Ladies Exercise Class’ to promote female participation in physical activity in local communities.

NBB: A good Saturday can make a ‘bad week good’, and a bad Saturday can make a ‘good week bad.’

NBBB: Speak to your PC, Community and youth members and TNK to enquire about ‘unknown’ activities and areas of interest that could make for a great Saturday option

Sundays

Sunday can be languaged and understood as the ‘rest day’ of the week. Despite mixed denominations of Christianity in rural villages, the overwhelming majority respect Sunday as the Sabbath, the rest day, and take this very seriously. This means that the team will rest and relax too.

Church

Team to attend church together in the morning of Sunday (wearing formal clothing). 

1. These services are usually conducted at 10:00am.
2. It is not at all compulsory for volunteers to attend, but we do encourage it as a cultural immersion opportunity and as a community event.

PPPs (Personal Project Planning)

Sunday is when leaders conduct the weekly PPPs. These can be conducted after lunch with ideally as many as possible completed prior to the team meeting. (see point 1.8.1 for further details)

NB: Each family is likely to have a big lunch. This may be a good opportunity as leaeders to attend a meal and a volunteer’s house. 

Sunday Team Meeting (4:00pm)

Every Sunday, leaders will facilitate a team meeting to plan and discuss the week ahead. These meetings are a chance for groups to plan sessions they are facilitating in the week ahead in groups and for leaders to be able to offer support and guidance if necessary.

Key points:

1. Discuss as a Leadership Unit key points to raise, and who will say which element, so that the meeting is delivered with confidence and efficiency.
2. Discuss points noted from previous week or interests raised from PPP’s that may be relevant to weekly planning. Eg Activities volunteers may have requested.
3. Include any key reminders on customs and cultures for the team.
4. Ask volunteers to share their “highlight of the week” – it allows a fun sense of group reflection on the previous week, and creates a positive mindset approaching the next week/rota.

NB: Team meeting to take place anytime between 3:30pm – 5:00pm but no later than that.

Leadership Meeting (Evening)

Consistent and effective communication with community leaders is essential to successful planning and management of the project and activities week to week. In order to align succesfully with the community and to develop and maintain relations with community leaders, weekly meetings to discuss issues, incidents and weekly events and activities are a great way to acheive this! 

Use this Sunday meeting as an opportunity to talk with:

• TNK
• x5 Key Youth (and youth leader if applicable)
• Women’s Leader

Make sure everyone is on the same page and communicate across challenges, work towards resolutions, plan the week ahead and clarify logistics.