Evidence of Likely Sustainable Change
The project's vision or goal(s) are well-defined and likely to result in sustainable change related to education outcomes in 3-5 years and beyond.
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The project's vision or goal(s) are well-defined and likely to result in sustainable change related to education outcomes in 3-5 years and beyond.
Charting the Course:
Navigating from Current State to Ideal State
A successful project needs clear goals, a detailed plan, and adequate resources to ensure successful implementation. It should also focus on how each action is tied to desired outcomes and how they will be sustained over time. A common misconception is that a project should be near completion before considering how to sustain the changes. Yet sustainability requires careful attention and planning, especially when considering the commitment and application of resources. Before you begin implementation, consider how these pieces fit together and if they seem likely to improve education outcomes in the next 3-5 years.
Building Your Case:
Gathering Evidence for Your Current Position
If funding for this project disappeared, what would be left behind? Consider ways your project will sustain to achieve its targeted long-term outcomes. Organizations are subject to many disruptions and changes: staffing turnover, leadership changes, shifting priorities, etc. Your project should be built to last in service of its goals.
Documentation examples:
- Conversations with project leadership
- Conversations with interested parties
- Policy reports
- News articles
- Revised theory of action
Once you've gathered and assessed the evidence, use the following scale to identify your current position. Remember that this rating is a benchmark, not a fixed position. If you find yourself at the Emerging stage, don't worry. You now have a clearer understanding of the steps needed to progress toward the advanced stage.
State of the Project
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Emerging
There is no evidence of a clear goal or a plan to sustain the work
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Developing
There is some evidence of developing a goal and plan to sustain the work
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Advancing
There may be a clear goal and plan to sustain the work, but the project lacks the necessary resources to operationalize the plan
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Mastery
There is a clear goal, plan, and adequate resources to sustain the work beyond this project’s timeline
Looking for tools to help?
- Try this self-assessment worksheet for this element, or look at the complete PSF self-assessment.
- Still struggling? Check out our resource library for additional tools.
Ready to dive in?
Tap into the full potential of the PSF self-assessment to evaluate your project's standing in each element. Gain value insights on the necessary steps to propel your project even closer to achieving successful outcomes.