The Work Plan is your Source Camp check list from pre to post production. For more information and background, use the How-To Section. The two sections are simply different ways to navigate the contents of this wiki.
The list below is roughly in chronological order, but some tasks should happen in parallel or may shift in the list depending on circumstances.
We are also considering to create a work plan checklist in spreadsheet (or project management application) format - we are currently trying this out internally and will post it if we find it useful.
Pre-pre-production
See Booting Up for the low-down on the following:
- Draft a Concept Paper that articulates the overall vision of the event for partners and funders. This document should be updated as the planning becomes increasingly concrete.
- Find local partner(s)
- Start recruiting potential advisory group members
- Define and agree on the Camp's principle goals
- Define roles of partners and stakeholders
- Begin researching potential venues
- Draft a MoU
- Secure seed funding (see Funding Guidelines for background info)
- Search for sponsors and funding
- Make final go/no-go decision based on funding
Pre-production
- Establish the advisory group and set up a mailing list to support collaboration (see Advisory Group section in Booting Up)
- Choose dates (check other events clashes, weather, local holidays)
- Make first short announcements to friends and funders
- Make a general announcement 6 months before the date (see Media Outreach Plan and Announcement for sample text)
- Publish a brief announcement on www site (use text from the Concept Paper, or text from your Announcement)
- Choose venue
- Research travel & visa issues as well as health issues related to the location (see Camp Life and Logistics for background)
- Visit site and hold local meetings
- Compile preliminary event outline (needs/goals/content framework, workshop style, time line) and update Concept Paper if needed (See example agendas on Running the Programme)
- Budget
- Compile preliminary budget together with local partner
- See Budgets And Budgeting for tips on compiling, adjusting and tracking budgets
- See Travel Cost Estimations for some rough estimates
- Revise budget based on real quotes/proposals
- Compile a Media Outreach Plan and a list of publicity targets
- Choose a name for the event and define its identity
- Choose and invite key and local facilitators [with advisory group and partners]
- Decide tentative content tracks with advisory group, local partners, and facilitators (see Facilitation Source Camp-Style).
- Research key participants and invitees
- Agree on the application form (visa requirements, etc.) Phi: Need to link to form template
- Develop and launch website (concept, venue, travel, visa, health, reference links, concept/draft of the program, application form, At The Camp FAQ)
- Prepare advisory group for application review (see Application Process)
- Create mailing lists (participants, facilitators, logistical/organisational)
Announcement (2 1/2 months before the first day of the Camp)
- Make announcements / invitations
- Make general Announcement and send individual notes to partners, funders, and people in your network
- Invite potential future partner(s)
- Send out your Press Release
- See Media Outreach Plan for more information
- Receive applications, respond to questions and comments (See Application Process for notes and a template spreadsheet for managing the application process. Example emails include Application Form Msg, Application Received Msg, Review Committee Msg, In Progress Msg, Rejection Msg and Invitation Msg)
- Estimate travel costs based on applicants' feedback and balance this with secured funds
- Investigate evening sessions and outing day possibilities (see Off Agenda Programme)
- Find caterers
- Make the second announcement (reminder of deadline) Phi: Link to example
Application deadline (1 1/2 months to go until first day of the Camp)
- Review applications and select participants (together with advisory group; see Application Process)
- Notify participants (see Rejection Msg and Invitation Msg)
- Recruit new facilitators using application results to identify outstanding needs and new people (see Facilitation Source Camp-Style)
- Review preliminary list of content tracks and decide on final tracks (see Running the Programme)
- Set up mailing lists for content tracks and start email discussions of session contents and structure within tracks.
- Last funding push!
- Launch the participants' mailing list
- Update website (list of participants, agenda, etc.)
- Work on the programme with participants and facilitators (see Running the Programme for example agendas for Africa Source 2 and Foss Road)
- Send invitation letters to selected participants and facilitators (for visas) Phi: Need to link to template
- Verify special requirements from participants (diet, child care, health, ...) and confirm menu with the kitchen
- Agree on evening programme, side sessions and outing day (see Off Agenda programme and Special Sessions)
- Decide on Camp Layout
- Use the Camp Logistics Check-List to help you plan
- Approach and organise journalists/press coverage
- Organise documentation of and streaming for the event (see Camp Life and Logistics)
- Review and prepare NGO in a box (with input from facilitators)
- Make t-shirts
- Agree on the final reimbursed costs
- Revise the budget
- Make a schedule of arrival/departure
- Send the final agenda to the mailing list
- Gather resources for the event (materials for bazaar, office, resources not available locally, first aid, music, walkie-talkie)
- Ask participants to prepare for bazaar, skillshares, screwdriver sessions (take the equipment), film evenings, cultural context (see Special Sessions)
- Consider fun add-on and good atmosphere-building tweaks
Freaking out period (1 1/2 weeks before the Camp)
- Small team travels to location
- Check local resources and amenities
- Set up venue before the event (See Camp Life and Logistics Check: classes, computer labs, bar with the barman, bazaar including tea serving and music, Internet connection, server for exchanging the information and blogging, wifi, announcement signup space, checking water and refreshments resources, ...)
- Troubleshoot and solve problems
- Finalise logistics for evening sessions and outing day (see Off Agenda programme)
- Prepare Welcome Pack
- Prepare invoices for registration/arrivals (see Travel Reimbursement)
- Confirm facilitators' needs
- Facilitators arrive and meet the day before the Camp starts
- Break out in content track groups and do a rough plan of the week's content. See Running the Programme for more information.
- Name all the spaces (rooms) and create map (depending on space)
Event
Not all activities are mentioned here which are obvious -- just those which either take extra effort or that should be taken in to consideration when planning. See Running the Programme and Camp Life and Logistics for more detail.
- Registration, invoicing, room assignment
- Copy tickets for reimbursement (see Travel Reimbursement)
- Coach the facilitators and readjust the agenda on the fly
- Day 1: Open plenary in the morning; Spectogram introduced; break into tracks for the afternoon
- Document and stream the event (photos, movie, recordings, blogging, ...)
- Collect information (mapping, FOSS in your language, software needs, development survey, interviews etc)
- Have a sport-like event, such as stretching-yoga
- Note potential outcomes
- Update the note to donors and sponsors during the event
- Burn the last part of the NGO in a box and distribute it
- Exchange t-shirts for feedback forms (see Feedback Analysis)
- Make a plan for follow up and collaboration
- Hold two debriefing sessions, one with all facilitators and key participants on the last day of the camp, and a second one with faciliators and organisers after participants have left. See Graceful Shut Down for more information.
Post-production (during the 2 months after the Camp)
See Graceful Shut Down for the full story behind the following steps:
- Send Thank You Notes to key organisations and people
- Analyse feedback forms and compile a report (see Feedback Analysis)
- Search and collect post-event coverage (see Media Coverage Report)
- Post reports, articles, feedback and outcomes on the web
- Conduct post-event publicity
- Compile funders' pack (see Final Report for information on the final narrative and financial reports, media reports, feedback analysis, photos, giveaways etc.)
- Close some discussion lists and email addresses
- Articulate and begin carrying out a plan for continuing to support the community