Project Execution

Being a grass-roots level NGO, Abhivyakti runs with a team of 6 people in the core. There are no fixed roles as such, everybody contributes to the best of their ability. That also meant that there was no specific person to properly document all of the activities of the NGO and that’s how this project spawned. The NGO then decided to seek help from outside, to have someone reflect their work in a few pages.

When asked about how this project was shaped by Mohit and Jahnvi specifically, Himadri recollects that the volunteers were very punctual throughout and they’ve always delivered their work on time. They were oriented about the organisation and requirements of the project individually and all meetings that followed were very organised. It actually took him by surprise that although they aren't from the NGO sector, they understood well in the first go. They conceptualised everything and soon after began working on the project.

Both the volunteers had only positive things to say about the initial impression of the organisation and how it differed from the expectations they had set. In Mohit’s words, “Abhivyakti is way different from the typical NGOs I have worked with before. This one was very organised as they already had necessary information to keep us running. Project coordination was also very well versed with what we would require. Himadri was supportive throughout, committed to the project and regularly followed up with us. What stood out to me about him is that he listened and kept everyone's point of view with him and acted in everyone’s best interest. He was the single point of contact from the organisation as well, which was a good thing for us, as there was less ambiguity during follow-ups.” Jahnvi had mentioned to us an important takeaway for her from this project. She said “When I started, I really liked the timeline and agendas given, which helped us make an action plan. Later when I joined consulting, it is the same process followed even in a professional setting, so it prepared me for my job role as well. Understanding deliverables was easy. It was a volunteer project, shaped in a professional way.” 

It was gathered from the volunteers that the sessions began with a brief introduction of NGOs activities. They were sent a file which contained details of the engagements of the NGO. A basic framework was identified to categorise the project in 5 activities. Data analytics were required and Jahnvi had taken these up. Regular follow ups were planned amongst the three of them. 

By now, it is obviously understood that the output was pretty fruitful. Two versions of the brochure were released - English and Hindi, as the data needed to be translated locally. The brochure has been prepared in such a way that it can be edited at a later stage and re-used. The brochure is being used by Abhivyakti to reach donors and raise funds. The hard copy is also being used at workshops and seminars to spread awareness about their activities and genesis of the organisation. 

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Challenges faced

It is almost not necessary to state that since COVID happened, our lives have functioned around uncertainty. So was the case with Mohit and Jahnvi as well. Although they were able to adjust timelines as the NGO was flexible with their deadlines, the whole phenomena of a timeline was distorted. Their combined adaptability to these situations have kept this project afloat. Mohit said “Timely follow ups from Chezuba and ProEngage helped us map our progress toward completion. The accountability aspect was present throughout. You see, there’s a thin line between a corporate role and volunteering. Himadri was very good at holding patient conversations with us whenever necessary, making it a swift process for us without much perplexion.”

Jahnvi kickstarted her career right through the middle of this project. When asked how she managed to do so, she said “I obviously faced some difficulty with the transition into my new job. I wasn’t able to dedicate much time like I used to before, but having a family member around was a true blessing as he stepped up for me and ensured the project wasn’t being affected.”

Himadri mentioned multiple times that despite anything, there was never any disruption from the volunteers’ end and they were extremely cooperative throughout. Infact, he recollects that at a point, the only challenge they had because of him is when the Secretary of the organization was hospitalised and his message for the brochure couldn’t be provided. There was a major delay due to this. Rightfully so, the volunteers were informed about this and they very patiently waited until the necessary information was provided.  “We had our busy periods, but had a good personal relationship”, he added.