Submitted by Colin Mulberg, Director at Colin Mulberg Consulting
In my experience, successful projects are rarely defined by what happens during design or delivery alone. The strongest outcomes are shaped much earlier, during the time spent preparing the project and building a clear rationale for why it should exist and what it needs to achieve.
Before moving quickly into content development or design proposals, it is worth stepping back and reviewing the project from both internal and external perspectives. This means being clear about the gains the project should deliver, setting realistic aspirations and understanding where the best value for money will come from.
Organisational Benefit And Alignment
A good starting point is an honest examination of how well the project fits within your organisation. This involves defining exactly how the organisation will benefit and being explicit about what success would look like in practical terms.
Projects are strongest when they align clearly with your mission, aims and values, and when they contribute to a meaningful long-term legacy. Ideally, the benefits of the project should be the primary driver for its development rather than funding availability or external pressure.
Well-prepared projects tend to respond to genuine organisational needs. This means that the thinking, learning and planning involved can still deliver value even if the project does not progress beyond early stages. In these cases, the work supports wider organisational development rather than becoming lost effort.
It is also useful to consider how much change the project introduces. Major projects can be an opportunity to rethink ways of working, refresh processes and encourage positive change. When managed well, this can generate energy and commitment among staff and stakeholders.
At the same time, it is important to recognise opportunity cost. Time spent on one project inevitably reduces capacity elsewhere. Understanding what might be deprioritised, and whether that trade-off is acceptable, should be part of early decision-making.
Reviewing Resources And Capability
Preparation also requires a realistic assessment of resources and capability. Projects draw on governance, management, staff and volunteer time as well as financial investment. They also demand sustained input when working with external specialists such as architects, designers and interpretation teams.
Assessing internal capability early helps identify where additional expertise may be needed. This might include support with understanding collections and heritage assets, shaping narratives, defining audiences, planning projects or coordinating consultants.
It is equally important to consider staff capacity. Many projects assume that teams can absorb additional responsibilities alongside existing roles. Being realistic about workload and stress levels over the life of a project helps prevent burnout and protects delivery quality.
Clarifying Value And Success Criteria
Looking at the project in the context of the organisation as a whole helps clarify why it is the right course of action. Projects represent a combined investment of time, energy, expertise and funding. Clear preparation makes it easier to articulate what the organisation expects in return and how success will be measured.
When benefits, priorities and success criteria are defined early, projects are better positioned to withstand change and uncertainty later on.
If you are preparing a project and would like to discuss how best to approach early-stage planning, I am always happy to have an initial conversation about your needs.
