PROJECT PROPOSAL: ROUGH DRAFT REFLECTION
For the past two months or so, I have been thinking how UNE can successfully implement a move-out program that reduces waste. The main focus was simply reducing waste by separating and donating usable items from the actual waste generated from student move out.
Completing the STARS Report Waste Credits provided a great starting point for the project proposal. Even though UNE donated a significant amount of material at the end of the 2018-19 academic year, this amount was not quantified and had to be entered as if the university had not donated (see image above). This was an important factor to consider for a project proposal: how could UNE revise last year’s move out program while also allowing for quantitative measurements of the material that made it to a donation center?
I found it helpful that I had previously looked into move out programs at different schools, so the best parts of each program could be combined and tailored in a way to work for UNE. This also made it easier to cite other examples of projects similar to my proposal, since the research had been completed prior. By citing examples, it was less about summarizing these projects (like in the Case Study), and more about explaining why a component from a different project would or would not work for UNE.
By physically creating a project proposal, it made me think more in depth about the logistics of this project. For example, where would be the best drop-off locations and why? I also think my student perspective helped during the creation of this proposal because I know what it’s like to leave in a hurry after your last final, sometimes even being anxious to go home on break. Last year, I saw the massive piles of material in Avila’s mailroom. In a place that was meant for usable items and non-perishables, there was trash and perishable food left behind.
After completing the rough draft of this project proposal, I still feel like I failed to identify stakeholders that would be affected by this project implementation. I think it’s hard to identify all of the groups of people that could benefit from this project, especially people not directly within the UNE community. I think after implementation, the missing stakeholders will become evident. On the other hand, I feel confident that my partner and I identified where the most efficient drop off “stations” would be on campus. Since my partner and I both live on campus, but in different buildings, we were able to come up with the best spots for drop off stations that were central to up to five buildings.
PROJECT PROPOSAL: FINAL DRAFT REFLECTION
While writing my project proposal, I was still unsure if I had identified the correct stakeholders. I did identify the immediate stakeholders, but it was hard for me to think ahead to all of the parties that this project would affect. When I think back on writing the project proposal, I realize that identifying the stakeholders is only a fraction of the whole proposal. Rather than identifying the stakeholders, I think it was more important that I was able to justify my project idea and use other examples to back up my reasoning.
Overall, I felt confident about the rough draft of my project proposal. After receiving feedback, the part that I struggled with the most was making specific, reachable goals. I had identified multiple short- and long-term aspects that I would like to see for the project, but many were just smaller steps that added up to the same goal. So I had to edit this section of the proposal, which meant removing these bullet points. Instead, I rewrote this section in paragraph format, to give the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, and HOW of this project. It was pretty straightforward to determine who would be implementing this project (Sustainability Office), where the project would take place (three determined drop-off sites on UNE’s Biddeford Campus), and what the project was (waste diversion/donation). It was not as easy to succinctly state how this project would be done.
After completing the final draft of my project proposal, I am left with one solid, clear, and realistic goal. I think this format, rather than many bullet points, will be more clear to the reader, and hopefully more persuading in the project proposal. Once a project is implemented, I also think that having the project goals structured as S.M.A.R.T. goals will benefit those who are looking back at the proposal for guidance on the project.
PROJECT GOALS:
The main goal of this project is to develop a program that the UNE Sustainability Office will implement on the Biddeford campus during the residential move-out process of the 2020-2021 academic school year. The goal is to divert 1 ton (2,000 pounds) of material from the trash dumpster and effectively donate the usable materials from student dorms to a local business or charity, through a staffed, mobile collection station. Data will be collected using the truck at a weigh station before and after donation of the collected materials.
