Synergy by Design

Synergy by Design
© 2003 John E. Perkins, Ph.D.
5201 22nd Ave NE #201
Seattle WA 98105
206 524.4496

http://www.drizzle.com/~newroots

GROUND RULES

1. A great majority of the people ready to do the work are present at the planning session using this method. This cannot be done by any subgroup or single person.
2. The responsibility for making sure estimates make sense rests with each individual participating member at the session. In other words, pointing out potential hurdles, and over- or under- estimation is more than encouraged, it is required for this approach to serve your coalition.

STEPS

1. Make a list of all activities needed for a successful project—from planning to clean-up.
For each activity:

2. Estimate how many people would be needed to do it.

3. Estimate the average number of hours required per person to complete that activity.

4. Estimate the degree of difficulty involved on a scale of one to ten, with one being very easy and ten being very difficult.

5. Multiply the numbers to get total "points" for that activity.

6. Total the points for all activities.

7. Divide the total points by the number of people involved to arrive at how many “points” represent an equal share of the work.

8. Each worker chooses the activity mix which totals his or her equal share.

Example: Sample of activities for a fall youth camp

A. Task	B. # of People	C. Avg. hours	D. Difficulty	E. Total
Sponsor Open Space	1	30	8	240
Design Flyer	2	25	6	300
coordinate advisors	2	25	9	450
and so on ...	...	...	...	...
Total	XXXXX			6160
# planners	XXXXX			22
average points each	XXXXX			280

Adapted from: Klien, Kim. 1986. “Assigning Fundraising Tasks: When Compulsiveness is a Virtue” Grassroots Fundraising Journal August 1989:8-11.

Project or Goal:

#	A. TASK	B. # OF PEOPLE	C. AVG. HOURS	D. DIFFI- CULTY	E. TOTAL
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28	TOTAL	XXXX	XXXX	XXXX
29	# 0F PEOPLE	XXXX	XXXX	XXXX
30	AVERAGE POINTS EACH	XXXX	XXXX	XXXX

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