CHANCES & RISKS

Assessment of chances and risks of all work packages of a project is an important step in project management. Adjusted to an ECI, that means analysing, broadly speaking, chances and risks in the fields of network, financing, the time and resource plan and especially the campaign plan. Here are a few examples:

Big organisations as supporters can add a lot of reach and financial/personal ressources (chances), but there is the risk of them wanting to influence the ECI and the ECI being dependent on their engagement.

A fundamental question is also to use politicians as multipliers. On the one hand this can bring reach (chance) on the other hand, party political instrumentalization can be a problem for the perception (risk).

In advertising or online activities, heightened or provocative wording can generate reach and attention (chance), but people might feel offended and opponents can use that to discredit the ECI (risk).

Such a consideration can also be more detailed, with probabilities and financial assessment of chances and risks. At the end, it is important to evaluate both

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER

European federalism: The ECI is a european tool, but it has 27 member states with very different rrequirements for collecting sigantures. In some countries,one’s  name and adress suffices, in others they need one’s social security number and in others, one has to give out one’s passport number in addition to other personal details.  Obviously, there are massive differences from country to country when it comes to the willingness to give out one’s personal information.  

Geographical hotspots: the famous „low hanging fruits“should be targeted first. Places with many inhabitants can create many signatures or, where the topic of the ECI is big, there is already a awareness for it. Oder dort, wo das Thema der EBI groß ist, ist das Bewusstsein schon vorhanden. Based on such criteria, resources should be focused where they promise success and should not be contributed evenly.

Digital vs. Analogue: there are different preferences to show support for the ECI. Some rather sign on paper; others rather fill out an online form. In general, every signature is important. With onmline signatures though, one has an overview of the number of signatures and none can get lost. Apart from that everyone – singing either online or on paper – should leave their email adress, in order to stay tuned about the further success of the ECI. One can use these addresses for a “call to action” and to use these people as multipliers.

Collaboration tools: Collaboration of mayn people from different countries requires the right tools for communication, documentation and exchange. There is by now a number of free or cheap tools like Slack or Trello, which can be perfectly integrated into other applications. Videoconferences are not only since Corona a proven method for cost-efficient communication.  

Sudden big trends: Despite the best planning, it might happen that a national or international trend is defining public perception and media attention. In 2019, Greta Thunberg and Fridays for Future where THE trend, no matter in which country. Or in the first half of 2020, the Coronavirus hit and destroyed everyone’s plans. In such cases, crisis management and creative reactions are key in case the ECI does not go together with such a topic, one has to find a way to establish a link and present one’s own issues smartly. Should the ECI’s topic touch such a trend: You’ve hit the jackpot!

© 2020

Europeans for Affordable Housing e.V.