Development Practice

CSRspace helps clients identify innovative approaches to intervene in urban development. We can assist our clients at any stage of their journey. Our approach is to think through the concerns and needs of our clients and their stakeholders; identify benefits, issues and potential areas of conflict. We create a comprehensive Integrated Master Plan, consider leading edge ICT4D opportunities, and the potential for pooled funding, including non-traditional project development. We strive to achieve a clear and positive change in how people live.

Strategic Plan

CSRspace works with its clients, whether a community, an investor, or a company to devise a Strategic Plan that prioritizes common goals over an extended timeframe (10 – 50 years). This sets the standards against which all elements of the Master Plan are measured, and which must be met by any project identified for completion or funding. It supports collaboration by building and maintaining a pipeline of projects with clear long term relevance for a community and a clear exit strategy for investors.

  • Identify differentiators in the Community or project beneficiaries that make it unique, and may not be accounted for in normal project design.
  • Consider investment in core project infrastructure with respect to community priorities and in terms of opportunities to build lasting local infrastructure out of temporary project infrastructure.
  • Match strategic plans, encourage stakeholder discussion of planning priorities to detail desired projects by priority, cost, and over time and identify those suited for private and impact investment.
  • Definition of KPIs and general metrics to measure and track success or identify areas for change.

Integrated Master Plan

CSRspace believes individual projects should not be designed and implemented in a vacuum. They should meet the goals set by a strategic plan, benefit from broad stakeholder input, and be evaluated for up- and downstream impacts and long term consequences. As part of a comprehensive Integrated Master Plan (cIMP), validated and informed by local stakeholders, a project can help achieve the desired impact, while minimizing negative consequences.
A cIMP should include, inter alia, guidelines for:

  • Assess the environmental, socio-economic, socio-cultural and demographic baseline and Strategic Plan goals.
  • Identify and engage directly relevant stakeholders.
  • Evaluate against applicable international norms, requirements and best management practices.
  • Design and categorize projects according to beneficiaries, timeframe, type of funding/investment, and potential partnerships.
  • Establish need for project owner, and identify points of entry and exit for funding organization and/or investor.
  • Always document processes, follow through and collect information on KPIs for reporting at different levels.

Project Management

CSRspace complements its clients project management by networking knowledge from a range of experts and stakeholders into project design and implementation. As a third party, our team encourages open discussion, yet keeps the process focused and on track, within budget, and achieve the goals set in the project scope.

  • Build a team to seamlessly integrate client staff and specialists, manage input from stakeholders, encourage capacity building, transfer of knowledge, and project support.
  • Identify the right subject matter expert for specific information.
  • Mentor team members to evaluate each project component in the context of local and regional limits to growth or options for further expansion.
  • Actively manage the scope of work to reflect changing project realities while matching it to the existing project budget and timeline.
  • Measure Performance Metrics and adapt project scope as needed.

Stakeholder Engagement

CSRspace manages stakeholder engagement from project concept through to implementation. This is critical in achieving timely, streamlined, cost-effective project delivery. This process is documented and validated in accordance with a range of reporting requirements.

  • Identify all potential stakeholders, create a Stakeholder Engagement Plan, and call out critical points of intervention during the project life.
  • Ensure that stakeholder outreach is inclusive, well documented and consistent.
  • Walk stakeholders through opportunities to leverage smart technology, cross-sectoral planning, sustainable approaches and scalable designs to better inform them on available choices.
  • Do not design the project in isolation from ongoing development panning, upstream and downstream activities, and local emerging and future needs.

Impact Monitoring

CSRspace recognizes that clients, whether investors, funding organizations or local project owners, have specific project requirements and seek to ensure its success over time. Key Performance Metrics are established at the planning phase so that project impact meets the stated expectations of the stakeholders.

  • Establish modalities to collect and update a single set of useable, reliable impact data.
  • Implement automated systems to track project data, and facilitate reporting over time.
  • Perform data collection and reporting.
  • Monitor the project to enable early intervention in case the project deviates from plan or conditions change.

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