CommCare Fundamentals - Project Planning and Implementation

Owned by Jeremy W.
Last updated: Apr 17, 2024 by Gillian Javetski
2 min read

CommCare Projects take lots of different shapes and sizes. However, there are some key roles and practices that are associated with successful projects.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Like most projects, CommCare projects require a team effort to be successful. Everyone must do their part. But what does a CommCare project team look like? 

Over time, Dimagi has identified 7 key project roles. In some projects, a single person may have more than one role -- that's okay. What's important is that each team member knows their role and has received the appropriate training and resources to do their part well. Below are the roles and their core responsibilities: 

     

                                                                            

You will notice from this list that each role covers a distinct and important area of responsibility, and that different roles require different levels of project engagement over time. Additionally, depending on your project, certain roles may require technical skills. For example, a M&E officer should have data analysis skills; a Trainer should be comfortable speaking publicly and explaining complex ideas in a simple way. When assigning roles, be sure to consider each person's skills and time availability.
                                                                              

 

PHASES OF IMPLEMENTATION

CommCare projects vary a lot -- in size, complexity, and geography -- but each one transitions through 4 major phases of implementation. Below are the 4 phases with some examples of what must be accomplished in each phase , though not everything is listed here.

                                                                                    

 

 

 

You can find much more detail about CommCare Implementation plans here.

An example of a key step in implementation is developing a user contract with whoever will be using phones in your program. This allows you to discuss and set policies related to what will happen if a phone is broken, lost, or needs additional airtime/balance. You can find lots of example contracts here.

 

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Interested in taking the Certification Test for CommCare Fundamentals? See CommCare Fundamentals - Test.